Connexel visualization: a software implementation of glyphs and edge-bundling for dense connectivity data using
Joachim Böttger1, Ralph Schurade2, Estrid Jakobsen3
1Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy & Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|March 14, 2014
Summary
Visualizing brain connectivity is challenging. New methods like edge-bundling and connectivity glyphs simplify complex data, improving understanding of brain networks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Data Visualization
- Computational Anatomy
Background:
- Advanced analytical techniques enable connexel-wise brain connectivity analyses, examining all voxel-pair connections.
- Full connectivity graphs can obscure patterns due to high data density, hindering detailed visualization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel visualization techniques for complex brain connectivity data.
- To enhance the clarity and interpretability of connexel-wise analyses.
Main Methods:
- Introduction of edge-bundling to group geometrically similar connections, clarifying network structure.
- Development of connectivity glyphs to represent condensed connectivity maps at cortical surface points.
- Application of these methods in native brain space for anatomical correlation.
Main Results:
- Edge-bundling effectively reduces visual clutter by organizing connections.
- Connectivity glyphs provide localized, condensed views of brain networks.
- Both methods facilitate the interpretation of connexels in relation to brain anatomy.
Conclusions:
- Edge-bundling and connectivity glyphs offer improved visualization strategies for dense brain connectivity data.
- These tools, integrated into the open-source brainGL software, enhance interactive exploration of brain data.
Keywords:
connectomefunctional connectivitymagnetic resonance imagingneuroanatomyvisualization softwareMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:13Dense Connective Tissue
10.9K
Dense connective tissue contains more collagen fibers than loose connective tissue. As a consequence, it displays greater resistance to stretching. There are two major categories of dense connective tissue— regular and irregular.
Dense Regular Connective Tissue
In dense regular connective tissue, fibers are arranged parallel to each other, enhancing its tensile strength and resistance to stretching in the direction of the fiber orientations. Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular...
Dense Regular Connective Tissue
In dense regular connective tissue, fibers are arranged parallel to each other, enhancing its tensile strength and resistance to stretching in the direction of the fiber orientations. Ligaments and tendons are made of dense regular...
10.9K
01:10Vector Algebra: Graphical Method
13.7K
Vectors can be multiplied by scalars, added to other vectors, or subtracted from other vectors. The vector sum of two (or more) vectors is called the resultant vector or, for short, the resultant.
We use the laws of geometry to construct resultant vectors, followed by trigonometry to find vector magnitudes and directions. For a geometric construction of the sum of two vectors in a plane, we follow the parallelogram rule. Suppose two vectors are at arbitrary positions. Translate either one of...
We use the laws of geometry to construct resultant vectors, followed by trigonometry to find vector magnitudes and directions. For a geometric construction of the sum of two vectors in a plane, we follow the parallelogram rule. Suppose two vectors are at arbitrary positions. Translate either one of...
13.7K
00:49Ligand Binding and Linkage
4.4K
Allosteric proteins have more than one ligand binding site; the binding of a ligand to any of these sites influences the binding of ligands to the other sites. When a protein is allosteric, its binding sites are called coupled or linked. In the case of enzymes, the site that binds to the substrate is known as the active site and the other site is known as the regulatory site. When a ligand binds to the regulatory site, this leads to conformational changes in the protein that can influence...
4.4K
00:49Ligand Binding and Linkage
3.0K
3.0K
01:27Gap Junctions
9.3K
The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
9.3K
01:37Gap Junctions
48.1K
Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
48.1K