RIC - Services

Introduction to the BrainMap Database

What is BrainMap?

BrainMap consists of a set of software tools, BrainMap Search & View, BrainMap WWW Search & View, and BrainMap Entry, which interface with an Oracle relational database management system (RDBMS). These tools are intended to promote the user's ability to understand the functional anatomy of the human brain through rapid, exhaustive access to image-derived research on human functional neuroanatomy.BrainMap relates brain locations to human behaviors and data sources. For any brain region, the behavioral conditions believed to support that behavior can be retrieved. BrainMap data naturally falls into a hierarchical structure. The highest level is the paper. Each paper is divided into one or more experiments. An experiment is a grouping, typically a pairing, of behavioral tasks for which differentially activated locations are reported. Behavioral conditions identify the particular effects for which each experiment was designed. Methodological details such as modality and tracer are also provided for each experiment. Each experiment includes one or more activated locations. Locations are the lowest, most basic level of the BrainMap hierarchy. All information within a paper is linked throughout the hierarchy, providing ease of access up and down the branches of the hierarchy.

BrainMap Tools

  • BrainMap Search & View

    • BrainMap Search & View is a fully windowed graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the user to build search queries and retrieve the results from the database in a format that is conducive to meta-analysis. Search & View contains a fully digitized atlas of the human brain which can be used both for generating a search and for viewing data. Outlines of cortical gray matter, white matter, ventricles, subcortical gray matter, and the cerebellum from a bicommissural coordinate-space atlas (Talairach, 1988) have been included for viewing. The user has the option of viewing any atlas section as region outlines or filled regions in any combination. The plotting routines allow the retrieved coordinates associated with specific behaviors to be plotted onto brain sections or silhouettes in any of the three orthogonal views. Points in the plot retain their relations to behavioral, protocol, and citational data; this information can be accessed by simply clicking on the location from the plot screen.BrainMap Search & View was originally developed on the Macintosh using SuperCard. The latest SuperCard release will continue to be supported during development of the platform-independent version using Galaxy C, a platform-independent development environment from Visix, Inc.. A beta release of the Galaxy version of Search & View is scheduled for December, 1995.

  • Accessing BrainMap Search & View

    • BrainMap Search & View is available to any site with a Macintosh which can be used as an internet client (using MacTCP). To request Search & View installation package, read the Subscription Information page then follow the instructions to complete the Subscription Card referenced on the page.

  • BrainMap WWW Search & View

    • The world wide web (WWW) Search & View interface to the BrainMap database can be accessed from the Research Imaging Center home page (http://ric.uthscsa.edu). Guest access to WWW Search & View allows the user to search the database and retrieve citational information about the results. Once a guest has submitted an application (available through the WWW site) and that application has been approved, the user will have increased access to data using WWW Search & View. For example, search queries can be saved for later use and results of the queries will be reported for the entire spectrum of data stored in the BrainMap database.

  • BrainMap Entry

    • The Entry program was originally developed on the Macintosh using SuperCard and distribution was limited to a few test sites. A new version of BrainMap Entry has been developed for Sun Solaris using Galaxy C. It is now in beta testing and will be made available to members of the human functional brain mapping research community in the near future.

  • Accessing BrainMap Entry

    • BrainMap Entry is currently available to a limited beta test base. If you are running Solaris 2.x and would be interested in either being a beta test site or receiving a production version when it is available, please send an email message to bmap.admin@uthscsa.edu with your request.