Quantitative Analysis of Neuroanatomy

The true revolution in the age of digital neuroanatomy is the ability to extensively quantify anatomical structures and thus investigate structure-function relationships in great detail. Large scale projects were recently launched with the aim of providing infrastructure for brain simulations. These projects will increase the need for a precise understanding of brain structure, e.g., through statistical analysis and models.

The aim of this Research Topic is to examine theoretical and experimental work directed at a detailed and comprehensive quantitative understanding of neuroanatomy. Integrating such knowledge with functional data should provide a more complete understanding of how the nervous system in different animal species is organized to generate appropriate behaviour. Three main areas will be covered in this issue. Firstly, progress in understanding neuroanatomical structures from applying novel mathematical and statistical methods. Secondly, experimental or computational work providing a quantitative analysis of microcircuit anatomy, cell distributions, cell morphologies, intracellular compartmentalization etc. Thirdly, experimental or computational studies of structural plasticity, and its effect on neural computations, e.g., changes in spine size and synaptic plasticity; changes in axonal projection patterns and cortical representations. Structural plasticity includes plasticity during development, in response to injury or disease and experience-induced plasticity.

We welcome contributions of original research articles (both computational and experimental studies), review articles, and methodological advances related to the mathematical and statistical analysis of structure-function relationships in a nervous system. The emphasis is on scientific research at the level of cells and microcircuits using methods providing a detailed description of the underlying neuroanatomy.

Examples of topics:
Spatial point pattern statistics used for analyzing neuroanatomy
Modeling of cell morphologies
Models of structural plasticity
Spatiotemporal modeling of ion channel distribution
Connectomics data, methods, and workflow
Statistical analysis of reconstructed axonal and dendritic processes
Quantitative descriptions of neuronal phenotypes
Genetic tools for labeling specific cell types
Analysis of spine morphologies in neurodevelopmental disorder
Spatial clustering (microdomains) of membrane bound proteins

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.