A team of researchers from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), King Juan Carlos University, Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and other institutions developed a new technique of neuroscience data analysis through musical notes. For that, they developed a software tool to translate dendritic spines (small membranous protrusion from a neuron’s dendrite) into musical notes. This allows identifying anatomical substrates, impossible to observe using available conventional imaging techniques.
Dendritic spines are essential structures in the processes of plasticity, learning and memory, and are a key component in the structure and function of brain pyramidal cells. The study of dendritic spines is fundamental to understand cognition, memory and the synaptic organization of the cerebral cortex. Discovering potential patterns in distributions of dendritic spine morphology in pyramidal neurons is a hard task because of the irregular three-dimensional position of the spines, high number of structures and the dendritic shapes where the spines are found.
The morphological-musical translator could serve as a guide for the mathematical analysis of the structural composition of these cells. The software tool presents the information in musical notes — with different timbres, tones, amplitude and duration — to facilitate analyzing the most relevant morphological features and the spatial distribution of dendritic spines in a neuron. In order to improve the analysis process of this data, the user can simultaneously explore the optical microscopy images along with symbolic visual data from images and musical sounds from the analyzed distributions.
So far, the musical exploration has allowed researchers to reveal some patterns which were completely hidden. With this new technique, researchers will be able to explore new hypothesis to understand how human brain works and also search for new treatments against diseases like Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and Parkinson’s.
According with a UPM’s press release, a version of this tool can be tested on AUDISPINE website; however, is not aimed to perform with full functionality. Researchers are currently working in an application that can be distributed internationally.
Through: Infosalus.com, Diario Siglo XXI, UPM Channel/News
