The average Indian brain is smaller in height, width, and volume in comparison with the western and other eastern populations.
According to The Hindu, this is the conclusion of the first-ever ‘Indian Brain Atlas’ created by the Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H).
According to the research team led by Professor Jayanthi Sivaswamy from the Centre of Visual Information Technology, these differences are found at a structural level, like the volume of the hippocampus.
But overall, the ‘IBA 100 is more’ comparable to the Chinese and Korean atlases than the distant Caucasian one.
The Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) template, which has been used for brain-related ailments has been constructed using caucasian brains, and thus was no compatible to analyse brain differences in the Indian population.
Speaking to the Times of India, she said:
As Indian brains are smaller in size when compared to MNI, the difference in scans can look alarming and lead to misdiagnosis.
She further said:
There is clear evidence based on the study that it is desirable to build a larger atlas as it is important to understand structurally what is normal. This would help catch several brain conditions early on.
This is actually quite good, isn’t it? This will finally help scientists in diagnosing dementia and Alzheimer’s as they are associated with the atrophy of the hippocampus.
