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The folds of the cerebrum increase its surface area. Igor Kagan

Portraits of the Mind

Our brain has always been a subject of scientific interest, as evidenced by anatomical drawings dating back to the Middle Ages. However, it is only in recent decades that imaging techniques have made it possible to decipher the complex structure and function of nerve cells. Until then, it had only been possible to look at dead, stained material, but with the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, it became possible to observe a working, living brain.

The images on display in the exhibition “Portraits of the Mind - Insights into the Brain” were based on the illustrated book of the same name by US neuroscientist Carl Schoonover. In his book, he traces neuroscientific research from antiquity to modern times, focusing on the methods used by researchers then and now to unlock the secrets of the brain. The images are complemented by photographs, films and exhibits from neuroscientific research at the German Primate Center, the Biomedical NMR Research GmbH and the Center for Anatomy at the University of Göttingen.

High-resolution microscopic images and specific staining methods revealed the smallest cells and structures in the brain. In addition, impressive MRI images provided deep insights into the anatomy and function of the brains of monkeys and humans. In addition to a total of 34 images and films, interactive exhibits invited visitors to test their own brain performance. A total of 473 guests visited the exhibition at the DPZ - either as individuals or as part of group tours.

The exhibition was realized with the kind support of the Haus der Wissenschaft in Braunschweig. Parts of Schoonover's collection were shown there in 2011 under the title “Images of the brain - insights into our control center”.

Impressions of the exhibition

The image shows a fiber tractography of the cingulum in the healthy human brain. The cingulum is a large bundle of fibers just above the corpus callosum (white bar) along the hemispheric fissure. Biomed NMR am MPIBPC / S. Hofer
The image shows a fiber tractography of the cingulum in the healthy human brain. The cingulum is a large bundle of fibers just above the corpus callosum (white bar) along the hemispheric fissure.
Group tour of the exhibition Portraits of the Mind. Sylvia Siersleben
Group tour of the exhibition Portraits of the Mind.
A visitor operates the XBI Karin Tilch
Visitors to the “Portraits of the Mind - Insights into the Brain” exhibition can use interactive exhibits to playfully understand what the brain does and how the neuroscientists at the DPZ investigate how it does this.
The image shows the surface structure of the brains of a human and a macaque from above. The colored areas mark the active areas of the left and right visual fields. Igor Kagan
The image shows the surface structure of the brains of a human and a macaque from above. The colored areas mark the active areas of the left and right visual fields.
Neuroprosthetics - Researchers from the Neurobiology Group at the DPZ have built this robotic hand. They analyze the brain activity of primates during the execution of hand movements. Sebastian Lehmann
Neuroprosthetics - Researchers from the Neurobiology Group at the DPZ have built this robotic hand. They analyze the brain activity of primates during the execution of hand movements.
Human skull with a view of the outer meninges (dura mater). Sylvia Siersleben
Human skull with a view of the outer meninges (dura mater).
Image by György Buzsaki and Attila Sik from the illustrated book “Portraits of the Mind”. It shows an image of the hippocampus. Sylvia Siersleben
Image by György Buzsaki and Attila Sik from the illustrated book “Portraits of the Mind”. It shows an image of the hippocampus.
Electron microscope image of axons by Thomas Deerinck and Mark Ellisman from the illustrated book “Portraits of the Mind”. Sylvia Siersleben
Electron microscope image of axons by Thomas Deerinck and Mark Ellisman from the illustrated book “Portraits of the Mind”.
Illustrations of the brains of the Göttingen physician Conrad Heinrich Fuchs and the famous mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss Sylvia Siersleben
Historical and contemporary image of the brains of the Göttingen physician Conrad Heinrich Fuchs (left) and the famous mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss (right) as a stone engraving, copperplate engraving and in two variants of the MRI image.
Skulls of different monkey species. Sylvia Siersleben
Skulls of different monkey species.
Images of the human brain created with diffusion tensor MRI. Subsequent fiber tractography is used to visualize important regions and fiber tracts in the brain. Sylvia Siersleben
Images of the human brain created with diffusion tensor MRI. Subsequent fiber tractography is used to visualize important regions and fiber tracts in the brain.
Visitors at the opening of the exhibition on February 5, 2016. Karin Tilch
Visitors at the opening of the exhibition on February 5, 2016.
A look at the skulls and brains in the display case: visitors at the exhibition opening. Karin Tilch
A look at the skulls and brains in the display case: visitors at the exhibition opening.
A rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) performs a task in a training cage. The fur of its wrist is dyed red to capture the movement with video cameras. Michael Berger
A rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) performs a task in a training cage. The fur of its wrist is dyed red to capture the movement with video cameras.

Video about the exhibition

Insights into the brain - exhibition at the DPZ - 05.02. - 31.05.2016


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