nj acts logoPlease read Dr. Zahn’s article in Micromachines titled, “A Cerebral Organoid Connectivity Apparatus to Model Neuronal Tract Circuitry.

Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. The global burden has increased significantly over the past few decades and is expected to continue rising due to prolonged life expectancy. A 2019 report estimated approximately 20.6% of adults in the United States have a mental illness, with 5.2% having a serious mental illness which severely impacts their quality of life. Within the human brain, functional neural circuits consist of neuronal axons which extend to integrate different brain regions and create robust cerebral tracts. These white matter tracts mediate intercommunication between brain areas and enable information transfer critical for brain function. Evidence suggests that deficits in short-range and long-range circuitry connecting brain regions are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. To read the full article.

A Cerebral Organoid Connectivity Apparatus to Model Neuronal Tract Circuitry. Robles DA, Boreland AJ, Pang ZP, Zahn JD. Micromachines (Basel). 2021 Dec 17;12(12):1574. PMID: 34945423 PMCID: PMC8706388 DOI: 3390/mi12121574