How does the human brain work? Chinese team’s ‘groundbreaking’ study offers clues

“If you wish to prosper, build roads first,” ran a popular slogan during China’s construction spree in the late 1980s.

The development of the human brain may follow a similar principle, new “groundbreaking” research by scientists in China suggests.

According to their findings, there are three hidden “information highways” in the human brain – and most brain structures can be built around them.

Their paper, published in The Journal of Neuroscience earlier this month, reveals how biology and connectivity intertwine to build the brain.

Led by Dr Fan Lingzhong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Brainnetome Centre, the research team analysed brain imaging data from 100 healthy adults to map structural connections across the cerebral cortex.

Using advanced diffusion-tracking technology, the team charted over 30,000 neural pathways in each hemisphere, revealing patterns so consistent they resembled a biological road map.