A survey of macroscopic brain network visualization technology

Abstract

Brain science, as an important branch of Neuroscience, is a discipline that studies the structure and function of brain nervous system of human and other mammals. With the invention of new technologies such as brain imaging, light microscopes and brain electromagnetics, brain science is gradually unraveling the mysteries of human emotion, intelligence and behavior. In this wave, data visualization punctuates the landmark advances in brain science since its beginning. This survey reviews the recent literature on brain network visualization (aka connectome) from the fields of both connectomics and visualization. In particular, we focus on the macroscopic-level brain network visualization techniques, that reveal the structural and functional connectivity of the whole brain, in comparison to microsopic-level neuronal connectivities. We also discuss the interactive visualization tools currently available for viewing the brain networks. Finally, we conclude with a number of ongoing challenges in macroscopic brain network visualization.