Weaving the mind

In this three-dimensional vision by Tala Karam, the adult brain is revealed as a sophisticated weave of three closely intertwined networks: blood vessels (red), myelin (green), and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, or OPCs, in blue.

Vessels irrigate each cortical fold, transporting oxygen and essential nutrients. Myelin, sheathing axons, accelerates the conduction of nerve signals. The OPCs, on active standby, are ready to repair, replace and restore.

This glial-vascular mapping is a major field of exploration: in neurodegenerative diseases, interactions between these networks become disorganized, leading to signal slowdowns or chronic inflammation.

To observe their organization with such resolution is to get as close as possible to the fragility of the nervous tissue, and to try to pinpoint breaking points before they become irreversible.

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