Scientists show brain 'wiring' in babies 12 January 2011 The
study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, was funded by
the Medical Research Council and NIHR BRC for Mental Health at
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s
College London. The research was undertaken using the A.I.M.S.
Network (Autism Imaging Multicentre Study), which is funded by
the MRC. King’s College London scientists funded by the Medical
Research Council (MRC) have shown, for the first time, how our
brain ‘wiring’ develops in the first few months of life. Using a
new imaging technique, the scientists monitored the formation of
insulating layers around nerve cells, a process called
myelination, which is vital for normal brain function. Damage to
the myelination process is believed to contribute to a range of
neurological and psychiatric disorders, including autism and
intellectual disability. In very premature babies, myelination
can be particularly prone to damage. The researchers hope that
their new imaging techniq