Korean Brain Maps

[Anchor Lead]

Korean doctors have developed a brain map of Koreans specifically. Previously, brain diseases have been treated here based on Western brain maps, but from now on diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders should become more accurate.

[Pkg]

Korean researchers have developed the first-ever standard brain map of elderly Koreans. Compared with the standard brain of westerners, the Korean brain is 1.3 centimeters shorter and 0.2 centimeters wider. So far Korean doctors have relied on western standard brain maps to treat brain disorders in Korean patients despite the differences in shape and size, which resulted in inaccurate diagnoses and treatment.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Ki-woong(Seoul Nat'l Univ. Bundang Hospital) : "Matching wide Asian brains to the narrow and long brains of westerners results in various shape distortions."

If the western standard brain map is applied to Korean dementia patients, their hippocampuses, which oversee memory, appear normal in size. However, according to the Korean brain map, their size appears smaller than normal, pointing to the presence of dementia.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Ki-woong(Seoul Nat'l Univ. Bundang Hospital) : "The accuracy of studies into depression caused by stroke and ischemic brain diseases can be enhanced greatly by using the standard Korean brain to determine changes in the brain shape and the cause of the diseases."

With the completion of the Korean brain map, doctors are expected to be able to diagnose and treat brain disorders in Korean patients with more accuracy.