Waxholm Space atlas of the rat brain: a 3D atlas supporting data analysis and integration

Volumetric brain atlases are increasingly used to integrate and analyze diverse experimental neuroscience data acquired from animal models, but until recently a publicly available digital atlas with complete coverage of the rat brain has been missing. Here we present an update of the Waxholm Space rat brain atlas, a comprehensive open-access volumetric atlas resource. This brain atlas features annotations of 222 structures, of which 112 are new and 57 revised compared to previous versions. It provides a detailed map of the cerebral cortex, hippocampal region, striatopallidal areas, midbrain dopaminergic system, thalamic cell groups, the auditory system and main fiber tracts. We document the criteria underlying the annotations and demonstrate how the atlas with related tools and workflows can be used to support interpretation, integration, analysis and dissemination of experimental rat brain data. An updated version of the Waxholm Space atlas of the rat brain includes more detailed annotations of several brain regions, including the cortex, striatopallidal region, midbrain and thalamus, expanding the previous version with 112 new and 57 revised structures.

Automated summary

This paper presents an updated rat brain atlas, which provides annotations of 222 structures and detailed maps of various brain regions, supporting the interpretation and analysis of experimental rat brain data.