The world's first high-resolution 3D image of a monkey brain has been revealed, in a breakthrough that could pave the way for treatments for human diseases including Parkinson's.

A detailed map of a complete macaque monkey brain was created using fluorescent imaging techniques by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

The team used a new technique to show how nerve cells are organised and connected within the monkey brain at a 'micron resolution'. .

The human brain comprises nearly a hundred billion nerve cells with delicate and complex connections, and while up to 17 times larger than that of a macaque, it is similar enough for comparisons to be made between the two, researchers claim.

Until now, a mouse brain was the largest to be mapped, taking days to create a complete 3D image, but the new technique made it possible to move up to a macaque brain, which is about 200 times larger in volume than that of a mouse.

The team, including researchers from Zhejiang University, say that having such a detailed map of a primate brain will help in understanding human diseases. .

The world's first high-resolution 3D image of a monkey brain has been revealed in a breakthrough that could be used to treat human diseases including Parkinson's.

A detailed map of a complete macaque monkey brain was created using fluorescent imaging techniques by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing (stock image).

They can take a full image of a monkey brain in under four days - about the same time it previously took to capture a full mouse brain, which is 200 times smaller.

Until now a mouse brain was the largest to be mapped, taking days to create a complete 3D image, but the new technique made it possible to move up to a macaque brain, which is about 200 times larger in volume than that of a mouse

Our brain comprises nearly a hundred billion nerve cells with delicate and complex connections, and while up to 17 times larger than that of a macaque, it is similar enough for comparisons to be made between the two, researchers claim

The team, including researchers from Zhejiang University, say that having such a detailed mapping of a primate brain will help in understand human diseases

The new imagine technique allowed the team to map every neuron and fibre of the monkey brain in greater detail than previously possible