WBAI proposes the Brain Information Flow Diagram (BIF) as a format for describing and sharing the whole brain architecture (cf. information flow diagram).

BIF is composed of Circuits and Connections between them. A Circuit corresponds to a population of neurons, an organ in the brain such as the hippocampus, or a circuit consisting of brain organs, to perform a certain function.

BIF elements are defined by an ontology with the following classes and properties. Circuits and Connections are normally defined as classes rather than instances.

A collection of one or more brain regions or organs with the following properties.

• names: name list
• hasPart: Circuits within
• functionality: description of functions
• reference: reference list
• implementation: URLs (pointers to implementation)
• uniform: truth value (true iff it has no sub-Circuit and unique output)
• taxon : animal species (option)

A subclass of Circuit whose instance has unique output and no sub-Circuit

• uniform: True

They have the following properties in addition to the properties of Circuit.

• size: natural number (such as the number of neurons)
• transmitter: neurotransmitter
• modType: Excitatory, Inhibitory, Modulatory

Connections between Circuits with the following properties.

Neurotransmitter: e.g., dopamine

Please refer to the BIF data preparation manual.