Z-score in Human Brain Atlas

Science
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Hello,

I’m working with the allen human brain atlas gene search. I have already downloaded the expression data from the gene I’m researching (the DAOA gene).
The thing I don’t understand is what the expression is compared to. Take for example the frontal lobe. There are multiple substructures from which the z-scores are calculated. But from what data are the z-scores calculated, I mean: the expression in the structure was measured, but to what average expression was it compared?
Also: can I calculate the average z-score from e.g. the frontal lobe by using all the known z-scores? Or do I have to make a difference between positive and negative z-scores? Or isn’t it possible to calculate the average z-score of a topstructure at all?

Hopfully someone has an answer for me.
Thanks already!

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Hi!
These topics have been addressed in a few other posts (here, here, and here). If you can’t find your answers there, please let me know.
Best,
Jeremy

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A positive z-score indicates the raw score is higher than the mean average. … A negative z-score reveals the raw score is below the mean average . For example, if a z-score is equal to -2, it is 2 standard deviations below the mean.