COLUMBUS, Ohio – A groundbreaking study from The Ohio State University has unveiled the most comprehensive evidence yet that the intricate web of connections within the human brain reveals the specialized functions of its various regions. This research provides a holistic “bird’s eye view” of the brain, offering insights into its multifaceted functions, according to Kelly Hiersche, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student in psychology.
Previous studies have demonstrated the link between brain connectivity and specific functions, such as perception or social interaction. However, this study expands upon those findings, offering a more complete picture of the brain’s connectivity and its implications for understanding neurological disorders. “We found evidence suggesting that connectivity is a fundamental organizational principle governing brain function,” Hiersche explained, highlighting the potential for these findings to illuminate what occurs when brain functions go awry.
Understanding the Brain’s Connectivity Fingerprint
The research introduces the concept of a “connectivity fingerprint,” a unique pattern that identifies the function of specific brain regions. “Just like how everyone’s fingerprint is unique, we find that different brain regions have uniquely identifying connectivity fingerprints based on what mental function they perform,” said Zeynep Saygin, co-author and associate professor of psychology at Ohio State.
According to David Osher, senior author and assistant professor of psychology, these findings allow scientists to infer the function of a brain region based on its connectivity pattern. “Our findings help us understand the connectivity pattern that makes a language area unique, for example, and what makes it different from adjacent areas in the brain,” Osher stated.
Data and Methodology
The study utilized data from the Human Connectome Project, involving 1,018 individuals who underwent MRI scans to examine brain connectivity patterns. Researchers then employed NeuroQuery, an online meta-analysis tool, to map brain activity across 33 cognitive processes, including speech, decision-making, and music perception. By building computational models, the team linked connectivity data with NeuroQuery’s meta-analytic results.
“The results showed a consistent and robust correlation between connectivity and function across the whole brain and across cognitive domains,” Osher noted. “This supports a broadly held hypothesis among neuroscientists, that brain connectivity determines brain function.”
Implications for Higher-Level Cognitive Skills
While the study confirmed a strong relationship between connectivity and activation across all cognitive domains, it revealed particularly tight connections in higher-level skills like executive function and memory. Hiersche observed, “These higher-level skills take many years to develop in people, much longer than sensory or social skills.”
She added, “It may be that as you continually use these regions of the brain for them to develop, it results in this very tight link between connectivity and function for these higher-order skills.”
Future Research and Applications
A significant contribution of this study is its potential to serve as a baseline for understanding how normal brains function in young adults. This foundational knowledge could be instrumental in studying individuals with various neurological conditions, allowing researchers to compare their brain connectivity and function against the established norm.
“Knowing that connectivity is a general organizational principle of brain function across the entire brain provides a foundation for future work in this area,” Hiersche concluded.
The study, published in the journal Network Neuroscience, represents a significant advancement in the field of neuroscience, offering a comprehensive framework for future research into brain connectivity and its implications for cognitive function and dysfunction.
