Structure-function coupling in the connectome

The function of most biological (and engineered) systems is tightly constrained by their structure and anatomy. The brain is no different! Indeed, the structural organization of brain networks and neural circuits can provide clues about their functional roles. Although early research suggested a modest association between structural and functional brain connectivity, we have recently developed deep learning architectures to accurately predict function from the network structure of the human connectome. Moreover, recent research shows that the extent of coupling between brain structure and function follows cytoarchitectonic hierarchies and is dependent on polysnaptic paths and higher-order interactions. Further research is needed to better understand individual variability in structure-function coupling and to uncover the fundamental principles by which brain network organization links with cognition, behavior and disease states. Check out the review article on structure-function coupling for further details.

Further research and key questions

• Develop improved network communication and computational models to predict a nervous system's function based on its network structure
• Investigate structure-function coupling at the neuronal scale
• Can disease states and treatment response be predicted based on characteristic patterns of divergence in brain structure-function coupling?

Project leaders

Caio Seguin & Andrew Zalesky

Further reading

• Baum GL, Cui Z, Roalf DR, Ciric R, Betzel RF, Larsen B, Cieslak M, Cook PA, Xia CH, Moore TM, Ruparel K, Oathes DJ, Alexander-Bloch AF, Shinohara RT, Raznahan A, Gur RE, Gur RC, Bassett DS, Satterthwaite TD. Development of structure-function coupling in human brain networks during youth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Jan 7;117(1):771-778.
• Honey CJ, Sporns O, Cammoun L, Gigandet X, Thiran JP, Meuli R, Hagmann P. Predicting human resting-state functional connectivity from structural connectivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Feb 10;106(6):2035-40.
• Sarwar T, Tian Y, Yeo BTT, Ramamohanarao K, Zalesky A. Structure-function coupling in the human connectome: A machine learning approach. Neuroimage. 2020 Nov 30;226:117609
• Seguin C, Tian Y, Zalesky A. Network communication models improve the behavioral and functional predictive utility of the human structural connectome. Netw Neurosci. 2020 Nov 1;4(4):980-1006.
• Suárez LE, Markello RD, Betzel RF, Misic B. Linking Structure and Function in Macroscale Brain Networks. Trends Cogn Sci. 2020 Apr;24(4):302-315.
• Vázquez-Rodríguez B, Suárez LE, Markello RD, Shafiei G, Paquola C, Hagmann P, van den Heuvel MP, Bernhardt BC, Spreng RN, Misic B. Gradients of structure-function tethering across neocortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 15;116(42):21219-21227.