Flight training-induced stage-specific reorganization of the ventral visual network in pilots: evidence from longitudinal and cross-sectional studies

• Published in: Brain and cognition Vol. 188; p. 106337
• Main Authors: Zhang, Shicong, Chen, Xi, Guo, Shuqi, Zhang, Zhuyu, Xu, Peiran, Meng, Qingbin, Hao, Jiaqi, Chu, Qi, Li, Xiuyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2025
• Subjects: Adult; Aviation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dorsal visual network; Female; Flight training; Graph theory analysis; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Pilots; Stage-specific reorganization; Ventral visual network; Visual Pathways - diagnostic imaging; Visual Pathways - physiology; Visual Perception - physiology; Young Adult; Dorsal visual network; Graph theory analysis; Stage-specific reorganization; Ventral visual network; Flight training

•This study used both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs to assess pilot brain plasticity.•Graph-theoretical analysis was applied to multimodal MRI to examine visual network topology.•Flight cadets showed reduced clustering coefficient and local efficiency in the ventral network.•Expert pilots...