Decoding cortical chronotopy—Comparing the influence of different cortical organizational schemes

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 303; p. 120914
• Main Authors: Mecklenbrauck, Falko, Sepulcre, Jorge, Fehring, Jana, Schubotz, Ricarda I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2024; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Bayesian analysis; Bayesian model comparison; Brain architecture; Brain mapping; Brain Mapping - methods; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Connectome; Cortical hierarchies; Cortical timescales; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; DWI; Female; fMRI; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humans; Information processing; Inter-subject correlation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nerve Net - diagnostic imaging; Nerve Net - physiology; Nested hierarchies; Neuroimaging; Sensory integration; Structure-function relationships; Young Adult; Cortical timescales; fMRI; Cortical hierarchies; Bayesian model comparison; DWI; Inter-subject correlation; Nested hierarchies
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120914

•Bayesian model comparison to contrast the effect of common organizational schemes.•The uni-to-multimodal gradient best explains chronotopy variations in task and rest.•Hierarchically higher, more integrative areas show slower resting-state timescales.•Higher areas across organizational schemes are tuned to more persistent stimuli. The brain's diverse intrinsic timescales enable us to perceive stimuli with varying temporal persistency. This study aimed to uncover the cortical organizational schemes underlying these variations, revealing the neural architecture for processing a wide range of sensory experiences. We collected resting-state fMRI, task-fMRI, and diffusion-weighted imaging data from 47 individuals. Based on this data, we extracted six organizational schemes: (1) the structural Rich Club (RC) architecture, shown to synchronize the connectome; (2) the structural Diverse Club architecture, as an alternative to the RC based on the network's module structure; (3) the functional uni-to-multimodal gradient, reflected in a wide range of structural and functional features; and (4) the spatial posterior/lateral-to-anterior/medial gradient, established for hierarchical levels of cognitive control. Also, we explored the effects of (5) structural graph theoretical measures of centrality and (6) cytoarchitectural differences. Using Bayesian model comparison, we contrasted the impact of these organizational schemes on (1) intrinsic resting-state timescales and (2) inter-subject correlation (ISC) from a task involving hierarchically nested digit sequences. As expected, resting-state timescales were slower in structural network hubs, hierarchically higher areas defined by the functional and spatial gradients, and thicker cortical regions. ISC analysis demonstrated hints for the engagement of higher cortical areas with more temporally persistent stimuli. Finally, the model comparison identified the uni-to-multimodal gradient as the best organizational scheme for explaining the chronotopy in both task and rest. Future research should explore the microarchitectural features that shape this gradient, elucidating how our brain adapts and evolves across different modes of processing.