High-cost, high-capacity backbone for global brain communication

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 109; no. 28; pp. 11372 - 11377
• Main Authors: van den Heuvel, Martijn P, Kahn, René S, Goñi, Joaquín, Sporns, Olaf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 10.07.2012; National Acad Sciences
• Series: From the Cover
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biological Sciences; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping - methods; Communication; Connected regions; Connectivity; Diffusion Tensor Imaging - methods; Global communication; Humans; image analysis; Mapping; Medical imaging; Models, Biological; Models, Neurological; Models, Statistical; Neural Pathways; Neurons - physiology; Neuroscience; Region of integration; Topology; Total communication; Total costs; Traffic

Network studies of human brain structural connectivity have identified a specific set of brain regions that are both highly connected and highly central. Recent analyses have shown that these putative hub regions are mutually and densely interconnected, forming a “rich club” within the human brain....