Research by doctoral student Kelly Hiersche, associate professor Zeynep Saygin and and assistant professor David Osher suggests connectivity between parts of the brain can explain the function of each region.
By Jeff Grabmeier
Ohio State News
grabmeier.1@osu.edu
A new study provides the best evidence to date that the connection patterns between various parts of the human brain can tell scientists the specialized functions of each region.
Previous research has shown the relationship between connectivity and brain function for just one or a few functions, such as perception or social interactions.
But this study goes further by providing a “bird’s eye view” of the whole brain and its many functions, said Kelly Hiersche, lead author of the study and doctoral student in psychology at The Ohio State University.
“We found evidence suggesting that connectivity is a fundamental organizational principle governing brain function, which has implications for understanding what happens when things go wrong in the brain,” Hiersche said.
The findings give scientists a better picture of the “connectivity fingerprint” of specific regions of the human brain.