Chinese scientists have revealed the intrinsic relationship between the topological structure of human brain cortex connections and genetic characteristics, a study that addresses the fundamental question of how these intricate connections form.
Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study explained that neural networks operate as humans think, learn, or perceive the world, with trillions of connections enabling rapid information transfer, Beijing-based Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at the Institute of Automation at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Apart from explaining how these intricate connections form, it also addresses why distinct brain regions exhibit such orderly distribution across the cortex.
A key finding of the study is the definition of a “global connectivity topology” across the entire brain, which shows significant correspondence with gene expression.
“The brain begins following a genetic ‘blueprint’ during embryonic development,” Fan Lingzhong, one of the researchers involved in the study, said.
According to a hypothesis proposed by the researchers, genetic encoding and cortical connectivity are not directly correlated due to the vast numerical disparity between genes and neural connections.
Instead, according to Li Deying, the paper’s lead author, genes likely guide the spatial organization of white matter fiber tracts through efficient organizational principles, forming specific embedded patterns in the cortex.
By analyzing comprehensive datasets, the team identified three dominant topological axes governing brain connectivity: dorsal-ventral, anterior-posterior and medial-lateral.
These axes, Li further said, not only reflect patterns of cortical connections but also closely align with embryonic morphogenetic and genetic gradients during development.
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