Multimodal gradients unify local and global cortical organization.

Wang Y., Eichert N., Paquola C., Rodriguez-Cruces R., DeKraker J., Royer J., Cabalo DG., Auer H., Ngo A., Leppert IR., Tardif CL., Rudko DA., Leech R., Amunts K., Valk SL., Smallwood J., Evans AC., Bernhardt BC.

Functional specialization of brain areas and subregions, as well as their integration into large-scale networks, are key principles in neuroscience. Consolidating both local and global perspectives on cortical organization, however, remains challenging. Here, we present an approach to integrate inter- and intra-areal similarities of microstructure, structural connectivity, and functional interactions. Using high-field in-vivo 7 tesla (7 T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data and a probabilistic post-mortem atlas of cortical cytoarchitecture, we derive multimodal gradients that capture cortex-wide organization. Inter-areal similarities follow a canonical sensory-fugal gradient, linking cortical integration with functional diversity across tasks. However, intra-areal heterogeneity does not follow this pattern, with greater variability in association cortices. Findings are replicated in an independent 7 T dataset and a 100-subject 3 tesla (3 T) cohort. These results highlight a robust coupling between local arealization and global cortical motifs, advancing our understanding of how specialization and integration shape human brain function.

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-59177-4

Type

Journal article

Publication Date

2025-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Volume

16

Keywords

Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cerebral Cortex, Male, Female, Brain Mapping, Adult, Nerve Net, Middle Aged, Young Adult

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