Title
The most relevant human brain regions for functional connectivity: Evidence for a dynamical workspace of binding nodes from whole-brain computational modelling.
Abstract
In order to promote survival through flexible cognition and goal-directed behaviour, the brain has to optimize segregation and integration of information into coherent, distributed dynamical states. Certain organizational features of the brain have been proposed to be essential to facilitate cognitive flexibility, especially hub regions in the so-called rich club which show dense interconnectivity. These structural hubs have been suggested to be vital for integration and segregation of information. Yet, this has not been evaluated in terms of resulting functional temporal dynamics. A complementary measure covering the temporal aspects of functional connectivity could thus bring new insights into a more complete picture of the integrative nature of brain networks. Here, we use causal whole-brain computational modelling to determine the functional dynamical significance of the rich club and compare this to a new measure of the most functionally relevant brain regions for binding information over time (“dynamical workspace of binding nodes”). We found that removal of the iteratively generated workspace of binding nodes impacts significantly more on measures of integration and encoding of information capability than the removal of the rich club regions. While the rich club procedure produced almost half of the binding nodes, the remaining nodes have low degree yet still play a significant role in the workspace essential for binding information over time and as such goes beyond a description of the structural backbone.
Year
DOI
Venue
2017
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.10.047
NeuroImage
Field
DocType
Volume
Workspace,Interconnectivity,Computer science,Connectome,Cognitive psychology,Cognitive flexibility,Theoretical computer science,Human brain,Artificial intelligence,Cognition,Encoding (memory)
Journal
146
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
1053-8119
4
0.44
References 
Authors
12
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Gustavo Deco11004156.20
Tim J. Van Hartevelt2151.12
Henrique M. Fernandes340.44
Angus Stevner4201.59
Morten L. Kringelbach518521.07