Human thalamocortical structural connectivity develops in line with a hierarchical axis of cortical plasticity.

ABSTRACT: Human cortical development follows a hierarchical, sensorimotor-to-association sequence. The brain's capacity to enact this sequence indicates that it relies on unknown mechanisms to regulate regional differences in the timing of cortical maturation. Given evidence from animal systems that thalamic axons mechanistically regulate periods of cortical plasticity, here we evaluate in humans whether the development of structural connections between the thalamus and cortex aligns with cortical maturational heterochronicity. By deriving a new tractography atlas of human thalamic connections and applying it to diffusion data from three youth samples (8-23 years; total n = 2,676), we demonstrate that thalamocortical connectivity matures in a generalizable manner along the cortex's sensorimotor-asso

SUBMITTER: Sydnor VJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12321582 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature