Directed connectomes across species reveal conserved and divergent pathways of neural signaling.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how brain networks support cognition requires knowing not only which regions are connected but the direction in which neuronal signals propagate. However, directed connectivity cannot be measured non-invasively in primates or humans, limiting systems-level inference. Here we integrate projection polarity from ~1,200 mouse viral tracing experiments with species-specific diffusion MRI tractography to construct directed connectomes across mouse, marmoset, macaque, and human. Using a common cross-species atlas, we developed a path efficiency metric that balances projection strength against axonal length and applied shortest-path algorithms to quantify directional influence. This framework revealed conserved and divergent organization: the entorhinal-hippocampal projection was the

SUBMITTER: Venkadesh S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439989 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature