Functional Specialization and Flexibility in Human Association Cortex.

ABSTRACT: The association cortex supports cognitive functions enabling flexible behavior. Here, we explored the organization of human association cortex by mathematically formalizing the notion that a behavioral task engages multiple cognitive components, which are in turn supported by multiple overlapping brain regions. Application of the model to a large data set of neuroimaging experiments (N = 10 449) identified complex zones of frontal and parietal regions that ranged from being highly specialized to highly flexible. The network organization of the specialized and flexible regions was explored with an independent resting-state fMRI data set (N = 1000). Cortical regions specialized for the same components were strongly coupled, suggesting that components function as partially isolated networks.

SUBMITTER: Yeo BT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4598819 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature