Multiscale and multimodal signatures of structure-function coupling variability across the human neocortex.

The relationship between the brain's structural wiring and its dynamic activity is thought to vary regionally, implying that the mechanisms underlying structure-function coupling may differ depending on a region's position within the brain's hierarchy. To better bridge the gap between structure and function, it is crucial to identify the factors shaping this regionality, not only in terms of how static functional connectivity aligns with structure, but also regarding the time-domain variability of this interplay. Here we map structure - function coupling and its time-domain variability and relate them to the heterogeneity of the cortex. We show that these two properties split the cortical landscape into two districts anchored to the opposite ends of the brain's hierarchy. By looking at statistical relationships with layer-specific gene transcription, T1w/T2w ratio, and synaptic density, we show that macro-scale structure-function coupling may be rooted in the brain's microstructure and meso-scale laminar specialization. Finally, we demonstrate that a lower and more variable alignment of function and structure may bestow the emergence of unique functional dynamics.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)