Multimodal gradients unify local and global cortical organization
Functional specialization of brain areas and subregions, as well as their integration into large-scale networks, are key principles in neuroscience. Consolidating both local and global perspectives on cortical organization, however, remains challenging. Here, we present an approach to integrate inter- and intra-areal similarities of microstructure, structural connectivity, and functional interactions. Using high-field in-vivo 7 tesla (7 T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data and a probabilistic post-mortem atlas of cortical cytoarchitecture, we derive multimodal gradients that capture cortex-wide organization. Inter-areal similarities follow a canonical sensory-fugal gradient, linking cortical integration with functional diversity across tasks. However, intra-areal heterogeneity does not follow this pattern, with greater variability in association cortices. Findings are replicated in an independent 7 T dataset and a 100-subject 3 tesla (3 T) cohort. These results highlight a robust coupling between local arealization and global cortical motifs, advancing our understanding of how specialization and integration shape human brain function.
Authors
- Boris C. Bernhardt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9256-6041)
- Robert Leech (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5801-6318)
- Katrin Amunts (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5828-0867)
- Alan C. Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3841-6098)
- Nicole Eichert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7818-5787)
- Sofie Louise Valk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2998-6849)
- Casey Paquola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0190-4103)
- Raúl Rodríguez‐Cruces (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2917-1212)
- Jessica Royer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4448-8998)
- Christine Tardif (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8356-6808)
- Jordan DeKraker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4093-0582)
- Donna Gift Cabalo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9568-1723)
- Hans Auer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2127-4636)
- Yezhou Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3650-5476)
- Alexander Ngo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8999-9388)
- David A. Rudko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1299-954X)
- Jonathan Smallwood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7298-2459)
- Ilana R. Leppert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7672-0918)
Institutions
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (CA)
- Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE)
- King's College London (GB)
- Queen's University (CA)
- John Radcliffe Hospital (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Düsseldorf University Hospital (DE)
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (GB)
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (DE)
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
- McGill University (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-04-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59177-4
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 10.02
Funders
- National Research Centre
- Wellcome Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- European Commission
- Canada Research Chairs
- Hospital for Sick Children
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
- Centre Azrieli de recherche sur l'autisme, Institut et Hôpital Neurologiques de Montréal