Neurobiological and behavioral relevance of intrinsic functional connectome constraints on task-evoked neural activation

Elucidating how resting-state functional connectivity relates to task-evoked neural activation is an important topic in systems neuroscience. We analyzed task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 1,005 participants from the Human Connectome Project. On the basis of connectome-constrained predictive modeling, we calculated a neural activation constraint index (NACI) to assess the extent to which intrinsic functional connectome architecture constrains task-evoked neural activation. NACIs showed task-dependent variations, indicating differential constraint effects of the intrinsic functional connectome across distinct tasks. Spectral clustering based on the NACI classified participants into the high- and low-constraint groups. The high-constraint group exhibited superior cognitive functions in several domains and better performance across multiple tasks. Higher NACIs from working memory, language, and relational tasks correlated with greater cognitive functions and better task performance. These findings support the neurobiological and behavioral relevance of NACI and suggest its utility for characterizing individual differences in functional brain organization.