Networks of the Brain – Structure, Dynamics, Function

 

OLAF SPORNS

THE COMPUTATIONAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORY

 

The human brain is a complex network. My talk will be about emerging links between the connectivity structure of the brain and its functional dynamics, and about how we might approach brain damage and disease from a network perspective. Recent neuroimaging studies have shown that structural brain networks exhibit a number of characteristic topological features, including small-world attributes, modularity, and hubs. How do these structural features relate to the functional characteristics of brain networks, to their dynamic patterns, to their processing power, robustness, or capacity to support flexible behavior? I will review empirical and computational work on complex brain networks that helps us link brain anatomy to dynamics and function. I will also discuss how the disruption of networks can lead to disease states of the brain. Reference: http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/nrn2575.pdf Bullmore, E.T, Sporns, O. (2009) Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 186-198.