Function follows form : how connectivity patterns govern neural responses

Abstract

Connectivity restricts and defines the information that a network can process. It is the substance of information processing that underlies the patterns of functional activity in the brain. By combining diffusion-weighted imaging or DWI, with fMRI, we are able to non-invasively measure connectivity and neural responses in the same individuals and directly relate these two measures to one another. In Chapter 2, I first establish the proof-of-principle that anatomical connectivity alone can predict neural responses in cortex, specifically of face-selectivity in the fusiform gyrus. I then extend this novel approach to the rest of the brain and test whether connectivity can accurately predict neural responses to various visual categories in Chapter 3. Finally, in Chapter 4, I compare and contrast the resulting models, which are essentially networks of connectivity that are functionally-relevant to each visual category, and demonstrate the type of knowledge that can be uncovered by directly integrating structure and function.