The study published in Nature Communications offers a major advance in understanding how microscopic brain features build the large systems that shape thought, emotion and behavior. Researchers from the tri‑institutional TReNDS Center linked multiple data types—fMRI scans of dynamic connectivity, genetic data, and molecular imaging—to produce a biological map that aligns cells, chemical messengers and cellular energy structures with functional network architecture.
The team measured shifting activity patterns across the brain and compared them with maps of cell types, neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, and mitochondria. They applied mediation analysis, showing that functional networks can serve as intermediaries that explain how molecular and cellular properties influence cognition and behavior, not merely correlate with them.
Vince Calhoun, a senior author, and lead author Guozheng Feng emphasize that many mental and neurodegenerative disorders show both molecular imbalance and network disruption. The findings link these factors and could help identify which systems are most vulnerable in schizophrenia, depression or Alzheimer’s. Calhoun also notes a longer-term goal of creating personalized maps that connect an individual’s biology to their brain network function to support more tailored treatments. The study received funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Source: Georgia State University.
Difficult words
- dynamic connectivity — changing patterns of functional links in brain
- molecular imaging — imaging methods that show molecules in tissue
- mediation analysis — statistical test of an indirect causal pathway
- neurotransmitters — chemical that transmits signals between nerve cells
- mitochondria — cell structure that produces cellular energy
- neurodegenerative disorders — disease causing progressive loss of nerve function
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Discussion questions
- How could personalized maps that connect an individual’s biology to brain network function change treatment for mental or neurodegenerative disorders? Give one possible benefit.
- What practical or scientific challenges might researchers face when combining fMRI, genetic data and molecular imaging for the same person?
- What ethical or privacy issues could arise from creating personal biological maps of brain function?
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