Neuron
Volume 87, Issue 3, 5 August 2015, Pages 657-670
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Article
Functional System and Areal Organization of a Highly Sampled Individual Human Brain

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.06.037Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Single-subject areal parcellation is reproducible, valid, and convergent with task

  • Highly reliable correlation estimates require considerable data

  • Within-subject correlation is most variable in visual and somatosensory cortex

  • Individuals exhibit topological features distinct from group system organization

Summary

Resting state functional MRI (fMRI) has enabled description of group-level functional brain organization at multiple spatial scales. However, cross-subject averaging may obscure patterns of brain organization specific to each individual. Here, we characterized the brain organization of a single individual repeatedly measured over more than a year. We report a reproducible and internally valid subject-specific areal-level parcellation that corresponds with subject-specific task activations. Highly convergent correlation network estimates can be derived from this parcellation if sufficient data are collected—considerably more than typically acquired. Notably, within-subject correlation variability across sessions exhibited a heterogeneous distribution across the cortex concentrated in visual and somato-motor regions, distinct from the pattern of intersubject variability. Further, although the individual’s systems-level organization is broadly similar to the group, it demonstrates distinct topological features. These results provide a foundation for studies of individual differences in cortical organization and function, especially for special or rare individuals.

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