The Human Connectome Project (HCP) launched back in July of 2009 in an effort to provide a comprehensive map of both functional and structural connectivity across the human brain. The project has made great strides since then, gathering publicly accessible fMRI data to leverage with other research. This fMRI data has been averaged across individuals and used to map out areas associated with certain cognitive tasks. In the article, “Brain scans from one person build reliable map of brain activity,” from Spectrum News, it is discussed how researchers are becoming aware of the potential inaccuracy of this method. It was found that in creating a brain model using a single individual’s fMRI data across multiple cognitive tasks was much more similar to other individuals using the same method compared to averaged brain maps of multiple individuals doing the same task. The data from 40 participants in the HCP were used in this comparison of brain mapping methods. It was hypothesized that these variations in functional connectivity causing inaccurate averaged models may be due to individuals using different strategies and possibly brain circuits for the same cognitive task (Katsnelson 2019)
As our understanding of fMRI scans applicability progresses, it is hopeful that we can make progress toward constructing personalized connectomes specific to individuals. This variation between individuals’ structural and functional connectivity may shine light onto the phenotypes of certain adult and pediatric psychiatric and neurological disorders. In the study, “Function in the Human Connectome: Task-FMRI and Individual Differences in Behavior,” researchers analyze task-fMRI scans to outline a set of functions central to understanding the interaction between human behavior and brain connectivity. Looking at motor, sensory, cognitive, and emotional processes using the methods above with tfMRI, they hope to find individual differences in neurobiological substrates (Barch et al.)
Caterina Gratton from Northwestern University has been working toward this task as well. Using data from her Midnight Scan Club leveraged with HCP data, she is hoping to characterize individual variation in brain networks and the relationship between individual differences and function. Specifically she is looking to understand possible structural or functional differences in individuals with control deficits such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. If research progresses in this way, we will be one step further in understanding and treating psychiatric and neurological disorders such as these.
Barch, Deanna M., et al. “Function in the Human Connectome: Task-FMRI and Individual Differences in Behavior.” NeuroImage, vol. 80, 2013, pp. 169–189., doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.033.
Katsnelson, Alla. “Brain Scans from One Person Build Reliable Map of Brain Activity.” Spectrum, 24 Oct. 2019, www.spectrumnews.org/news/brain-scans-from-one-person-build-reliable-map-of-brain-activity/.
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