Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures

COEX 

The brain is a network of functionally interacting neural populations. Studying the functional architecture of the brain in awake humans is possible with multiple imaging technologies, although these technologies are often biased towards the cortex where signal quality is highest [1]. Perhaps the biggest missing piece of modern in vivo brain network reconstruction is the brainstem. This early evolutionary structure is crucial for survival and consciousness, and integrates signals from throughout the nervous system. Furthermore, multiple neurotransmitter systems originate in brainstem nuclei and project throughout the cortex, shaping cortical activity [2]. However, knowledge about brainstem function primarily comes from either lesion studies or studies in model organisms, and these studies are often limited to specific nuclei or pathways. Exciting recent imaging advances have improved the feasibility of measuring brainstem activity, making it now possible to augment the cortical functional connectome with an anatomically comprehensive representation of the brainstem [3-5].