Brain geometry and dynamics

COEX 

The dynamics of many physical systems are naturally constrained by their underlying structure. Here, I will show that the nervous system is no exception, with geometric eigenmodes derived from the brain’s cortical and subcortical geometry accurately capturing diverse experimental human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from spontaneous and task-evoked recordings. Moreover, these geometric constraints are unique to each individual and universally exist across different species. Finally, I will show that the close link between geometry and function is explained by a dominant role of wave-like activity, and that wave dynamics can reproduce numerous canonical features of functional brain organization. These findings identify a previously underappreciated role of geometry in shaping function, as predicted by a unifying and physically principled model of brain-wide dynamics.