Principles of cortical areas and their implications for neuroimaging

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

Cortical organization should constrain the study of how the brain performs behavior and cognition. A fundamental concept in cortical organization is that of arealization: that the cortex is parceled into discrete areas. I will discuss how principles of cortical arealization apply to neuroimaging research, and I will highlight examples of these principles using high-data “precision” neuroimaging in single individuals. I will further discuss how some interpretations of neuroimaging observations require assumptions that violate the principles of arealization. I will close by articulating how principles of neurobiology should strongly guide the nature of computational explanations.