The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles
Abstract Brain activity emerges in a dynamic landscape of regional increases and decreases that span the cortex. Increases in activity during a cognitive task are often assumed to reflect the processing of task-relevant information, while reductions can be interpreted as suppression of irrelevant ac...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08295-2 |
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| author | Robert Leech Rodrigo M. Braga David Haydock Nicholas Vowles Elizabeth Jefferies Boris Bernhardt Federico Turkheimer Francesco Alberti Daniel Margulies Oliver Sherwood Emily JH Jones Jonathan Smallwood František Váša |
| author_facet | Robert Leech Rodrigo M. Braga David Haydock Nicholas Vowles Elizabeth Jefferies Boris Bernhardt Federico Turkheimer Francesco Alberti Daniel Margulies Oliver Sherwood Emily JH Jones Jonathan Smallwood František Váša |
| author_sort | Robert Leech |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Brain activity emerges in a dynamic landscape of regional increases and decreases that span the cortex. Increases in activity during a cognitive task are often assumed to reflect the processing of task-relevant information, while reductions can be interpreted as suppression of irrelevant activity to facilitate task goals. Here, we explore the relationship between task-induced increases and decreases in activity from a geometric perspective. Using a technique known as kriging, developed in earth sciences, we examined whether the spatial organisation of brain regions showing positive activity could be predicted based on the spatial layout of regions showing activity decreases (and vice versa). Consistent with this hypothesis we established the spatial distribution of regions showing reductions in activity could predict (i) regions showing task-relevant increases in activity in both groups of humans and single individuals; (ii) patterns of neural activity captured by calcium imaging in mice; and, (iii) showed a high degree of generalisability across task contexts. Our analysis, therefore, establishes that antagonistic relationships between brain regions are topographically determined, a spatial analog for the well documented anti-correlation between brain systems over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-932a04d87b2a4edc9681dac68c18e4c5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-932a04d87b2a4edc9681dac68c18e4c52025-08-20T02:05:42ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-06-018111110.1038/s42003-025-08295-2The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principlesRobert Leech0Rodrigo M. Braga1David Haydock2Nicholas Vowles3Elizabeth Jefferies4Boris Bernhardt5Federico Turkheimer6Francesco Alberti7Daniel Margulies8Oliver Sherwood9Emily JH Jones10Jonathan Smallwood11František Váša12Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonNeurology Department, Northwestern UniversityDivision of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College LondonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Psychology, University of YorkMontreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill UniversityInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonIntegrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, University of ParisIntegrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, University of ParisInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonCentre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of LondonDepartment of Psychology, Queens UniversityInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonAbstract Brain activity emerges in a dynamic landscape of regional increases and decreases that span the cortex. Increases in activity during a cognitive task are often assumed to reflect the processing of task-relevant information, while reductions can be interpreted as suppression of irrelevant activity to facilitate task goals. Here, we explore the relationship between task-induced increases and decreases in activity from a geometric perspective. Using a technique known as kriging, developed in earth sciences, we examined whether the spatial organisation of brain regions showing positive activity could be predicted based on the spatial layout of regions showing activity decreases (and vice versa). Consistent with this hypothesis we established the spatial distribution of regions showing reductions in activity could predict (i) regions showing task-relevant increases in activity in both groups of humans and single individuals; (ii) patterns of neural activity captured by calcium imaging in mice; and, (iii) showed a high degree of generalisability across task contexts. Our analysis, therefore, establishes that antagonistic relationships between brain regions are topographically determined, a spatial analog for the well documented anti-correlation between brain systems over time.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08295-2 |
| spellingShingle | Robert Leech Rodrigo M. Braga David Haydock Nicholas Vowles Elizabeth Jefferies Boris Bernhardt Federico Turkheimer Francesco Alberti Daniel Margulies Oliver Sherwood Emily JH Jones Jonathan Smallwood František Váša The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles Communications Biology |
| title | The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| title_full | The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| title_fullStr | The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| title_full_unstemmed | The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| title_short | The spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| title_sort | spatial layout of antagonistic brain regions is explicable based on geometric principles |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08295-2 |
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