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Mapping the coupling between tract reachability and cortical geometry of the human brain

Author

Listed:
  • Deying Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Andrew Zalesky

    (The University of Melbourne
    The University of Melbourne)

  • Yufan Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Haiyan Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Liang Ma

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Luqi Cheng

    (Guilin University of Electronic Technology)

  • Tobias Banaschewski

    (Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, German Center for Mental Health (DZPG))

  • Gareth J. Barker

    (King’s College London)

  • Arun L. W. Bokde

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Rüdiger Brühl

    (Braunschweig and Berlin)

  • Sylvane Desrivières

    (King’s College London)

  • Herta Flor

    (Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University
    University of Mannheim)

  • Hugh Garavan

    (University of Vermont)

  • Penny Gowland

    (University Park)

  • Antoine Grigis

    (Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Andreas Heinz

    (Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health)

  • Hervé Lemaître

    (Université Paris-Saclay
    Université de Bordeaux)

  • Jean-Luc Martinot

    (Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay; Centre Borelli CNRS 9010)

  • Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot

    (Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay; Centre Borelli CNRS 9010
    Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)

  • Eric Artiges

    (Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay; Centre Borelli CNRS 9010
    EPS Barthélémy Durand)

  • Frauke Nees

    (Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, German Center for Mental Health (DZPG)
    Kiel University)

  • Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos

    (University of Mannheim)

  • Luise Poustka

    (University Hospital Heidelberg)

  • Michael N. Smolka

    (Technische Universität Dresden)

  • Nilakshi Vaidya

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Henrik Walter

    (Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health)

  • Robert Whelan

    (Trinity College Dublin)

  • Gunter Schumann

    (Technische Universität Dresden
    Fudan University)

  • Tianye Jia

    (Fudan University
    Fudan University
    Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University)
    King’s College London)

  • Congying Chu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Lingzhong Fan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences)

Abstract

The study of cortical geometry and connectivity is prevalent in human brain research. However, these two aspects of brain structure are usually examined separately, leaving the essential connections between the brain’s folding patterns and white matter connectivity unexplored. In this study, we aim to elucidate the fundamental links between cortical geometry and white matter tract connectivity. We develop the concept of tract-geometry coupling (TGC) by optimizing the alignment between tract connectivity to the cortex and multiscale cortical geometry. We confirm in two independent datasets that cortical geometry reliably characterizes tract reachability, and that TGC demonstrates high test-retest reliability and individual-specificity. Interestingly, low-frequency TGC is more heritable and behaviorally informative. Finally, we find that TGC can reproduce task-evoked cortical activation patterns and exhibits non-uniform maturation during youth. Collectively, our study provides an approach to mapping cortical geometry-connectivity coupling, highlighting how these two aspects jointly shape the connected brain.

Suggested Citation

  • Deying Li & Andrew Zalesky & Yufan Wang & Haiyan Wang & Liang Ma & Luqi Cheng & Tobias Banaschewski & Gareth J. Barker & Arun L. W. Bokde & Rüdiger Brühl & Sylvane Desrivières & Herta Flor & Hugh Gara, 2025. "Mapping the coupling between tract reachability and cortical geometry of the human brain," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62812-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62812-9
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