Nature paper: brain geometry constrains function more than complex connectivity

AnnaCiaunica · x · 2026-08-19

Open-access Nature paper (2023): "Geometric constraints on human brain function." The dominant neuroscience paradigm holds that neuronal dynamics are driven by interactions between discrete, functionally specialized populations connected by axonal fibres. Predictions from neural field theory instead suggest the brain's geometry may be a more fundamental constraint on dynamics than complex interregional connectivity.

The authors (Pang, Aquino, Fornito et al.) confirm this by analyzing human fMRI data acquired under spontaneous and diverse task-evoked conditions, showing cortical and subcortical activity can be parsimoniously described by geometric constraints. The paper has 176k accesses and 510+ citations.

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