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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
17:06
Co-analysis of Brain Structure and Function using fMRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging
Published on: November 8, 2012
Hypothesis-driven structural connectivity analysis supports network over hierarchical model of brain architecture
Richard H Thompson1, Larry W Swanson
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Summary
This study reveals brain organization is a network, not hierarchical. Researchers mapped neural circuits in the nucleus accumbens, finding connections related to appetite, stress, and depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
- Neuroanatomy
Background:
- The brain's structural organization is debated, with hierarchical and network models proposed.
- Understanding brain architecture is crucial for deciphering structure-function relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between hierarchical and network models of brain organization.
- To map neural circuits originating from a specific "hedonic hot spot" in the nucleus accumbens.
Main Methods:
- Developed and applied a novel, expandable circuit-tracing strategy.
- Utilized a double-coinjection technique for tracing neural pathways.
- Focused on a dorsomedial region of the nucleus accumbens.
Main Results:
- Identified a highly topographically organized set of connections.
- Revealed prominent involvement of brain regions associated with appetite, stress, and depression.
- Demonstrated that these connections form longitudinal series of circuits (closed loops).
Conclusions:
- The findings support a network model of brain organization over a strictly hierarchical one.
- The developed tracing strategy can be systematically applied to map the entire brain's connectome.
- This research provides insights into the neural basis of behaviors and conditions like appetite, stress, and depression.
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