Anatomic and electro-physiologic connectivity of the language system: a combined DTI-CCEP study

Here we present a novel multimodal analysis of network connectivity in the language system. We assessed connectivity of Broca's area using tractography with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and with cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) to measure the spread of artificial currents applied directly to human cortex. We found that both the amplitude and latency of CCEP currents significantly correlates (r(2)=0.41, p<10(-16)) with the number of DTI pathways connecting the stimulation and recording loci. This strategy of relating electrical information flow with the neural architecture will likely yield new insights into cognitive processes.