Connectome-based prediction modeling of cognitive control using functional and structural connectivity

Cognitive control involves flexibly configuring mental resources and adjusting behavior to achieve goal-directed actions. It is associated with the coordinated activity of brain networks, although it remains unclear how both structural and functional brain networks can predict cognitive control. Connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) is a powerful tool for predicting cognitive control based on brain networks.

The study used CPM to predict cognitive control in 102 healthy adults from the UCLA Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics dataset and further compared structural and functional connectome characteristics that support cognitive control.

Our results showed that both structural (r values 0.263-0.375) and functional (r values 0.336-0.503) connectomes can significantly predict individuals' cognitive control subcomponents. There is overlap between the functional and structural networks of all three cognitive control subcomponents, particularly in the frontoparietal (FP) and motor (Mot) networks, while each subcomponent also has its own unique weight prediction network. Overall, the functional and structural connectivity that supports different cognitive control subcomponents manifests overlapping and distinct spatial patterns.

The structural and functional connectomes provide complementary information for predicting cognitive control ability. Integrating information from both connectomes offers a more comprehensive understanding of the neural underpinnings of cognitive control.