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Updated: Sep 20, 2025

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
Published on: October 13, 2023
Brain connectivity: complex, not chaotic
Elena Borra1, Derek K Jones2, Martin Parent3
1Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
None:
The term "connections" is a commonly used and convenient shorthand for describing the complex organization of the brain, but it can easily lead to an overemphasis on pairwise or point-to-point, source-target network connectivity. Anatomical studies make clear that there are other important features to consider such as divergence and collateralization (axons or bundles branching to multiple targets), convergence (multiple bundles from different sources converging on the same target), and scrambled topography along a trajectory. This short "Did You Know" communication elaborates on several of these features from the anatomical perspective, while inviting continued dialogue with the tractography community in addressing the shared goals of better understanding brain organization.
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