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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
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Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: February 23, 2020
Competing programs shape cortical sensorimotor-association axis development
Jeremiah Tsyporin1, Menglei Zhang1, Cai Qi1
1Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Nature
|July 1, 2026
Summary
The multinodal induction-exclusion in network development (MIND) model explains how the brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The cerebral cortex exhibits a sensorimotor-to-association (S-A) axis, crucial for cognitive functions.
- The developmental processes dictating this S-A organization are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing the S-A axis patterning in the cerebral cortex.
- To propose and validate the multinodal induction-exclusion in network development (MIND) model.
Main Methods:
- Multispecies comparative analysis.
- Transcriptomic profiling to identify opposing developmental programs.
- Investigation of gene expression patterns, including axon guidance molecules and signaling pathways.
- Functional studies of key molecular interactions (e.g., PLXNC1 and SEMA7A).
Main Results:
- Two opposing transcriptomic programs, 'pericentral' and 'central', drive S-A patterning.
- 'Pericentral' programs define association areas, while 'central' programs establish sensorimotor areas.
- These programs compete through induction and exclusion, shaping cortical organization.
- Repulsive interactions between key molecules (PLXNC1, SEMA7A) mediate segregation of neuronal populations.
Conclusions:
- The MIND model provides a unifying framework for cortical development.
- Induction and exclusion are fundamental, antagonistic principles shaping the S-A axis.
- This model integrates experimental, evolutionary, and clinical findings related to brain organization and disorders.
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