The diversity and specificity of functional connectivity across spatial and temporal scales

Macroscopic neuroimaging modalities in humans have revealed the organization of brain-wide activity into distributed functional networks that re-organize according to behavioral demands. However, the inherent coarse-graining of macroscopic measurements conceals the diversity and specificity in responses and connectivity of many individual neurons contained in each local region. New invasive approaches in animals enable recording and manipulating neural activity at meso- and microscale resolution, with cell-type specificity and temporal precision down to milliseconds. Determining how brain-wide activity patterns emerge from interactions across spatial and temporal scales will allow us to identify the key circuit mechanisms contributing to global brain states and how the dynamic activity of these states enables adaptive behavior.

Automated summary

Human macroscopic neuroimaging reveals the organization of brain-wide activity, but hides the detailed responses and connections of individual neurons. New invasive approaches in animals allow for recording and manipulating neural activity at finer scales, shedding light on the significance of neural activity for global brain states and adaptive behavior.