Brain connectomics: time for a molecular imaging perspective?

In the past two decades brain connectomics has evolved into a major concept in neuroscience. However, the current perspective on brain connectivity and how it underpins brain function relies mainly on the hemodynamic signal of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Molecular imaging provides unique information inaccessible to MRI-based and electrophysiological techniques. Thus, positron emission tomography (PET) has been successfully applied to measure neural activ-ity, neurotransmission, and proteinopathies in normal and pathological cognition. Here, we position molecular imaging within the brain connectivity framework from the perspective of timeliness, validity, reproducibility, and resolution. We encourage the neuroscientific community to take an integrative approach whereby MRI-based, electrophysiological techniques, and molecular imaging contribute to our under-standing of the brain connectome.

Automated summary

Brain connectomics has become a major concept in neuroscience, and molecular imaging provides unique information that is inaccessible to MRI-based and electrophysiological techniques. Therefore, we encourage an integrative approach to better understand the brain connectome by combining MRI, electrophysiological techniques, and molecular imaging.