Disconnectomics: Stroke-related disconnection and dysfunction in distributed brain networks

Abstract

Modern clinical neuroscience was built on observations of how localized damage caused specific functional, cognitive and behavioral deficits. Stroke neurology was a cornerstone of understanding this functional specialization in the brain. But most lesion-symptom mapping provides little prognostic value above clinical observations. Stroke topography remains a poor indicator of long-term outcome, and with stroke a major risk factor for dementia, there is strong incentive to find markers of predictive value. There is now growing recognition that the damage caused by stroke does not occur in isolation but is embedded within a complex, highly interconnected, organized and dynamic system: the conn..