Topographic organization of the human insular cortex and subcortex in health and neuropsychiatric illness

Abstract

The structure, function and connectivity of the human brain are topographically organized. This topographic organization provides profound insight into cortical information processing, representation of mental states, and accounts for individual variation in behavioral traits and cognition. Whereas classical models of brain topography focus on distinct cortical patches defined by discrete boundaries, contemporary evidence from neuroimaging suggests that topographic variation may be better conceptualized in terms of a set of continuous gradients of gradual change that overlap in space. My work aims to reconcile these two conceptualizations of brain topography, particularly with respect to the..