Journal article

Structurally informed models of directed brain connectivity

MD Greaves, L Novelli, S Mansour L, A Zalesky, A Razi

Nature Reviews Neuroscience | Published : 2025

Abstract

Understanding how one brain region exerts influence over another in vivo is profoundly constrained by models used to infer or predict directed connectivity. Although such neural interactions rely on the anatomy of the brain, it remains unclear whether, at the macroscale, structural (or anatomical) connectivity provides useful constraints on models of directed connectivity. Here, we review the current state of research on this question, highlighting a key distinction between inference-based effective connectivity and prediction-based directed functional connectivity. We explore the methods via which structural connectivity has been integrated into directed connectivity models: through prior d..

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Grants

Awarded by Wellcome Trust


Funding Acknowledgements

The authors thank C. Seguin for valuable discussions that contributed to the development of this Review. M.D.G. is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. M.D.G., L.N. and A.R. are funded by the Australian Research Council (ref. DP200100757). A.R. is also funded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant (ref. 1194910). A.R. is affiliated with The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging supported by core funding from Wellcome (203147/Z/16/Z). A.R. is a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar in the Brain, Mind & Consciousness Programme.