Motifs in the Cerebral Cortex: Links between Computational Neuroanatomy and Network Science

Abstract

A system's structure constrains its function. The cerebral cortex is a network of multiple interconnected cortical areas, each of which can be defined as a spatially confined unit. Although patterns of cortical connectivity have been extensively studied, we are gaining further insight into cortical organizations by using computational approaches. In parallel, recent evidence indicates that the abundance of recurring elementary interaction patterns in complex networks, called network motifs, carry significant information about their overall organization. Here I review the structural organization of mammalian cortical networks from the viewpoint of network science; I then summarize recent advances in related fields.