Data-driven clustering reveals a fundamental subdivision of the human cortex into two global systems.
Global organizational principles are critical for understanding cortical functionality. Recently, we proposed a global sub-division of the posterior cortex into two large-scale systems. One system, labeled extrinsic, comprises the sensory-motor cortex, and is associated with the external environment. The second system, labeled intrinsic, overlaps substantially with the previously described "default-mode" network, and is likely associated with inner-oriented processing. This global partition of the cerebral cortex emerged from hemodynamic imaging data the analysis of which was constrained by pre-determined hypotheses. Here we applied a hypothesis-free, unsupervised two-class clustering algorithm (k-means) to a large set of fMRI data. The two clusters delineated by this unsupervised hypothesis-free procedure showed high anatomical consistency across individuals, and their cortical topography coincided largely with the previously determined extrinsic and intrinsic systems. These new clustering-based results confirm that the intrinsic-extrinsic subdivision constitutes a fundamental cortical divide.
Golland
Yulia
Y
Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Golland
Polina
P
Bentin
Shlomo
S
Malach
Rafael
R
D000465:Algorithms; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology