DEVELOPMENT OF THE "RICH CLUB" IN BRAIN CONNECTIVITY NETWORKS FROM 438 ADOLESCENTS & ADULTS AGED 12 TO 30.
The 'rich club' coefficient describes a phenomenon where a network's hubs (high-degree nodes) are on average more intensely interconnected than lower-degree nodes. Networks with rich clubs often have an efficient, higher-order organization, but we do not yet know how the rich club emerges in the living brain, or how it changes as our brain networks develop. Here we chart the developmental trajectory of the rich club in anatomical brain networks from 438 subjects aged 12-30. Cortical networks were constructed from 68×68 connectivity matrices of fiber density, using whole-brain tractography in 4-Tesla 105-gradient high angular resolution diffusion images (HARDI). The adult and younger cohorts had rich clubs that included different nodes; the rich club effect intensified with age. Rich-club organization is a sign of a network's efficiency and robustness. These concepts and findings may be advantageous for studying brain maturation and abnormal brain development.
Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Emily L
EL
Dennis
Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Neda
N
Jahanshad
Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Arthur W
AW
Toga
Center for Advanced Imaging, Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Katie L
KL
McMahon
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Greig I
GI
de Zubicaray
Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia.
Ian
I
Hickie
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia ; Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
Margaret J
MJ
Wright
Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Paul M
PM
Thompson
development; high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI); network analyses; rich club coefficient; structural connectivity; tractography