title: Functional specialization in the human brain estimated by intrinsic hemispheric interaction.
abstract: The human brain demonstrates functional specialization, including strong hemispheric asymmetries. Here specialization was explored using fMRI by examining the degree to which brain networks preferentially interact with ipsilateral as opposed to contralateral networks. Preferential within-hemisphere interaction was prominent in the heteromodal association cortices and minimal in the sensorimotor cortices. The frontoparietal control network exhibited strong within-hemisphere interactions but with distinct patterns in each hemisphere. The frontoparietal control network preferentially coupled to the default network and language-related regions in the left hemisphere but to attention networks in the right hemisphere. This arrangement may facilitate control of processing functions that are lateralized. Moreover, the regions most linked to asymmetric specialization also display the highest degree of evolutionary cortical expansion. Functional specialization that emphasizes processing within a hemisphere may allow the expanded hominin brain to minimize between-hemisphere connectivity and distribute domain-specific processing functions.
authors.affiliation: Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, and.
authors.forename: Danhong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, and Harvard University, Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.
authors.forename: Randy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Buckner
authors.affiliation: Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, Hesheng@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Hesheng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7233-1509
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: asymmetry; cognitive control; default mode; fMRI; functional connectivity; lateralization