An expanding manifold characterizes adolescent reconfigurations of structural connectome organization

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical time for the continued maturation of brain networks. Here, we assessed structural connectome development in a large longitudinal sample ranging from late child- to young adulthood. Using novel techniques that project high-dimensional connectomes into compact manifold spaces, we could identify a marked expansion of structural connectomes with the strongest effects in transmodal regions during adolescence. Findings were reflected increased within-module connectivity together with increased segregation, indicating an increasing differentiation of higher order association networks from the rest of the brain. Projection of subcortico-cortical connectivity patterns into these manifolds showed parallel alterations in pathways centered on the caudate and thalamus. Connectome findings were contextualized via spatial transcriptome association analysis, highlighting genes enriched in cortex, thalamus, and striatum. Finally, we could show with statistical learning that cortico-subcortical manifold features at baseline and their maturational change predicted measures of intelligence at follow-up, supporting utility of connectome manifolds to bridge structural network reconfigurations and cognitive outcomes in adolescent development.