Two common and distinct forms of variation in human functional brain networks

Abstract

The cortex has a characteristic layout with specialized functional areas forming distributed large-scale networks. However, substantial work shows striking variation in this organization across people, which relates to differences in behavior. While a dominant assumption is that cortical ‘variants’ represent boundary shifts in the borders between regions, here we show that variants can also occur at a distance from their typical position, forming ectopic intrusions. Both forms of variants are common across individuals, but the forms differ in their location, network linkages, and activations during tasks. Sub-groups of individuals share similar variant properties, but sub-grouping on the two variant forms appears independent. This work argues that individual differences in brain organization commonly occur in two dissociable forms, border shifts and ectopic intrusions, that must be separately accounted for in the analysis of cortical systems across people. This work expands our knowledge of cortical variation in humans and helps reconceptualize the discussion of how cortical systems variability arises and links to individual differences in behavior.