The connectome
Olaf Sporns
Abstract
Abstract The connectome refers to a comprehensive network map of the connectivity of the nervous system. Such network maps are composed of sets of neural elements, which may correspond to individual neurons or brain areas, and their interconnections, which may correspond to synaptic links or inter-areal pathways. Connectome maps, at a given level of scale, provide a complete and systematic account of brain connectivity that portrays a complete set of anatomical or physiological relationships. This chapter provides an overview of the origins and definitions of the concept and its application to structural and functional brain connectivity, brief surveys of the major findings on the topology of the human connectome and how its connectivity structure shapes dynamic brain activity, and a selection of current themes in the study of individual differences in development and clinical populations.