Network Neuroscience Methods for Studying Intelligence
Kirsten Hilger, Olaf Sporns
Abstract
The human brain is a complex network consisting of numerous functionally specialized brain regions and their inter-regional connections. In recent years, much research has focused on identifying principles of the anatomical and functional organization of brain networks (Bullmore & Sporns, 2009; Sporns, 2014) and their relation to spontaneous (resting-state; Buckner, Krienen, & Yeo, 2013; Fox et al., 2005) or task-related brain activity (Cole, Bassett, Power, Braver, & Petersen, 2014). Numerous studies have identified relationships between variations in network elements or features and individual differences in behavior and cognition. In the context of this monograph, studies of general cognitive ability (often indexed as general intelligence) are of special interest. In this chapter we survey some of the methodological aspects surrounding studies of human brain networks using noninvasive large-scale imaging and electrophysiological techniques and discuss the application of such network approaches in studies of human intelligence.