Cited by 2,350Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Neurodegenerative Diseases Target Large-Scale Human Brain Networks

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Seeley, William W., Crawford, Richard K., Zhou, Juan, Miller, Bruce L., Greicius, Michael D.·2009·Neuron

Abstract

During development, the healthy human brain constructs a host of large-scale, distributed, function-critical neural networks. Neurodegenerative diseases have been thought to target these systems, but this hypothesis has not been systematically tested in living humans. We used network-sensitive neuroimaging methods to show that five different neurodegenerative syndromes cause circumscribed atrophy within five distinct, healthy, human intrinsic functional connectivity networks. We further discovered a direct link between intrinsic connectivity and gray matter structure. Across healthy individuals, nodes within each functional network exhibited tightly correlated gray matter volumes. The findings suggest that human neural networks can be defined by synchronous baseline activity, a unified corticotrophic fate, and selective vulnerability to neurodegenerative illness. Future studies may clarify how these complex systems are assembled during development and undermined by disease.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.03.024

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  • Human MRI-based studies rely on atrophy patterns or low-resolution PET imaging of tau deposition, and histopathological analysis of end-stage disease.

    “Instead, they rely on atrophy patterns or relatively low-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of tau deposition, and histopathological analysis of end-stage disease (Seeley et al., 2009).”

    From Spontaneous pathology in PS19 tauopathy mice progresses via brain networks (2025) · cites this paper as Seeley et al., 2009

    The Results and Experimental Procedures (page unavailable) describe MRI-derived atrophy patterns in patients with neurodegenerative syndromes, supporting that part of the claim. The paper does not describe low-resolution PET imaging of tau deposition or reliance on histopathological analysis of end-stage disease; it distinguishes its clinical syndromes from histopathological entities. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Human studies based on functional connectivity and tractography have suggested brain networks could play a role in tauopathy progression, consistent with the prion hypothesis.

    “Human studies based on functional connectivity and tractography have suggested brain networks could play a role in tauopathy progression, consistent with the prion hypothesis (Braak and Braak, 1991; Seeley et al., 2009; Drzezga, 2018; Frontzkowski et al., 2022).”

    From Spontaneous pathology in PS19 tauopathy mice progresses via brain networks (2025) · cites this paper as Seeley et al., 2009

    The Discussion reports that dementia-related atrophy patterns align with functional brain networks and proposes prion-like, transsynaptic spread of misfolded proteins, including tau, as a possible mechanism. But this study examined clinical dementia syndromes rather than directly tracking tauopathy progression, and its described methods use functional connectivity and structural covariance, not tractography. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In humans, MRI-based studies using fMRI and tractography cannot precisely map pathology at the cellular level.

    “In humans, magnetic resonance imaging- (MRI) based studies using functional MRI (fMRI) and tractography cannot precisely map pathology at the cellular level.”

    From Spontaneous pathology in PS19 tauopathy mice progresses via brain networks (2025) · cites this paper as Seeley et al., 2009

    The Experimental Procedures (Image acquisition and Image preprocessing and analysis; page unavailable) describe millimeter-scale MRI and fMRI measurements, while the Subjects section distinguishes imaging-defined clinical syndromes from underlying histopathology and says predicting neuropathology was not a goal. This supports a limitation on what this study’s imaging maps establish, but the paper does not state the general claim about cellular-level precision or address tractography’s ability to map pathology. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In humans, studies of the role of network involvement have combined functional connectivity or tractography with imaging of tau pathology based on positron emission tomography, or, as a surrogate, brain atrophy.

    “In humans, studies of the role of network involvement have combined functional connectivity or tractography, with imaging of tau pathology based on positron emission tomography, or, as a surrogate, brain atrophy (Seeley et al., 2009).”

    From Spontaneous pathology in PS19 tauopathy mice progresses via brain networks (2025) · cites this paper as Seeley et al., 2009

    The Results section (‘Syndromic atrophy foci anchor large-scale functional networks in the healthy brain’; page unavailable) describes comparing syndromic brain-atrophy patterns with fMRI functional-connectivity maps. The cited study does not describe tractography or tau PET imaging. Its Discussion also cautions that the syndromes can arise from diverse molecular pathologies, so it does not establish atrophy as a surrogate specifically for tau pathology. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Clinical syndromes are known to correspond more closely to neuroanatomical lesions as compared to neuropathology.

    “Additionally, our classification of interest was clinical diagnosis, as clinical syndromes are known to correspond more closely to neuroanatomical lesions as compared to neuropathology (Seeley et al., 2009).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Brett M Anton JL Valabregue R Poline JB 2002 Region of interest analysis using an SPM toolbox [abstract] Paper presented at: 8th International Conference on Functional Mapping of the Human Brain Sendai, Japan

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Authors
Seeley, W. W., Crawford, R. K., Zhou, J., Miller, B. L., & Greicius, M. D.
Affiliations
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Seeley, William W.
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-04
Volume
62
Issue
1
Pages
42-52
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2103717170
Cited by
2,350
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 135 · 2025: 143 · 2024: 108 · 2023: 109 · 2022: 143 · 2021: 148 · 2020: 149 · 2019: 177 · 2018: 174 · 2017: 144 · 2016: 139 · 2015: 151 · 2014: 154 · 2013: 147 · 2012: 111
FWCI
52.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (K23NS048302)
  • Larry L. Hillblom Foundation
  • National Institute on Aging (K08 AG027086, P01 AG19724, P50 AG1657303-75271)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
neurodegenerative diseases, large-scale brain networks, intrinsic functional connectivity, gray matter atrophy, gray matter volume, human brain development
MeSH terms
Aged, Brain, Brain Mapping, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Net, Neural Pathways, Oxygen, Case-Control Studies, Neurodegenerative Diseases

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