Cited by 561Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesNeural dynamics and brain functionAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications

Modeling the impact of lesions in the human brain

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Alstott, Jeffrey, Breakspear, Michael, Hagmann, Patric, Cammoun, Leila, Sporns, Olaf·2009·PLoS Computational Biology

Abstract

Lesions of anatomical brain networks result in functional disturbances of brain systems and behavior which depend sensitively, often unpredictably, on the lesion site. The availability of whole-brain maps of structural connections within the human cerebrum and our increased understanding of the physiology and large-scale dynamics of cortical networks allow us to investigate the functional consequences of focal brain lesions in a computational model. We simulate the dynamic effects of lesions placed in different regions of the cerebral cortex by recording changes in the pattern of endogenous ("resting-state") neural activity. We find that lesions produce specific patterns of altered functional connectivity among distant regions of cortex, often affecting both cortical hemispheres. The magnitude of these dynamic effects depends on the lesion location and is partly predicted by structural network properties of the lesion site. In the model, lesions along the cortical midline and in the vicinity of the temporo-parietal junction result in large and widely distributed changes in functional connectivity, while lesions of primary sensory or motor regions remain more localized. The model suggests that dynamic lesion effects can be predicted on the basis of specific network measures of structural brain networks and that these effects may be related to known behavioral and cognitive consequences of brain lesions.

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Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000408

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  • Simulated dynamic effects of lesions varied in size and spatial pattern depending on lesion location, with midline, temporoparietal junction, and superior frontal gyrus lesions tending to have the greatest effect on neural dynamics.

    “Simulated dynamic effects of lesions varied in size and spatial pattern depending on the lesion location, with lesions in the midline as well as those involving the temporoparietal junction and superior frontal gyrus tending to have the greatest effect on neural dynamics.”
  • In general, lesions reduced functional connectivity, with effects most pronounced in the ipsilateral hemisphere, but also extending nonlocally to the contralateral hemisphere.

    “In general, lesions reduced functional connectivity, with effects most pronounced in the ipsilateral hemisphere, but also extending in a nonlocal manner to the contralateral hemisphere.”
  • The extent that alterations of the structural network produced dynamic consequences was most accurately predicted by injury to the DMN rather than by the degree or strength of connections directly incorporated by the lesion.

    “the extent that alterations of the structural network produced dynamic consequences was most accurately predicted by injury to the DMN rather than, for instance, the degree or strength of connections directly incorporated by the lesion.”
  • Simulation experiments using structure-function models predict that purely focal and transient perturbations in activity result in diffuse network reorganization affecting distant brain systems.

    “simulation experiments using structure-function models have predicted that even purely focal and transient perturbations in activity should result in diffuse network reorganization that affects distant brain systems (Alstott et al., 2009; Honey and Sporns, 2008; Misic et al., 2015).”

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Authors
Alstott, J., Breakspear, M., Hagmann, P., Cammoun, L., & Sporns, O.
Affiliations
  • Indiana University Bloomington (US)
  • Black Dog Institute (AU)
  • École Polytechnique (FR)
Corresponding author
Sporns, Olaf
Venue
PLoS Computational Biology
Published
2009-06-12
Volume
5
Issue
6
Pages
e1000408
ISSN
  • 1553-734X (ISSN-L)
  • 1553-7358
OpenAlex
W2088905367
Cited by
561
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 54 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 31
FWCI
13.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • PLoS Computational Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • IRIS (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • James S. McDonnell Foundation
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
  • Université de Lausanne
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
Keywords
brain lesions, functional connectivity, resting-state brain activity, cortical networks, structural connectivity, temporoparietal junction, network metrics, computational models of the brain, hemispheric lateralization
MeSH terms
Algorithms, Brain Diseases, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Computer Simulation, Humans, Models, Neurological, Nerve Net, Reproducibility of Results

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