Functional Requirements of Small- and Large-Scale Neural Circuitry Connectome Models

We have truly entered the Age of the Connectome due to a confluence of advanced imaging tools, methods such as the flavors of functional connectivity analysis and inter-species connectivity comparisons, and computational power to simulate neural circuitry. The interest in connectomes is reflected in the exponentially rising number of articles on the subject. What are our goals? What are the “functional requirements” of connectome modelers? We give a perspective on these questions from our group whose focus is modeling neurological disorders, such as neuropathic back pain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and age-related cognitive decline, and treating them with neuromodulation.