Modular organization as a basis for the functional integration/segregation in large-scale brain networks

Modular structure is ubiquitous among real-world networks from related proteins to social groups. Here we analyze the modular organization of brain networks at a large-scale (voxel level) extracted from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals. By using a random walk-based method, we unveil the modularity of brain-webs, and show that modules with a spatial distribution that matches anatomical structures with functional significance. The functional role of each node in the network is studied by analyzing its patterns of inter- and intra-modular connections. Results suggest that the modular architecture constitutes the structural basis for the coexistence of functional integration of distant and specialized brain areas during normal brain activities at rest.
Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures