Cerebral cortical regions always connect with each other via the shortest paths.

Abstract

In human society, the choice of transportation mode between two cities is largely influenced by the distance between the regions. Similarly, when neurons communicate with each other within the cerebral cortex, do they establish their connections based on their physical distance? In this study, we employed a data-driven approach to explore the relationships between fiber length and corresponding geodesic distance between the fiber's two endpoints on brain surface. Diffusion-MRI-derived fiber streamlines were used to represent extra-cortical axonal connections between neurons or cortical regions, while geodesic paths between cortical points were employed to simulate intra-cortical connections. The results demonstrated that the geodesic distance between two cortical regions connected by a fiber streamline was greater than the fiber length most of the time, indicating that cortical regions tend to choose the shortest path for connection; whether it be an intra-cortical or extra-cortical route, especially when intra-cortical routes within cortical regions are longer than potential extrinsic fiber routes, there is an increased probability to establish fiber routes to connect the both regions. These findings were validated in a group of human brains and may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of neuronal growth, connection, and wiring.