The human brain is organized into specialized functional networks that handle everything from seeing to thinking. Recent advances in personalized brain mapping have shown that functional networks vary substantially across individuals and that their spatial topographies are progressively refined across development. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the spatial organization of individual networks — essentially mapping where each network sits in the brain. While it has long been known that each person’s brain “map” is unique, the way these different networks coordinate with one another — how they spatially align or diverge across the whole cortex — and how this coordination evolves as we grow has remained a mystery.
Building on these advances, this study moves beyond mapping individual networks to systematically characterize how multiple individualized networks coordinate with one another, including both convergent and divergent relationships. To address this, the authors from Beijing Normal University have developed a novel framework called functional topography covariance analysis (FOCA) to quantify how different brain networks align or diverge in their spatial patterns. By analyzing high-quality brain scans from both newborns and adults, this study demonstrates that the brain’s organizational hierarchy is not fixed from birth.
In adults, basic systems (like those for vision and movement) are highly coordinated, while complex thinking networks remain more distinct. In neonates, however, this pattern is strikingly inverted: the basic systems are less aligned, while the higher-order systems exhibit much stronger couplings. This suggests that the brain’s “symphony” of networks undergoes a massive reorganization during development.
Beyond mapping, the practical value of this tool is also evident. The findings show that the specific coordination patterns in a newborn’s visual system can significantly predict their cognitive and language development at 18 months of age. The work highlights the critical role of competitive and cooperative interactions among brain systems and provides a new window into the origins of human brain function.
The work titled “Convergent and divergent spatial topographies of individualized brain functional networks and their developmental origins” was published on Psychoradiology (published on Apr. 23, 2026).
DOI:10.1093/psyrad/kkag013