Multimodal gradients unify local and global cortical organization

Yezhou Wang (), Nicole Eichert, Casey Paquola, Raul Rodriguez-Cruces, Jordan DeKraker, Jessica Royer, Donna Gift Cabalo, Hans Auer, Alexander Ngo, Ilana R. Leppert, Christine L. Tardif, David A. Rudko, Robert Leech, Katrin Amunts, Sofie L. Valk, Jonathan Smallwood, Alan C. Evans and Boris C. Bernhardt ()
Additional contact information
Yezhou Wang: McGill University
Nicole Eichert: University of Oxford
Casey Paquola: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Raul Rodriguez-Cruces: McGill University
Jordan DeKraker: McGill University
Jessica Royer: McGill University
Donna Gift Cabalo: McGill University
Hans Auer: McGill University
Alexander Ngo: McGill University
Ilana R. Leppert: McGill University
Christine L. Tardif: McGill University
David A. Rudko: McGill University
Robert Leech: King’s College London
Katrin Amunts: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Sofie L. Valk: Forschungszentrum Jülich
Jonathan Smallwood: Queen’s University
Alan C. Evans: McGill University
Boris C. Bernhardt: McGill University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Functional specialization of brain areas and subregions, as well as their integration into large-scale networks, are key principles in neuroscience. Consolidating both local and global perspectives on cortical organization, however, remains challenging. Here, we present an approach to integrate inter- and intra-areal similarities of microstructure, structural connectivity, and functional interactions. Using high-field in-vivo 7 tesla (7 T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data and a probabilistic post-mortem atlas of cortical cytoarchitecture, we derive multimodal gradients that capture cortex-wide organization. Inter-areal similarities follow a canonical sensory-fugal gradient, linking cortical integration with functional diversity across tasks. However, intra-areal heterogeneity does not follow this pattern, with greater variability in association cortices. Findings are replicated in an independent 7 T dataset and a 100-subject 3 tesla (3 T) cohort. These results highlight a robust coupling between local arealization and global cortical motifs, advancing our understanding of how specialization and integration shape human brain function.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59177-4

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