Yaniv Assaf: The Evolution and Plasticity of the Connectome
| When |
May 21, 2025
from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Where | IMBIT NEXUS Lab, Georges-Köhler-Allee 201, 79110 Freiburg |
| Contact Name | Natalia Ilin |
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Abstract
The connectome - the network of structural and functional connections in the brain - is essential for the coordination of neural activity and behavior. Once thought to be a fixed wiring diagram, recent advances in diffusion MRI have shown that the connectome is highly dynamic, shaped by both evolutionary processes and individual experience. Using diffusion-based imaging, researchers can now map large-scale pathways between brain regions (macrostructure) as well as examine microscopic features of white matter, such as axonal density, orientation, and myelination (microstructure).
Comparative studies across more than 100 mammalian species reveal that while certain organizational principles of the connectome are conserved, its structure adapts in response to species-specific cognitive and behavioral demands. These evolutionary patterns are complemented by evidence of short-term plasticity within individuals. Learning, training, and changes in functional demand can rapidly influence white matter structure, suggesting that active networks are reinforced over time.
Together, these findings support a new view of the connectome: not as a passive infrastructure but as a living, adaptive system. It continuously remodels in response to both long-term evolutionary pressures and moment-to-moment functional needs. This shift has major implications for understanding how the brain supports behavior, adapts to experience, and recovers from injury.
When
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 10:00 AM
Where:
IMBIT NEXUS Lab, Georges-Köhler-Allee 201, 79110 Freiburg
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