Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures

Abstract The brainstem is a fundamental component of the central nervous system, yet it is typically excluded from in vivo human brain mapping efforts, precluding a complete understanding of how the brainstem influences cortical function. In this study, we used high-resolution 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to derive a functional connectome encompassing cortex and 58 brainstem nuclei spanning the midbrain, pons and medulla. We identified a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with cerebral cortex. Patterns of connectivity between brainstem and cerebral cortex manifest as neurophysiological oscillatory rhythms, patterns of cognitive functional specialization and the unimodal–transmodal functional hierarchy. This persistent alignment between cortical functional topographies and brainstem nuclei is shaped by the spatial arrangement of multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We replicated all findings using 3-Tesla data from the same participants. Collectively, this work demonstrates that multiple organizational features of cortical activity can be traced back to the brainstem.