Network assemblies in the functional brain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on recent advances in functional connectivity MRI and renewed interest in studying the large-scale functional network assemblies in the brain. We also consider some methodological aspects of graph theoretical analysis.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recent years have witnessed a rapid increase in the number of studies that apply network science to neuroscience. A major motivation comes from the fields of neurology and psychiatry, where a central goal is the characterization of the functional connectome of the brain under normal and pathological conditions. Recent findings have provided new insights into the pivotal role of network epicenters and specific configurations of large-scale functional networks in the brain.

SUMMARY: Functional connectivity MRI and corresponding analytical tools continue to reveal novel properties of the functional organization of the brain, which will in turn be key for understanding pathologies in neurology.