caa a22 4500 606203095 CHVBK 20210128100956.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00429-014-0836-3 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00429-014-0836-3 The strength of weak connections in the macaque cortico-cortical network [Elektronische Daten] [Alexandros Goulas, Alexander Schaefer, Daniel Margulies] Examination of the cortico-cortical network of mammals has unraveled key topological features and their role in the function of the healthy and diseased brain. Recent findings from social and biological networks pinpoint the significant role of weak connections in network coherence and mediation of information from segregated parts of the network. In the current study, inspired by such findings and proposed architectures pertaining to social networks, we examine the structure of weak connections in the macaque cortico-cortical network by employing a tract-tracing dataset. We demonstrate that the cortico-cortical connections as a whole, as well as connections between segregated communities of brain areas, comply with the architecture suggested by the so-called strength-of-weak-ties hypothesis. However, we find that the wiring of these connections is not optimal with respect to the aforementioned architecture. This configuration is not attributable to a trade-off with factors known to constrain brain wiring, i.e., wiring cost and efficiency. Lastly, weak connections, but not strong ones, appear important for network cohesion. Our findings relate a topological property to the strength of cortico-cortical connections, highlight the prominent role of weak connections in the cortico-cortical structural network and pinpoint their potential functional significance. These findings suggest that certain neuroimaging studies, despite methodological challenges, should explicitly take them into account and not treat them as negligible. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014 Macaque nationallicence Connectivity nationallicence Weak ties nationallicence Network topology nationallicence Goulas Alexandros Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy and Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut Schaefer Alexander Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut Margulies Daniel Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy and Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut Brain Structure and Function Springer Berlin Heidelberg 220/5(2015-09-01), 2939-2951 1863-2653 220:5<2939 2015 220 429 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-014-0836-3 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-014-0836-3 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Goulas Alexandros Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy and Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Schaefer Alexander Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Margulies Daniel Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy and Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Brain Structure and Function Springer Berlin Heidelberg 220/5(2015-09-01), 2939-2951 1863-2653 220:5<2939 2015 220 429