Big news from small world networks after stroke

摘要

How does the brain accomplish any of its tasks? Each ‘bit’ of thenbrain receives a piece of information, performs a specific calcula-ntion on it, and forwards the processed information on to the nextnbit. Communication is crucial and needs to take place betweenndifferent bits of the brain located near and far. Somehow, fromnlocal processing and functioning interconnections a thought, sen-nsation or motor command emerges. The brain is a complex net-nwork comprising multiple ‘nodes’ and ‘links’, and the notion thatnonly one place in the brain is responsible for anything amounts tonphrenology. Nodes (also termed ‘vertices’) in large-scale neuronalnnetworks usually represent anatomical regions. Links (also termedn‘edges’) represent functional or effective connections. The brainnrequires an optimal balance between regional segregation andninter-regional, global integration of neuronal activity. Measuresnare now available to give summary descriptions of the networknstructure.