Commentary: Developmental connectomics to advance our understanding of typical and atypical brain development – a commentary on Vértes and Bullmore (2015). (March 2015) - Graham, Alice M.
Abstract Vértes and Bullmore's article lays a framework for applying connectomics, the study of brain function from the perspective of underlying network organization, to advance understanding of healthy and maladaptive brain development. They elucidate the power of connectomics for bridging both different levels of analysis (e.g. from synapses to brain regions) and multiple academic fields. In this commentary, we highlight important themes and remaining questions stemming from Vértes and Bullmore's work, including: (a) the application of connectomics in the context of integrating analyses across multiple spatial and temporal dimensions, (b) the extent to which connectomics might be applied in translational and clinical studies of development, (c) growth connectomics and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, and (d) the importance and complexity of sound methodological practices in applying connectomics to developmental and clinical science. Ongoing work in these areas will be important for fulfilling the promise of connectomics as a bridge between neuroscience, developmental science, and translational and clinical research.