"The study suggests that observed differences are dynamic products shaped by anatomy, genetics, and social environments, rather than biological determinism."
Prof. Tianyi Yan and Prof. Guoyuan Yang's team from Beijing Institute of Technology published a study in Research using multimodal data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) to investigate ethnicity/race-related differences in the brain functional connectome.
Key Findings
Anatomy: Differences in functional topography and connectivity follow a sensorimotor-association (S-A) axis and are constrained by brain anatomy.
Lifestyle: Educational level and substance use mediate associations between ethnic/racial groups and functional connectivity, affecting regions like insula, prefrontal, and anterior cingulate cortices.
Gene Expression: Spatial distribution of functional variations correlates with cortical gene expression related to synaptic signaling and nervous system development, with minimal overlap with ancestry-driven genetic profiles.