Work

Competition in the brain: a conserved principle with lifespan consequences

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Whole-brain models have long assumed purely cooperative brain connectivity, but Luppi et al. demonstrate that competitive couplings are a conserved feature of the mammalian connectome, markedly improving model accuracy across humans, macaques, and mice. This Comment examines the lifespan implications — from adolescent maturation of long-range competitive connections to their erosion in aging and neurodegeneration — and the framework’s translational potential for personalised brain models and clinical biomarkers.

Source: Communications Biology

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10834-4

Authors: Dipanjan Roy, Arpan Banerjee

Institutions: Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, National Brain Research Centre

Language: English

Topic: Functional Brain Connectivity Studies

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,190