Editorial: Insights into structural and functional organization of the brain: evidence from neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques

Abstract

The brain is a complex and dynamic system that underlies our behavior, emotions, and cognition (1-3). To better understand the structural and functional organization of the brain, neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques have emerged as powerful tools ([Nyatega et al.]()) (4-9). The development of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques has substantially enriched our understanding of human brain function across the last decades (10, 11). An increasing number of studies have used different NIBS protocols in various research disciplines, spanning electrophysiological applications (12), studies of human cognition (13, 14), physiological markers (15, 16) and the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders (17). These techniques allow researchers to investigate the brain's underlying mechanisms and neural networks in real-time, enabling new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders: while neuroimaging provides correlational evidence for structure-function relationships, NIBS provide causal relevance of a given brain region for a function of interest, but also the interaction between several nodes in larger brain networks (18). Recent advances in dynamic functional connectivity have expanded our ability to probe and understand the interplay among brain regions and their responses to TMS. By detecting and analyzing communication fluctuations across the brain, this approach has been instrumental in studying complex neuropsychiatric disorders such as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) (19, 20) and schizophrenia (SCZ), enhancing our diagnostic capabilities and potential therapeutic interventions. Therefore, in this Research Topic, we present a collection of articles that showcase recent advances in neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques and their application to the study of the brain's structural and functional organization. Understanding the brain's structure and function is vital in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.