Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Preprints and Working Papers
  4. Uncovering the Basis of Human Connectome Complexity: The Role of Neuronal Morphology
 
preprint

Uncovering the Basis of Human Connectome Complexity: The Role of Neuronal Morphology

Barros Zulaica, Natali  
•
Egas Santander, Daniela
•
Kanari, Lida
Show more
February 13, 2026

Comparative studies have established differences between the electrophysiology and anatomy of human and rodent cortical circuits. A consistent finding is that human neuronal morphologies display more elaborate neurite shapes than those of rodents, a feature that cannot be accounted for merely by their larger size according to recent findings. Here, we study the impact of these neurite shapes on the structure of synaptic connectivity in their local microcircuitry. Our approach is based on the idea that axonal and dendritic geometries constrain the locations of afferent and efferent synaptic contacts (potential connectivity). Although the mechanisms by which potential connectivity translates into actual synaptic connectivity are manifold and complex, the potential connectivity is nevertheless highly informative for the final structure of a biological connectome. We found that connectomes predicted from human reconstructed morphologies have higher complexity according to several measures that have been demonstrated to be functionally relevant. Going beyond a simple comparison, we demonstrate mechanistically how the shapes of neuron morphologies give rise to non-random and clustered structures observed in experimentally measured connectomes, and how the specific shapes of human neurons strengthen the process. Finally, we conceptually examine how synapse formation processes may interact with potential connectivity, showing that a process compatible with Hebbian plasticity leads to the highest complexity and best match experimentally observed patterns.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

2026.02.12.705493v1.full.pdf

Type

Main Document

Version

Submitted version (Preprint)

Access type

openaccess

License Condition

CC BY

Size

2.94 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

c60fd5ea8fd913ffce9502a7e2a59a34

Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés