Brain's Functional Organization Remains Stable Within Individuals Over Years, Study Finds
A new preprint study found that each person's large-scale functional brain networks remain highly consistent within individuals over periods of up to 13 years. Researchers used precision fMRI data collected from small groups of participants at multiple time points, including a replication dataset with a 10-year follow-up. The findings suggest that individualized brain organization may be a persistent feature of personal identity, with potential implications for neuroscience and clinical research.
Researchers publishing on bioRxiv collected longitudinal precision fMRI data—at least 60 minutes per participant per session—from 10 healthy young adults scanned across 1–3 year intervals and three adults scanned across 8–13 years. They also replicated their findings using the MyConnectome dataset and its 10-year follow-up. The study found that functional network organization, which describes how brain regions coordinate activity at rest, remained largely stable within individuals over these extended timeframes when sufficient per-participant data were collected. This stability held despite the dynamic, fluctuating nature of brain activity, suggesting that person-specific network patterns are not merely transient states. The authors propose that homeostatic mechanisms may actively maintain this individualized brain organization over time. These results add to a growing body of literature indicating that functional brain networks are a persistent, identity-linked feature of each person rather than a shifting reflection of momentary mental states.
What's missing
The study has several notable limitations: the primary sample is very small (10 participants for the 1–3 year data; only 3 for the 8–13 year range), limiting statistical generalizability. The study does not address whether stability holds across aging, disease, or major life events. As a preprint, the findings have not yet undergone formal peer review.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Functional brain organization is stable within individuals across years
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