Connectome-based individual prediction of cognitive behaviors via graph propagation network reveals directed brain network topology

Objective . Brain connectivity network supports the information flow underlying human cognitions and should reflect the individual variability in human cognitive behaviors. Various studies have utilized brain connectivity to predict individual differences in human behaviors. However, traditional studies viewed brain connectivity network as a one-dimensional vector, a method which neglects topological properties of brain connectivity network. Approach . To utilize these topological properties, we proposed that graph neural network (GNN) which combines graph theory and neural network can be adopted. Different from previous node-driven GNNs that parameterize on the node feature transformation, we designed an edge-driven GNN named graph propagation network (GPN) that parameterizes on the information propagation within brain connectivity network. Main results. Edge-driven GPN outperforms various baseline models such as node-driven GNN and traditional partial least square regression in predicting the individual total cognition based on the resting-state functional connectome. GPN also reveals a directed network topology encoding the information flow, indicating that higher-order association cortices such as dorsolateral prefrontal, inferior frontal and inferior parietal cortices are responsible for the information integration underlying total cognition. Significance . These results suggest that edge-driven GPN can better explore topological structures of brain connectivity network and can serve as a new method to associate brain connectome and human behaviors.