2025/10/20 by Meaghan Smith, Ahmad Samara, Donna Gift Cabalo +4 · 1 voice
Computer Science · #Brain mapping #Cognitive Science and Mapping #Correlation #Default mode network #Dorsum #Function (biology) #Functional connectivity #Functional magnetic resonance imaging #Neurophysiology #Resting state fMRI #Synchronization (alternating current)
paper · pdf · doi:10.1101/2025.10.19.683222
openalex publication_date 2025/10/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
ABSTRACT Recent studies have robustly demonstrated that human cortical function can be described through sensory-transmodal gradients of cortical function, while naturalistic movie watching paradigms have been leveraged to index cortical synchronization. We leveraged two independent 7T movie fMRI datasets to assess correlations between intersubject correlation and functional gradients across movies, datasets, and spatial scales. At the whole-brain level, we observed robust relationships between intersubject correlations and a visual-transmodal connectivity gradient which was independent of movie content. Within functional networks, correlations were particularly pronounced for the visual, dorsal attention, and default mode networks. Our results demonstrate that naturalistic paradigms can provide targeted insight into multiscale processing hierarchies. Robust relationships across movies suggest that movie-watching can be viewed as a brain state that is independent of movie-content. Overall, this work suggests an important confluence of within-subject functional organizational axes and inter-subject synchronization when the brain is engaged in the processing of naturalistic stimuli.