The Human Brain’s Action Network Affinity

Abstract This study proposes a novel spatiotemporal connectome-based framework to characterize the human brain’s action network, namely network affinity, moving beyond traditional static temporal connectivity measures by leveraging full functional connectivity profiles on large-scale neural wave dynamics. We applied this method to map the action network for the first time in a non-Western young adult cohort from the Chinese Human Connectome Project (CHCP). Our results delineate the action network’s detailed functional affinity architecture, capturing its integrative topology across the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and subcortical nuclei, and its characteristic anticorrelation with the default network. All the findings are replicated in HCP samples. Crucially, all derived high-resolution action network affinity maps and the associated computational code are publicly shared to foster open science and reproducibility (https://ccndc.scidb.cn/en). This work provides a foundational atlas and a new analytical approach, establishing a critical resource for future basic research across diverse populations and lifespans. It also holds significant translational potential for understanding and treating neurological and psychiatric disorders affecting goal-directed behavior, such as apathy and Parkinson’s disease. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.