The diversity of lesion network mapping findings

Abstract

Lesion network mapping (LNM) has emerged as a popular framework to map the network mechanism of brain disorders using lesions and normative brain connectome (NBC)1. It was first demonstrated in neurological symptoms and was rapidly extended to a broad range of brain disorders in the past decade. A recent study by Van den Heuvel et al. questioned the methodological foundations of LNM2. We here raise concerns regarding their errors and biases in the methodology and visualization. The conclusion of that study--LNM maps circumscribed brain changes mostly to one and the same outcome--is not supported by the data presented.