Modules in connectomes of phase-synchronization comprise anatomically contiguous, spatially related regions

Modules in brain connectomes are essential to balancing the functional segregation and integration crucial to brain operation. Connectomes are the set of structural or functional connections between each pair of brain regions. Non-invasive methodologies, Electroencephalography (EEG) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG), have been used to identify modules in connectomes of phase-synchronization, but have been compromised by spurious phase-synchronization due to EEG volume conduction or MEG field spread. In this study, we used invasive, intracerebral recordings with stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG, N = 67), to identify modules in connectomes of phase-synchronization. To do this, we used submillimetre localization of SEEG contacts and closest-white-matter referencing, to generate group-level connectomes of phase-synchronization minimally affected by volume conduction. Then, we employed community detection methods together with a novel consensus clustering approach, to identify modules in connectomes of phase-synchronization. The connectomes of phase-synchronization possessed significant modular organization at multiple spatial scales, from 3-320 Hz. These identified modules were highly similar within neurophysiologically meaningful frequency bands. Modules up to the high-gamma frequency band comprised only anatomically contiguous regions, unlike modules identified with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Strikingly, the identified modules comprised cortical regions involved in shared repertoires of cognitive functions including vision, language and attention. These results demonstrate the viability of combining SEEG with advanced methods, to identify modules in connectomes of phase-synchronization. The modules correspond to brain systems with specific functional roles in perceptual, cognitive, and motor processing.