Individual-level neuroimaging of cognitive control: from basic science to brain tumor clinical applications

Cognitive control is the ability to pursue goal-directed behavior, select relevant information, and flexibly adapt to changing environments. A wide range of cognitive control functions is subserved by distributed regions primarily in frontal and parietal cortices. The individualized neuroimaging approach emphasizes the importance of functional organization at the individual level to reveal fine-grained details of functional brain networks. Here, we first review how this approach elucidates the multifaceted neural substrates of cognitive control, focusing on the domain-general ‘Multiple Demand’ network. Critically, we highlight the translational promise of this approach in clinical research and practice, where brain mapping and prediction at the individual patient level is a primary goal. Individual-level neuroimaging in patients with brain tumors is introduced as a test case, with a particular focus on cognitive control processes. We demonstrate how integration of multiple modalities is used to achieve precise and comprehensive mapping to advance surgical treatment, clinical decision-making, and post-surgery cognitive outcome prediction, aiming to improve patients' quality of life. Finally, we discuss challenges and avenues to facilitate individualized multi-modality neuroimaging in translational research, promoting the development of personalized diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.