Extended Data Fig. 3: Brain-wide association effect sizes derived from functional MRI (fMRI) task activations are similar to resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC).

(a) Cognitive ability (NIH Toolbox total composite score) plotted as a function of dorsal attention network working memory task activation (z). Note that this correlation with fMRI task activation (r = 0.34) is much larger than the largest replicated univariate effect size for RSFC. (b) Cognitive ability plotted as a function of working memory task accuracy. Individual differences in cognitive ability (phenotype of interest) are strongly correlated with individual differences in working memory (r = 0.54). Thus, task-specific effects (behavioral performance) confound links between brain function and the phenotype of interest (e.g. cognitive ability). (c) Residualizing the behavioral phenotype of interest (cognitive ability) with respect to individual differences in working memory task accuracy (task-specific effect) produces an association between task fMRI and cognitive ability (r = 0.14) similar to the (d) the association between dorsal attention network RSFC and cognitive ability (r = 0.11). Data shown are from the HCP Study (n = 844).