ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

NERVE: Network-Aware Tokenization for Brain FC Learning

other · 2026-05-16

NERVE, which stands for Network-Aware Representations of Brain Functional Connectivity via Bilinear Tokenization, is a cutting-edge self-supervised learning framework designed to address tokenization issues in masked autoencoders tied to resting-state brain functional connectivity. Unlike standard approaches that concentrate on specific regions or rely on graph techniques, NERVE breaks down functional connectivity matrices into segments that capture both intra- and inter-network connections, aligning with the brain's modular framework. This approach allows for flexibility in patch sizes and functional roles, ultimately improving representation learning.

Key facts

  • NERVE is a self-supervised learning framework for brain functional connectivity.
  • It uses bilinear tokenization to partition FC matrices into network-based patches.
  • Patches correspond to intra- and inter-network connectivity blocks.
  • The method addresses limitations of region-centric and graph-based tokenization.
  • It aligns with the intrinsic modular organization of large-scale brain networks.
  • NERVE handles heterogeneous patch sizes and distinct functional roles.
  • The framework is designed for masked autoencoders in resting-state FC analysis.
  • The paper is available on arXiv with ID 2605.14048.

Entities

Institutions

  • arXiv

Sources