CALB1 and Cognitive impairment: Hwang et al. (2021) identified a critical thalamic region linked to diverse cognitive deficits. This region is rich in calbindin matrix cells, which facilitate inter-network connectivity, an essential feature of connector hubs. Those cells are distinct from parvalbumin-rich core cells, which are involved in intra-network connectivity for specialized cognitive functions, similar to provincial hubs (Gratton et al., 2012; Hwang et al., 2017; Jones, 2001, 2009).