ARBOR-1: A Multimodal MRI Protocol to Test for a Measurable Signature of Arborescent Thought in White Matter and Functional Connectivity

ARBOR-1 is a multimodal MRI study protocol designed to test whether arborescent (rhizomatic) thought has a measurable signature in white matter microstructure and functional connectivity. The protocol specifies a within-subject matched contrast (arborescent vs linear thinking modes), functional (H1), structural (H2) and temporal (H3) hypotheses with explicit refutation criteria, plus a global null hypothesis (H0), and EEG/MEG for timing. Status: study protocol — no data have been acquired under this protocol; nothing in this document is a result. Version 0.4 (October 22, 2026). First circulated on ResearchGate and LinkedIn on October 22, 2026; this Zenodo deposit gives the work its DOI.