A system and method for measuring a functional lateralization of a subject brain is provided. The method includes providing a set of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during a resting state of a subject, and selecting a plurality of seed voxels associated with locations in hemispheres of a brain of the subject. The method also includes determining a degree of within-hemisphere connectivity for each seed voxel using the fMRI data, determining a degree of cross-hemisphere connectivity for each seed voxel using the fMRI data, and computing an autonomy index for each seed voxel using the degree of within-hemisphere connectivity and the degree of cross-hemisphere connectivity, wherein the autonomy index is indicative of a connectivity asymmetry between the hemispheres. The method further includes generating a report indicative of a specialization profile determined for a region of interest in the brain of the subject.
