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Mapping functionally related regions of brain with functional connectivity MR imaging
D Cordes1, V M Haughton, K Arfanakis
1Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|October 20, 2000
Summary
Functional connectivity (fcMRI) can identify brain regions involved in sensorimotor, visual, and language tasks by detecting synchronous blood flow fluctuations. This resting-state method aligns with task-based fMRI findings, offering a novel approach to brain mapping.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Functional Neuroanatomy
- Brain Connectivity
Background:
- Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) maps synchronous cerebral blood flow fluctuations in subjects at rest.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identifies brain regions with increased blood flow during specific cognitive tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if fcMRI, using low-frequency blood flow fluctuations, can identify brain regions activated during sensorimotor, visual, language, and auditory tasks.
- To compare fcMRI maps with task-activation fMRI maps.
Main Methods:
- Acquired task-activation fMRI and resting-state fcMRI data in four volunteers.
- Selected seed regions of interest from fMRI activation maps.
- Calculated correlation coefficients of resting-state signals, decomposed them into frequency components, and generated fcMRI maps for comparison with fMRI maps.
Main Results:
- fcMRI maps, using one to four seed voxels, identified clusters in eloquent cortex corresponding closely to fMRI maps for each task.
- Predominant frequencies in cross-correlation coefficients for functionally related regions were below 0.1 Hz.
Conclusions:
- Synchronous slow fluctuations in signal intensity, detected by fcMRI, can identify functionally related brain regions.
- fcMRI successfully mapped sensorimotor, language, and visual cortex areas, showing similarity to regions activated by corresponding tasks.