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Reliable Acquisition of Electroencephalography Data during Simultaneous Electroencephalography and Functional MRI
Published on: March 19, 2021
EEG-vigilance and BOLD effect during simultaneous EEG/fMRI measurement
Sebastian Olbrich1, Christoph Mulert, Susanne Karch
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstrasse 10, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. Sebastian.Olbrich@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Neuroimage
|December 27, 2008
Summary
Electroencephalography (EEG) vigilance stages correlate with brain activity changes detected by functional MRI (fMRI). Understanding these vigilance shifts is crucial for accurate cognitive fMRI research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) allows differentiation of vigilance stages during rest, from alertness to sleep onset.
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) research has identified distinct resting-state networks.
- Understanding brain function across vigilance levels is essential for interpreting neuroimaging data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between EEG-defined vigilance stages and brain activity measured by fMRI during rest.
- To compare vigilance-associated brain activity with established resting-state networks.
- To determine the impact of vigilance fluctuations on BOLD signals in cognitive fMRI studies.
Main Methods:
- EEG vigilance stages were classified using topographic and spectral information from 3-sec segments.
- Simultaneously acquired fMRI data were analyzed using vigilance stages as regressors.
- Resting-state networks were identified using independent component analysis (ICA).
- EEG-based standardized low-resolution tomography (sLORETA) was used to compare neuroelectric activity.
Main Results:
- Declining vigilance stages (A2-B3) showed increased BOLD signals in occipital, cingulate, frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices, and decreased signals in the thalamus and frontal cortex compared to high vigilance (A1).
- Resting-state networks spatially overlapped with vigilance-associated BOLD activity maps.
- sLORETA revealed increased occipital alpha activity correlating with decreased occipital BOLD signals during lower vigilance stages.
Conclusions:
- Distinct EEG-vigilance stages during rest are associated with significant BOLD signal changes in various brain regions.
- These vigilance-related BOLD changes partially align with known resting-state networks.
- Accounting for vigilance fluctuations is critical for distinguishing vigilance-driven BOLD changes from cognition-specific effects in fMRI research.

