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Published on: June 24, 2025
Neural basis of global resting-state fMRI activity
Marieke L Schölvinck1, Alexander Maier, Frank Q Ye
1Unit on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Summary
Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) signals correlate with neural activity. Spontaneous brain fluctuations measured by local field potential (LFP) in monkeys show widespread coupling with fMRI across the cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) reveals spontaneous hemodynamic fluctuations in the brain.
- Previous studies linked these fluctuations to neural activity using electroencephalography (EEG) and microelectrode recordings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between spontaneous local field potential (LFP) activity and fMRI signals in the resting brain.
- To determine the frequency bands and temporal dynamics of neural-hemodynamic coupling.
Main Methods:
- Measured local field potentials (LFPs) from single cortical sites in monkeys at rest.
- Correlated LFP signals with simultaneous fMRI signals across the entire cerebral cortex.
- Analyzed correlations in different frequency bands (upper gamma: 40-80 Hz, lower frequencies: 2-15 Hz) and examined the influence of behavioral state (eyes open vs. closed).
Main Results:
- Spontaneous LFP fluctuations showed widespread positive correlations with fMRI signals throughout the cerebral cortex.
- The strongest coupling was observed in the upper gamma frequency band (40-80 Hz), with the fMRI signal lagging neural activity by 6-8 seconds.
- A significant positive correlation was also found in lower frequencies (2-15 Hz) with minimal lag.
- Neural-hemodynamic coupling was stronger and anticipatory when monkeys had their eyes closed, indicating state-dependency.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous fMRI fluctuations during rest are tightly coupled with underlying neural activity.
- The coupling occurs across multiple frequency bands, with distinct temporal dynamics.
- Behavioral state significantly modulates the strength and timing of this neural-hemodynamic coupling.
