Correlated alpha activity with the facial expression processing network in a simultaneous EEG-fMRI experiment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• The relationship between electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is not well-established, particularly for task-specific paradigms.
• Existing research often focuses on resting-state or epileptic activity, showing a negative correlation between EEG alpha power and default-mode-network BOLD activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the task-specific correlation between EEG alpha band fluctuations and fMRI BOLD activity within the facial expression processing network.
• To assess the potential for transferring fMRI-based neurofeedback paradigms to EEG by understanding their relationship.

Main Methods:

• Characterized regions-of-interest (ROIs) in the facial expression processing network using a stringent localizer.
• Identified frontal and parietal-occipital scalp clusters with significant alpha fluctuations related to the task.
• Analyzed the temporal correlation between alpha power in these clusters and BOLD activity in the network ROIs.

Main Results:

• Found statistically significant negative correlations between alpha power in both identified scalp clusters and all ROIs of the facial expression network.
• The observed correlation levels did not yet meet the criteria for direct transfer of neurofeedback protocols to EEG.

Conclusions:

• The study provides valuable insights into the relationship between frontal and parietal-occipital alpha band activity and the facial expression processing network.
• While not sufficient for immediate EEG neurofeedback transfer, the findings represent a step towards better understanding and utilizing EEG-fMRI correlations.