The functional database of the ARCHI project: Potential and perspectives

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has advanced our understanding of brain function but is limited by long acquisition times.
• Current methods often study distinct brain regions in separate participants, hindering the understanding of individual-level functional relationships.
• There is a need for efficient protocols to map multiple cognitive functions within a single individual.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel fMRI protocol for efficient, multi-domain cognitive mapping in individual participants.
• To assess the protocol's ability to isolate distinct brain regions and networks associated with language, numerical representation, social cognition, and sensorimotor functions.
• To explore the potential for creating a finer-grained brain atlas and individual neurofunctional signatures.

Main Methods:

• Acquired fMRI data from 78 individuals performing 29 experimental conditions across 4 cross-domain functional localizers in a single session.
• Analyzed brain activity at both group and individual levels to assess protocol efficacy and reliability.
• Assessed test-retest reliability in a subset of participants.

Main Results:

• The protocol successfully isolated distinct brain networks associated with various cognitive functions, largely replicating previous findings.
• Activity patterns were observed across a significant portion of the cortical surface, with notable analyses in frontal and temporal regions.
• Preliminary results indicate the protocol's capability for fine-grained mapping, especially in areas with high functional overlap.

Conclusions:

• The developed fMRI protocol efficiently captures diverse cognitive functions within individuals, enabling detailed mapping of brain networks.
• This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of functional relationships at the individual level and contributes to a more refined brain atlas.
• The protocol holds promise for establishing individual neurofunctional signatures in large-scale studies and exploring functional-structural interdependence.