Surface-based Single-subject Morphological Brain Networks: Effects of Morphological Index, Brain Parcellation and Similarity Measure, Sample Size-varying Stability and Test-retest Reliability

AbstractMorphological brain networks, in particular those at the individual level, have become an important approach for studying the human brain connectome; however, relevant methodology is far from being well-established in their formation, description and reproducibility. Here, we extended our previous study by constructing and characterizing single-subject morphological similarity networks from brain volume to surface space and systematically evaluated their reproducibility with respect to effects of different choices of morphological index, brain parcellation atlas and similarity measure, sample size-varying stability and test-retest reliability. Using the Human Connectome Project dataset, we found that surface-based single-subject morphological similarity networks shared common small-world organization, high parallel efficiency, modular architecture and bilaterally distributed hubs regardless of different analytical strategies. Nevertheless, quantitative values of all interregional similarities, global network measures and nodal centralities were significantly affected by choices of morphological index, brain parcellation atlas and similarity measure. Moreover, the morphological similarity networks varied along with the number of participants and approached stability until the sample size exceeded ∼70. Using an independent test-retest dataset, we found fair to good, even excellent, reliability for most interregional similarities and network measures, which were also modulated by different analytical strategies, in particular choices of morphological index. Specifically, fractal dimension and sulcal depth outperformed gyrification index and cortical thickness, higher-resolution atlases outperformed lower-resolution atlases, and Jensen-Shannon divergence-based similarity outperformed Kullback-Leibler divergence-based similarity. Altogether, our findings propose surface-based single-subject morphological similarity networks as a reliable method to characterize the human brain connectome and provide methodological recommendations and guidance for future research.

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Single‐subject morphological brain networks: connectivity mapping, topological characterization and test–retest reliability

Brain and Behavior ◽

10.1002/brb3.448 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Hao Wang ◽

Xiaoqing Jin ◽

Ye Zhang ◽

Jinhui Wang

Keyword(s):

Brain Networks ◽

Single Subject ◽

Topological Characterization ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Connectivity Mapping ◽

Test Retest Reliability

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Test-retest reliability and sample size estimates after MRI scanner relocation

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116608 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 211 ◽

pp. 116608

Author(s):

Tracy R. Melzer ◽

Ross J. Keenan ◽

Gareth J. Leeper ◽

Stephen Kingston-Smith ◽

Simon A. Felton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sample Size ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Size Estimates

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Single subject fMRI test–retest reliability metrics and confounding factors

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.085 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 69 ◽

pp. 231-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Krzysztof J. Gorgolewski ◽

Amos J. Storkey ◽

Mark E. Bastin ◽

Ian Whittle ◽

Cyril Pernet

Keyword(s):

Single Subject ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Test Retest Reliability

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Test–Retest Reliability of Dual-Recorded Brainstem versus Cortical Auditory-Evoked Potentials to Speech

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.16167 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (02) ◽

pp. 164-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Gavin M. Bidelman ◽

Monique Pousson ◽

Calli Dugas ◽

Amy Fehrenbach

Keyword(s):

Evoked Potentials ◽

Auditory Evoked Potentials ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Auditory Brainstem Responses ◽

Single Subject ◽

Neural Responses ◽

Intrasubject Variability ◽

Stable Measure ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Test Retest Reliability

AbstractAuditory-evoked potentials have proven useful in the objective evaluation of sound encoding at different stages of the auditory pathway (brainstem and cortex). Yet, their utility for use in clinical assessment and empirical research relies critically on the precision and test–retest repeatability of the measure.To determine how subcortical/cortical classes of auditory neural responses directly compare in terms of their internal consistency and test–retest reliability within and between listeners.A descriptive cohort study describing the dispersion of electrophysiological measures.Eight young, normal-hearing female listeners.We recorded auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), brainstem frequency-following responses (FFRs), and cortical (P1-N1-P2) auditory-evoked potentials elicited by speech sounds in the same set of listeners. We reassessed responses within each of four different test sessions over a period of 1 mo, allowing us to detect possible changes in latency/amplitude characteristics with finer detail than in previous studies.Our findings show that brainstem and cortical amplitude/latency measures are remarkably stable; with the exception of slight prolongation of the P1 wave, we found no significant variation in any response measure. Intraclass correlation analysis revealed that the speech-evoked FFR amplitude and latency measures achieved superior repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.85) among the more widely used obligatory brainstem (ABR) and cortical (P1-N1-P2) auditory-evoked potentials. Contrasting these intersubject effects, intrasubject variability (i.e., within-subject coefficient of variation) revealed that while latencies were more stable than amplitudes, brainstem and cortical responses did not differ in their variability at the single subject level.We conclude that (1) the variability of auditory neural responses increases with ascending level along the auditory neuroaxis (cortex > brainstem) between subjects but remains highly stable within subjects and (2) speech-FFRs might provide a more stable measure of auditory function than other conventional responses (e.g., click-ABR), given their lower inter- and intrasubject variability.

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Reproducibility of R-fMRI Metrics on the Impact of Different Strategies for Multiple Comparison Correction and Sample Sizes

10.1101/128645 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiao Chen ◽

Bin Lu ◽

Chao-Gan Yan

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Sample Size ◽

Small Sample ◽

Multiple Comparison ◽

Sample Sizes ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

The Impact ◽

Correction Strategies ◽

Multiple Comparison Correction

ABSTRACTConcerns regarding reproducibility of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) findings have been raised. Little is known about how to operationally define R-fMRI reproducibility and to what extent it is affected by multiple comparison correction strategies and sample size. We comprehensively assessed two aspects of reproducibility, test-retest reliability and replicability, on widely used R-fMRI metrics in both between-subject contrasts of sex differences and within-subject comparisons of eyes-open and eyes-closed (EOEC) conditions. We noted permutation test with Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement (TFCE), a strict multiple comparison correction strategy, reached the best balance between family-wise error rate (under 5%) and test-retest reliability / replicability (e.g., 0.68 for test-retest reliability and 0.25 for replicability of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) for between-subject sex differences, 0.49 for replicability of ALFF for within-subject EOEC differences). Although R-fMRI indices attained moderate reliabilities, they replicated poorly in distinct datasets (replicability < 0.3 for between-subject sex differences, < 0.5 for within-subject EOEC differences). By randomly drawing different sample sizes from a single site, we found reliability, sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) rose as sample size increased. Small sample sizes (e.g., < 80 (40 per group)) not only minimized power (sensitivity < 2%), but also decreased the likelihood that significant results reflect “true” effects (PPV < 0.26) in sex differences. Our findings have implications for how to select multiple comparison correction strategies and highlight the importance of sufficiently large sample sizes in R-fMRI studies to enhance reproducibility.

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Evaluating test-retest reliability and sex/age-related effects on temporal clustering coefficient of dynamic functional brain networks

10.1101/2021.10.21.465376 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yicheng Long ◽

Chaogan Yan ◽

Zhipeng Wu ◽

Xiaojun Huang ◽

Hengyi Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Brain Functions ◽

Temporal Clustering ◽

Age Related ◽

Human Connectome Project ◽

Wide Range ◽

Test Retest Reliability

The multilayer dynamic network model has been proposed as an effective method to understand how the brain functions dynamically. Specially, derived from the definition of clustering coefficient in static networks, the temporal clustering coefficient provides a direct measure of topological stability of dynamic brain networks and shows potential in predicting altered brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions. However, test-retest reliability and demographic-related effects on this measure remain to be evaluated. Using a publicly available dataset from the Human Connectome Project consisting of 337 young healthy adults (157 males/180 females; 22 to 37 years old), the present study investigated: (1) the test-retest reliability of temporal clustering coefficient across four repeated resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans as measured by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); and (2) sex- and age-related effects on temporal clustering coefficient. The results showed that (1) the temporal clustering coefficient had overall moderate test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.40 over a wide range of densities) at both global and subnetwork levels; (2) female subjects showed significantly higher temporal clustering coefficient than males at both global and subnetwork levels, in particular within the default-mode and subcortical regions; (3) temporal clustering coefficient of the subcortical subnetwork was negatively correlated with age in young adults. Our findings suggest that temporal clustering coefficient is a reliable and reproducible approach for the identification of individual differences in brain function, and provide evidence for sex and age effects on human brain dynamic connectome.

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Test-retest reliability of white matter structural brain networks: a multiband diffusion MRI study

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2015.00059 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Tengda Zhao ◽

Fei Duan ◽

Xuhong Liao ◽

Zhengjia Dai ◽

Miao Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Diffusion Mri ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Mri Study ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Structural Brain

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Test-Retest Reliability of fMRI During Nonverbal Semantic Decisions in Moderate-Severe Nonfluent Aphasia Patients

Behavioural Neurology ◽

10.1155/2004/974094 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 15 (3-4) ◽

pp. 87-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Jacquie Kurland ◽

Margaret A. Naeser ◽

Errol H. Baker ◽

Karl Doron ◽

Paula I. Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critical Issue ◽

Neural Mechanisms ◽

Cortical Reorganization ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Single Subject ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Nonfluent Aphasia ◽

Language Recovery ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Aphasia Recovery

Cortical reorganization in poststroke aphasia is not well understood. Few studies have investigated neural mechanisms underlying language recovery in severe aphasia patients, who are typically viewed as having a poor prognosis for language recovery. Although test-retest reliability is routinely demonstrated during collection of language data in single-subject aphasia research, this is rarely examined in fMRI studies investigating the underlying neural mechanisms in aphasia recovery.The purpose of this study was to acquire fMRI test-retest data examining semantic decisions both within and between two aphasia patients. Functional MRI was utilized to image individuals with chronic, moderate-severe nonfluent aphasia during nonverbal, yes/no button-box semantic judgments of iconic sentences presented in the Computer-assisted Visual Communication (C-ViC) program. We investigated the critical issue of intra-subject reliability by exploring similarities and differences in regions of activation during participants' performance of identical tasks twice on the same day. Each participant demonstrated high intra-subject reliability, with response decrements typical of task familiarity. Differences between participants included greater left hemisphere perilesional activation in the individual with better response to C-ViC training. This study provides fMRI reliability in chronic nonfluent aphasia, and adds to evidence supporting differences in individual cortical reorganization in aphasia recovery.

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