scholarly journals Multi-dynamic Modelling Reveals Strongly Time-varying Resting fMRI Correlations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usama Pervaiz ◽  
Diego Vidaurre ◽  
Chetan Gohil ◽  
Stephen M. Smith ◽  
Mark W Woolrich
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Fmri Data ◽  
Generative Adversarial Networks ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Over Time

The activity of functional brain networks is responsible for the emergence of time-varying cognition and behaviour. Accordingly, time-varying correlations (Functional Connectivity) in resting fMRI have been shown to be predictive of behavioural traits, and psychiatric and neurological conditions. Typically, methods that measure time-varying Functional Connectivity (FC), such as sliding windows approaches, do not separately model when changes occur in the mean activity levels from when changes occur in the FC, therefore conflating these two distinct types of modulation. We show that this can bias the estimation of time-varying FC to appear more stable over time than it actually is. Here, we propose an alternative approach that models changes in the mean brain activity and in the FC as being able to occur at different times to each other. We refer to this method as the Multi-dynamic Adversarial Generator Encoder (MAGE) model, which includes a model of the network dynamics that captures long-range time dependencies, and is estimated on fMRI data using principles of Generative Adversarial Networks. We evaluated the approach across several simulation studies and resting fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project (1003 subjects), as well as from UK Biobank (13301 subjects). Importantly, we find that separating fluctuations in the mean activity levels from those in the FC reveals much stronger changes in FC over time, and is a better predictor of individual behavioural variability

scholarly journals Physiological and head motion signatures in static and time-varying functional connectivity and their subject discriminability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Xifra-Porxas ◽  
Michalis Kassinopoulos ◽  
Georgios D. Mitsis
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Head Motion ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Resting State Networks ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Noninvasive Biomarker ◽  
Recurrent Patterns

AbstractHuman brain connectivity yields significant potential as a noninvasive biomarker. Several studies have used fMRI-based connectivity fingerprinting to characterize individual patterns of brain activity. However, it is not clear whether these patterns mainly reflect neural activity or the effect of physiological and motion processes. To answer this question, we capitalize on a large data sample from the Human Connectome Project and rigorously investigate the contribution of the aforementioned processes on functional connectivity (FC) and time-varying FC, as well as their contribution to subject identifiability. We find that head motion, as well as heart rate and breathing fluctuations, induce artifactual connectivity within distinct resting-state networks and that they correlate with recurrent patterns in time-varying FC. Even though the spatiotemporal signatures of these processes yield above-chance levels in subject identifiability, removing their effects at the preprocessing stage improves identifiability, suggesting a neural component underpinning the inter-individual differences in connectivity.

scholarly journals Physiological and motion signatures in static and time-varying functional connectivity and their subject identifiability

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Xifra-Porxas ◽  
Michalis Kassinopoulos ◽  
Georgios D Mitsis
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Resting State Networks ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Noninvasive Biomarker ◽  
Recurrent Patterns

Human brain connectivity yields significant potential as a noninvasive biomarker. Several studies have used fMRI-based connectivity fingerprinting to characterize individual patterns of brain activity. However, it is not clear whether these patterns mainly reflect neural activity or the effect of physiological and motion processes. To answer this question, we capitalize on a large data sample from the Human Connectome Project and rigorously investigate the contribution of the aforementioned processes on functional connectivity (FC) and time-varying FC, as well as their contribution to subject identifiability. We find that head motion, as well as heart rate and breathing fluctuations, induce artifactual connectivity within distinct resting-state networks and that they correlate with recurrent patterns in time-varying FC. Even though the spatiotemporal signatures of these processes yield above-chance levels in subject identifiability, removing their effects at the preprocessing stage improves identifiability, suggesting a neural component underpinning the inter-individual differences in connectivity.

scholarly journals Improved state change estimation in dynamic functional connectivity using hidden semi-Markov models

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Shappell ◽  
Brian S. Caffo ◽  
James J. Pekar ◽  
Martin A. Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Markov Models ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Fmri Data ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Functional Brain Networks ◽  
Network States

AbstractThe study of functional brain networks has grown rapidly over the past decade. While most functional connectivity (FC) analyses estimate one static network structure for the entire length of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series, recently there has been increased interest in studying time-varying changes in FC. Hidden Markov models (HMMs) have proven to be a useful modeling approach for discovering repeating graphs of interacting brain regions (brain states). However, a limitation lies in HMMs assuming that the sojourn time, the number of consecutive time points in a state, is geometrically distributed. This may encourage inaccurate estimation of the time spent in a state before switching to another state. We propose a hidden semi-Markov model (HSMM) approach for inferring time-varying brain networks from fMRI data, which explicitly models the sojourn distribution. Specifically, we propose using HSMMs to find each subject’s most probable series of network states and the graphs associated with each state, while properly estimating and modeling the sojourn distribution for each state. We perform a simulation study, as well as an analysis on both task-based fMRI data from an anxiety-inducing experiment and resting-state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project. Our results demonstrate the importance of model choice when estimating sojourn times and reveal their potential for understanding healthy and diseased brain mechanisms.

scholarly journals Association Between Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1984-1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dardo Tomasi ◽  
Nora D Volkow
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Functional Connectivity Density ◽  
Density Mapping ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Bold Responses

Abstract The origin of the “resting-state” brain activity recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is still uncertain. Here we provide evidence for the neurovascular origins of the amplitude of the low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and the local functional connectivity density (lFCD) by comparing them with task-induced blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses, which are considered a proxy for neuronal activation. Using fMRI data for 2 different tasks (Relational and Social) collected by the Human Connectome Project in 426 healthy adults, we show that ALFF and lFCD have linear associations with the BOLD response. This association was significantly attenuated by a novel task signal regression (TSR) procedure, indicating that task performance enhances lFCD and ALFF in activated regions. We also show that lFCD predicts BOLD activation patterns, as was recently shown for other functional connectivity metrics, which corroborates that resting functional connectivity architecture impacts brain activation responses. Thus, our findings indicate a common source for BOLD responses, ALFF and lFCD, which is consistent with the neurovascular origin of local hemodynamic synchrony presumably reflecting coordinated fluctuations in neuronal activity. This study also supports the development of task-evoked functional connectivity density mapping.

scholarly journals Evaluating the sensitivity of functional connectivity measures to motion artifact in resting-state fMRI data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun S. Mahadevan ◽  
Ursula A. Tooley ◽  
Maxwell A. Bertolero ◽  
Allyson P. Mackey ◽  
Danielle S. Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Partial Correlation ◽  
Motion Artifact ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Fmri Data ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

AbstractFunctional connectivity (FC) networks are typically inferred from resting-state fMRI data using the Pearson correlation between BOLD time series from pairs of brain regions. However, alternative methods of estimating functional connectivity have not been systematically tested for their sensitivity or robustness to head motion artifact. Here, we evaluate the sensitivity of six different functional connectivity measures to motion artifact using resting-state data from the Human Connectome Project. We report that FC estimated using full correlation has a relatively high residual distance-dependent relationship with motion compared to partial correlation, coherence and information theory-based measures, even after implementing rigorous methods for motion artifact mitigation. This disadvantage of full correlation, however, may be offset by higher test-retest reliability and system identifiability. FC estimated by partial correlation offers the best of both worlds, with low sensitivity to motion artifact and intermediate system identifiability, with the caveat of low test-retest reliability. We highlight spatial differences in the sub-networks affected by motion with different FC metrics. Further, we report that intra-network edges in the default mode and retrosplenial temporal sub-networks are highly correlated with motion in all FC methods. Our findings indicate that the method of estimating functional connectivity is an important consideration in resting-state fMRI studies and must be chosen carefully based on the parameters of the study.

scholarly journals A-GHN: Attention-based Fusion of Multiple GraphHeat Networks for Structural to Functional Brain Mapping

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUBBA REDDY OOTA ◽  
Archi Yadav ◽  
Arpita Dash ◽  
Surampudi Bapi Raju ◽  
Avinash Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Reaction Diffusion ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Relational Structures ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
The Brain

Over the last decade, there has been growing interest in learning the mapping from structural connectivity (SC) to functional connectivity (FC) of the brain. The spontaneous fluctuations of the brain activity during the resting-state as captured by functional MRI (rsfMRI) contain rich non-stationary dynamics over a relatively fixed structural connectome. Among the modeling approaches, graph diffusion-based methods with single and multiple diffusion kernels approximating static or dynamic functional connectivity have shown promise in predicting the FC given the SC. However, these methods are computationally expensive, not scalable, and fail to capture the complex dynamics underlying the whole process. Recently, deep learning methods such as GraphHeat networks along with graph diffusion have been shown to handle complex relational structures while preserving global information. In this paper, we propose a novel attention-based fusion of multiple GraphHeat networks (A-GHN) for mapping SC-FC. A-GHN enables us to model multiple heat kernel diffusion over the brain graph for approximating the complex Reaction Diffusion phenomenon. We argue that the proposed deep learning method overcomes the scalability and computational inefficiency issues but can still learn the SC-FC mapping successfully. Training and testing were done using the rsfMRI data of 100 participants from the human connectome project (HCP), and the results establish the viability of the proposed model. Furthermore, experiments demonstrate that A-GHN outperforms the existing methods in learning the complex nature of human brain function.

scholarly journals A Signal-Processing-Based Approach to Time-Varying Graph Analysis for Dynamic Brain Network Identification

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Yener Mutlu ◽  
Edward Bernat ◽  
Selin Aviyente
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Dynamic Network ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Error Related Negativity ◽  
Connectivity Patterns

In recent years, there has been a growing need to analyze the functional connectivity of the human brain. Previous studies have focused on extracting static or time-independent functional networks to describe the long-term behavior of brain activity. However, a static network is generally not sufficient to represent the long term communication patterns of the brain and is considered as an unreliable snapshot of functional connectivity. In this paper, we propose a dynamic network summarization approach to describe the time-varying evolution of connectivity patterns in functional brain activity. The proposed approach is based on first identifying key event intervals by quantifying the change in the connectivity patterns across time and then summarizing the activity in each event interval by extracting the most informative network using principal component decomposition. The proposed method is evaluated for characterizing time-varying network dynamics from event-related potential (ERP) data indexing the error-related negativity (ERN) component related to cognitive control. The statistically significant connectivity patterns for each interval are presented to illustrate the dynamic nature of functional connectivity.

scholarly journals Latent functional connectivity underlying multiple brain states

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan M McCormick ◽  
Katelyn L Arnemann ◽  
Takuya Ito ◽  
Stephen Jose Hanson ◽  
Michael W Cole
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Mathematical Framework ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Brain States ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
Psychometric G

Functional connectivity (FC) studies have predominantly focused on resting state, where ongoing dynamics are thought to primarily reflect the brain's intrinsic network architecture, which is thought to be broadly relevant to brain function because it persists across brain states. However, it is unknown whether resting state is the optimal state for measuring intrinsic FC. We propose that latent FC, reflecting patterns of connectivity shared across many brain states, may better capture intrinsic FC relative to measures derived from resting state alone. We estimated latent FC in relation to 7 highly distinct task states (24 task conditions) and resting state using fMRI data from 352 participants from the Human Connectome Project. Latent FC was estimated independently for each connection by applying leave-one-task-out factor analysis on the state FC estimates. Compared to resting-state connectivity, we found that latent connectivity improves generalization to held-out brain states, better explaining patterns of both connectivity and task-evoked brain activity. We also found that latent connectivity improved prediction of behavior, measured by the general intelligence factor psychometric g. Our results suggest that patterns of FC shared across many brain states, rather than just resting state, better reflects general, state-independent connectivity. This affirms the notion of "intrinsic" brain network architecture as a set of connectivity properties persistent across brain states, providing an updated conceptual and mathematical framework of intrinsic connectivity as a latent factor.

scholarly journals Behavioural relevance of spontaneous, transient brain network interactions in fMRI

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Vidaurre ◽  
A. Llera ◽  
S.M. Smith ◽  
M.W. Woolrich
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Brain Data ◽  
Structural Brain

AbstractHow spontaneously fluctuating functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals in different brain regions relate to behaviour has been an open question for decades. Correlations in these signals, known as functional connectivity, can be averaged over several minutes of data to provide a stable representation of the functional network architecture for an individual. However, associations between these stable features and behavioural traits have been shown to be dominated by individual differences in anatomy. Here, using kernel learning tools, we propose methods to assess and compare the relation between time-varying functional connectivity, time-averaged functional connectivity, structural brain data, and non-imaging subject behavioural traits. We applied these methods on Human Connectome Project resting-state fMRI data to show that time-varying fMRI functional connectivity, detected at time-scales of a few seconds, has associations with some behavioural traits that are not dominated by anatomy. Despite time-averaged functional connectivity accounting for the largest proportion of variability in the fMRI signal between individuals, we found that some aspects of intelligence could only be explained by time-varying functional connectivity. The finding that time-varying fMRI functional connectivity has a unique relationship to population behavioural variability suggests that it might reflect transient neuronal communication fluctuating around a stable neural architecture.Significance statementComplex cognition is dynamic and emerges from the interaction between multiple areas across the whole brain, i.e. from brain networks. Hence, the utility of functional MRI to investigate brain activity depends on how well it can capture time-varying network interactions. Here, we develop methods to predict behavioural traits of individuals from either time-varying functional connectivity, time-averaged functional connectivity, or structural brain data. We use these to show that the time-varying nature of functional brain networks in fMRI can be reliably measured and can explain aspects of behaviour not captured by structural data or time-averaged functional connectivity. These results provide important insights to the question of how the brain represents information and how these representations can be measured with fMRI.

scholarly journals State and trait characteristics of anterior insula time-varying functional connectivity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Pasquini ◽  
Gianina Toller ◽  
Adam Staffaroni ◽  
Jesse A. Brown ◽  
Jersey Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Anterior Insula ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Eye Closure ◽  
Functional Connectivity Mri ◽  
Dispositional Empathy ◽  
Over Time

AbstractThe human anterior insula (aINS) is a topographically organized brain region, in which ventral portions contribute to socio-emotional function through limbic and autonomic connections, whereas the dorsal aINS contributes to cognitive processes through frontal and parietal connections. Open questions remain, however, regarding how aINS connectivity varies over time. We implemented a novel approach combining seed-to-whole-brain sliding-window functional connectivity MRI and k-means clustering to assess time-varying functional connectivity of aINS subregions. We studied three independent large samples of healthy participants and longitudinal datasets to assess inter- and intra-subject stability, and related aINS time-varying functional connectivity profiles to dispositional empathy. We identified four robust aINS time-varying functional connectivity modes that displayed both “state” and “trait” characteristics: while modes featuring connectivity to sensory regions were modulated by eye closure, modes featuring connectivity to higher cognitive and emotional processing regions were stable over time and related to empathy measures.

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