Information Based Methods For Neuroimaging

The aim of this Research Topic is to discuss the state of the art on the use of Information-based methods in the analysis of neuroimaging data. Information-based methods, typically built as extensions of the Shannon Entropy, are at the basis of model-free approaches which, being based on probability distributions rather than on specific expectations, can account for all possible non-linearities present in the data in a model-independent fashion. Mutual Information-like methods can also be applied on interacting dynamical variables described by time-series, thus addressing the uncertainty reduction (or information) in one variable by conditioning on another set of variables. In the last years, different Information-based methods have been shown to be flexible and powerful tools to analyze neuroimaging data, with a wide range of different methodologies, including formulations-based on bivariate vs multivariate representations, frequency vs time domains, etc. Apart from methodological issues, the information bit as a common unit represents a convenient way to open the road for comparison and integration between different measurements of neuroimaging data in three complementary contexts: Structural Connectivity, Dynamical (Functional and Effective) Connectivity, and Modelling of brain activity. Applications are ubiquitous, starting from resting state in healthy subjects to modulations of consciousness and other aspects of pathophysiology. Mutual Information-based methods have provided new insights about common-principles in brain organization, showing the existence of an active default network when the brain is at rest. It is not clear, however, how this default network is generated, the different modules are intra-interacting, or disappearing in the presence of stimulation. Some of these open-questions at the functional level might find their mechanisms on their structural correlates. A key question is the link between structure and function and the use of structural priors for the understanding of the functional connectivity measures. As effective connectivity is concerned, recently a common framework has been proposed for Transfer Entropy and Granger Causality, a well-established methodology originally based on autoregressive models. This framework can open the way to new theories and applications. This Research Topic brings together contributions from researchers from different backgrounds which are either developing new approaches, or applying existing methodologies to new data, and we hope it will set the basis for discussing the development and validation of new Information-based methodologies for the understanding of brain structure, function, and dynamics.

By 2030 there will be about 70 million people in the United States who are older than 64. Approximately 26 percent of these will be racial and ethnic minorities. Overall, the older population will be more diverse and better educated than their earlier cohorts. The range of late-life outcomes is very dramatic with old age being a significantly different experience for financially secure and well-educated people than for poor and uneducated people. The early mission of behavioral science research focused on identifying problems of older adults, such as isolation, caregiving, and dementia. Today, the field of gerontology is more interdisciplinary. When I'm 64 examines how individual and social behavior play a role in understanding diverse outcomes in old age. It also explores the implications of an aging workforce on the economy. The book recommends that the National Institute on Aging focus its research support in social, personality, and life-span psychology in four areas: motivation and behavioral change; socioemotional influences on decision-making; the influence of social engagement on cognition; and the effects of stereotypes on self and others. When I'm 64 is a useful resource for policymakers, researchers and medical professionals.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the International Conference on Brain Informatics and Health, BIH 2015, held in London, UK, in August/September 2015. The 42 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 82 submissions. Following the success of past conferences in this series, BIH 2015 has a strong emphasis on emerging trends of big data analysis and management technology for brain research, behavior learning, and real-world applications of brain science in human health and wellbeing.

Consisting of two separate volumes, Neuroimaging provides a state-of-the-art review of a broad range of neuroimaging techniques applied to both clinical and research settings. The breadth of the methods covered is matched by the depth of description of the theoretical background. Part A focuses on the cutting edge of research methodologies, providing a foundation for both established and evolving techniques. These include voxel-based morphometry using structural MRI, functional MRI, perfusion MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy and the technique of combining EEG and fMRI studies. Two chapters are devoted to describing methods for studying brain responses and neural models, focusing on functional connectivity, effective connectivity, dynamic causal modeling, and large-scale neural models. The important role played by brain atlases in facilitating the study of normal and diseased brain populations is described in one chapter, and the concept of neuroimaging data bases as a future resource for scientific discovery is elucidated in another. The two parts of Neuroimaging complement each other providing in-depth information on a broad range of routine and cutting edge techniques that is not available in any other text. This book is superbly written and beautifully illustrated by contributors working at the top of their chosen specialty. * Serves as an up-to-date review of cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques * Exquisitely illustrated * Authoritatively written by leading researchers