Introduction To Resting State Fmri Functional Connectivity

For those new to the field of resting state fMRI, the large variety of approaches to functional connectivity analysis is highly confusing. This primer provides an introduction to the concepts and analysis decisions that need to be made at every step of the processing pipeline, starting from data acquisition through to interpretation of findings.

This handbook describes methods for processing and analyzing functional connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fcMRI) data using the CONN toolbox, a popular freely-available functional connectivity analysis software. Content description [excerpt from introduction] The first section (fMRI minimal preprocessing pipeline) describes standard and advanced preprocessing steps in fcMRI. These steps are aimed at correcting or minimizing the influence of well-known factors affecting the quality of functional and anatomical MRI data, including effects arising from subject motion within the scanner, temporal and spatial image distortions due to the sequential nature of the scanning acquisition protocol, and inhomogeneities in the scanner magnetic field, as well as anatomical differences among subjects. Even after these conventional preprocessing steps, the measured blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal often still contains a considerable amount of noise from a combination of physiological effects, outliers, and residual subject-motion factors. If unaccounted for, these factors would introduce very strong and noticeable biases in all functional connectivity measures. The second section (fMRI denoising pipeline) describes standard and advanced denoising procedures in CONN that are used to characterize and remove the effect of these residual non-neural noise sources. Functional connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies attempt to quantify the level of functional integration across different brain areas. The third section (functional connectivity measures) describes a representative set of functional connectivity measures available in CONN, each focusing on different indicators of functional integration, including seed-based connectivity measures, ROI-to-ROI measures, graph theoretical approaches, network-based measures, and dynamic connectivity measures. Second-level analyses allow researchers to make inferences about properties of groups or populations, by generalizing from the observations of only a subset of subjects in a study. The fourth section (General Linear Model) describes the mathematics behind the General Linear Model (GLM), the approach used in CONN for all second-level analyses of functional connectivity measures. The description includes GLM model definition, parameter estimation, and hypothesis testing framework, as well as several practical examples and general guidelines aimed at helping researchers use this method to answer their specific research questions. The last section (cluster-level inferences) details several approaches implemented in CONN that allow researchers to make meaningful inferences from their second-level analysis results while providing appropriate family-wise error control (FWEC), whether in the context of voxel-based measures, such as when studying properties of seed-based maps across multiple subjects, or in the context of ROI-to-ROI measures, such as when studying properties of ROI-to-ROI connectivity matrices across multiple subjects.

This accessible primer gives an introduction to the wide array of MRI-based neuroimaging methods that are used in research. It provides an overview of the fundamentals of what different MRI modalities measure, what artifacts commonly occur, the essentials of the analysis, and common 'pipelines'

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Emerging imaging modalities continuously increase the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of neuroimaging, and have transformed diagnostic radiology into a powerful research and clinical tool. Various novel neuroimaging modalities have become of paramount importance, not only in establishing diagnosis but also in guiding surgical intervention, and in evaluating the treatment effect. Advanced MR based techniques such as Fractional Anisotropy, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Proton Spectroscopy, and task-generated as well as resting-state functional MRI have tremendously increased the power of the modern neuroscientist’s armamentarium. The employment of advanced neuroimaging techniques have been expanded in the scientific fields of neuropsychology, consumer’s psychology, and forensic medicine. Our current textbook presents exactly a collection of such innovative work, and explores new frontiers, and future applications of neuroimaging

This book presents recent advances in pattern analysis of the human connectome. The human connectome, measured by magnetic resonance imaging at the macroscale, provides a comprehensive description of how brain regions are connected. Based on machine learning methods, multiviarate pattern analysis can directly decode psychological or cognitive states from brain connectivity patterns. Although there are a number of works with chapters on conventional human connectome encoding (brain-mapping), there are few resources on human connectome decoding (brain-reading). Focusing mainly on advances made over the past decade in the field of manifold learning, sparse coding, multi-task learning, and deep learning of the human connectome and applications, this book helps students and researchers gain an overall picture of pattern analysis of the human connectome. It also offers valuable insights for clinicians involved in the clinical diagnosis and treatment evaluation of neuropsychiatric disorders.

fMRI Neurofeedback provides a perspective on how the field of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback has evolved, an introduction to state-of-the-art methods used for fMRI neurofeedback, a review of published neuroscientific and clinical applications, and a discussion of relevant ethical considerations. It gives a view of the ongoing research challenges throughout and provides guidance for researchers new to the field on the practical implementation and design of fMRI neurofeedback protocols. This book is designed to be accessible to all scientists and clinicians interested in conducting fMRI neurofeedback research, addressing the variety of different knowledge gaps that readers may have given their varied backgrounds and avoiding field-specific jargon. The book, therefore, will be suitable for engineers, computer scientists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and physicians working in fMRI neurofeedback. Provides a reference on fMRI neurofeedback covering history, methods, mechanisms, clinical applications, and basic research, as well as ethical considerations Offers contributions from international experts—leading research groups are represented, including from Europe, Japan, Israel, and the United States Includes coverage of data analytic methods, study design, neuroscience mechanisms, and clinical considerations Presents a perspective on future translational development