Open AccessInterregional connectivity to primary motor cortex revealed using MRI resting state images
Author(s) -
Xiong Jinhu,
Parsons Lawrence M.,
Gao JiaHong,
Fox Peter T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0193(1999)8:2/3<151::aid-hbm13>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - resting state fmri , neuroscience , primary motor cortex , functional connectivity , efferent , voxel , motor cortex , functional magnetic resonance imaging , magnetic resonance imaging , human brain , psychology , computer science , medicine , artificial intelligence , afferent , stimulation , radiology
The topographic organization of cortical neurons is traditionally examined using histological procedures. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers the potential noninvasively to detect interregional connectivity of human brain. In the brain, there is spontaneous firing of neurons even in the resting state. Such spontaneous firing will increase local blood flow, cause MRI signal fluctuations, and affect remotely located neurons through the efferent output. By calculating covariance of each voxel referenced to the time course of a selected brain region, it is possible to detect the neurons connected to the selected region. Using this covariance method, neural connectivity to primary motor cortex was assessed during a resting state in six healthy right‐handed volunteers. This interregional connectivity is similar to connectivity established by other anatomical, histochemical, and physiological techniques. This method may offer in vivo noninvasive measurements of neural projections. Hum. Brain Mapping 8:151–156, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.