Rachael Franklin^1,2, Enrico de Vita², Irène Brumer³, Jozef Jarosz¹, and Marco Borri^1
1Neuroradiology, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom, ²School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, ³Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Mannheim Institute for Intelligent Systems in Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

Task-based language fMRI datasets from healthy volunteers (15) and tumour patients (4 with lesions near Wernicke’s area, 6 with lesions near Broca’s area) were compared, to assess the similarity of activation location and extent. Expected areas of the language network were consistently localised in both patients and volunteers. Although patients showed more variation in the extent and strength of activation, our activation metrics for the full patient cohort show similar amount of overlap compared to a size-matched group of volunteers. Furthermore, patient with lesions near Broca’s area had highly consistent activation in specific locations. 

Emma Brouwer ¹, Nikos Priovoulos¹, and Wietske van der Zwaag^1
1Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, Netherlands

We investigated the organisation of the cerebellar digit map with three distinct tasks (flexing/extending/stroking) using B1-shimmed, high-resolution fMRI at 7T.  For all tasks, the positions of the COG of the digit representations formed an orderly progression in at least one of the lobules. The distance between the motor task activations for flexing and extending of the digits were smaller than from either motor task to stroking clusters, indicating a separation between somatosensory and motor clusters in cerebellar lobule V.

Wietske Zuiderbaan¹, Wietske van der Zwaag¹, and Tomas Knapen^1,2
1Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, Netherlands, ²Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands

We used the retinotopic connective field model to investigate how retinotopic organization in the cerebellum depends on cognitive state. Previous work found three retinotopic clusters in the cerebellum. These regions were found using a standard bar mapping stimulus with fixation task. Here, we show that with a more naturalistic condition, we find an extra cluster to be retinotopically organized. Furthermore, we show that the oculomotor vermis shows a gradient in visual field eccentricity, that was not revealed using the simple stimulus. Our results underline the importance of using a naturalistic condition in studying the retinotopic organization of the cerebellum.

Robert Pretorius¹, Stefan Sunaert^1,2,3, and Ahmed Radwan^1
1Department of Imaging and pathology, Translational MRI, Leuven, Belgium, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ²Leuven Brain Institute, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven, Belgium, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, ³Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Adding to the literature of resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) in preoperative planning, we investigated the similarity of a task based fMRI (tbfMRI) language protocol to a pan-language functional connectivity map in 10 healthy subjects. When comparing the whole brain there is relatively low Jaccard and Sorensen-Dice similarity between rsfMRI and tbfMRI language activity, however when looking at separate cortical anatomical regions the language areas are among those having the highest similarity. Additionally, there is a significantly higher similarity in the left IFG pars triangularis. This suggests that rsfMRI could be used reliably to determine Broca’s area in preoperative planning.

Ray Lee¹, Joshua Friedman¹, Alaa Khadar², Andrea Karaiskaki¹, Nadiya Gura¹, Maria O'Brien¹, Paul Sajda¹, and Nim Tottenham^1
1Columbia University, New York, NY, United States, ²NASA, Houston, TX, United States

Parent-child interaction is a significant part of human life, and a large portion of such interaction is carried out by eye contact. However, how the dyadic brain networks enable eye contact is not well understood. Here, we take advantage of fMRI hyperscan and concurrent eye tracking to measure the BOLD responses and pupil sizes during eye contact between parent and child. Our initial analysis begins to reveal some of the brain networks supporting the parent-child bond. A better understanding of such mechanisms may have a significant impact on human social life, and improve parent-child interaction therapy for many psychiatric diseases.

Hsin-Ju Lee^1,2, Lauri Nummenmaa^3,4,5, Hsiang-Yu Yu^6,7, Cheng-Chia Lee^7,8, Chien-Chen Chou⁶, Chien Chen^6,7, Wen-Jui Kuo^7,9, and Fa-Hsuan Lin^1,2
1Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, ²Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, ³Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, ⁴Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, ⁵Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, ⁶Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ⁷Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ⁸Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ⁹Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan

We studied how fMRI signal is related to neural oscillations by taking both fMRI and invasive recordings from epilepsy patients. Specifically, we examined the neurovascular coupling during complex naturalistic stimuli processing. A significant negative correlation between gamma-band neural oscillations at hippocampus/amygdala and fMRI signals was found at the amygdala, hippocampus, and inferior occipital lobes while viewing short movie clips. These correlations sustain across gamma, beta, and alpha bands. The left angular gyrus shows a positive correlation between neural oscillations and fMRI dynamics at the theta band.

Phan Tan Toi^1,2, Jun-Ho Kim¹, Jang Woo Park³, and Jang-Yeon Park^1,2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea, Republic of, ²Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea, Republic of, ³Korea Radioisotope Center for Pharmaceuticals, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea, Republic of

There has been a long-standing demand for high temporospatial resolution in non-invasive neuroimaging. Using our previously proposed approach for direct imaging of neuronal activity (DIANA-fMRI) with a high temporal resolution of milliseconds, we continued to demonstrate DIANA-fMRI performance in mice in vivo at 9.4T using visual stimulation. The DIANA signal change was significantly increased (~0.2-0.4%) in response to flashing light stimulus, and it was found that DIANA responses of sSC, V1, and V2 were sequentially activated in that order. The DIANA response times of sSC, V1, and V2 were consistent with previous electrophysiological studies.

Linqing Li¹, Nicholas Blockley², Sean Marrett¹, Andy John Derbyshire¹, and Peter Bandettini^1
1National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States, ²University of Nottingham Medical School, School of Life Sciences, Nottingham, United Kingdom

We previously developed (CMRO2/CMRO2₀)=(CBF/CBF₀)^{(1-α/β)(1-1/β)}as special power relation (SPR) for brain activation. In this work, based on different perspective of SPR, we derive that functional activity induces general power relation (GPR) (CMRO2/CMRO2₀)=(CBF/CBF₀)^α/β. When α=0.38,β=1.5, both powers (SPR and GPR) are calculated to be 0.25,which is approximately equivalent to inverse of conventional coupling constant of 4. By equalizing two powers, the relationship of α and β parameters can be established. We also show that any coupling pairs between changes of CMRO2,CBF,CBV and OEF can be reduced into power laws. Finally, we propose the power law for quantification CMRO2 changes during CO₂ calibration.

Rebecca Williams^1,2, Jacinta Specht^1,2, M. Ethan MacDonald^2,3, and G. Bruce Pike^1,2
1Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, ²Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, ³Departments of Electrical & Software Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and task-based BOLD fMRI signals are closely linked. Understanding whether the relationship between CVR and task-based BOLD responses varies across the brain is important for interpreting BOLD, particularly in studies of aging where both CVR and BOLD activation differences are observed. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the linear relationship between breath-hold (BH) CVR and task-based BOLD across the cerebral cortex to different cognitive tasks. Significant linear relationships were observed in posterior regions independent of task, while anterior regions were task-specific. These findings might contribute to understanding age-related posterior-anterior BOLD activation differences commonly observed in fMRI studies.

Joana Pinto¹, Martin Craig^2,3, Paula Croal^2,3, Nicholas P. Blockley^2,4, Michael A. Chappell^2,3, and Daniel P. Bulte^1
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, ²Sir Peter Mansfield Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, ³Radiological Sciences, Mental Health & Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Nottingham, United Kingdom, ⁴School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) has been shown to be an important parameter that is altered in certain pathologies. Analysis strategies using MRI data typically assume similar responses across the brain, neglecting the need and potential of modelling temporal features. In this work, we propose and test a novel method for the evaluation of CVR dynamics based on a variational Bayesian approach. Although this method yields similar CVR results to more standard approaches, it is more time efficient and has the potential to improve modelling by incorporating non-linear and biophysically informed models.

Yasmin Geiger¹, Tali Weiss², Osnat Volovick¹, Inbar Aharon¹, Rinatia Maaravi-Hesseg³, and Avi Karni^3
1Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, ²Weizmann institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, ³University of Hifa, Hifa, Israel

Sequential finger tapping (SFT) is a model for motor learning.  The initial phase of SFT manifests in changes to behavior, neuronal activation (BOLD) and metabolic concentrations. The metabolic changes and correlations to BOLD and behavioral changes during SFT are still poorly understood. Here we analyze these bilateral changes at the motor cortex using BOLD‑fMRI and ¹H-MRS. We show a significant hemispheric‑dependent correlation between changes in GABA+ and behavior, which do not correlate with the BOLD signal. Additionally, GABA+ basal levels differ between hemispheres.

Frederick Andrew Bagdasarian¹, Chi-Hyeon Yoo¹, Sarah Elizabeth Reid¹, Michael Placzek¹, and Hsiao-Ying Wey^1
1Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States

This research utilizes simultaneous PET/MR imaging to provide a preliminary analysis of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system in a non-human primate (NHP) brain. We investigated the influence of a psychoactive drug challenge specific to the KOR system in a NHP using the KOR agonist Salvinorin-A. We report regionally specific uptake of a KOR agonist radiotracer ([¹¹C]EKAP) and alterations to BOLD-derived cerebral blood volume (CBV) following the use of Salvinorin-A that are directly related to radiotracer uptake distribution. This work serves a preliminary foundation for KOR imaging and understanding KOR-agonist drug mechanisms through PET/MR.

Thanh Tan Vo¹, Geunho Im², and Seong-Gi Kim^1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, Korea, Republic of, ²Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, Korea, Republic of

The GABAergic neurons directly and indirectly regulate hemodynamics. Thus, investigating neurovascular coupling of subtype interneurons is highly important to interpret fMRI data, especially optogenetic fMRI.  However, role of subtype interneurons to fMRI is not known. Here, we measured multi-wavelength optical imaging and CBV-weighted fMRI to investigate hemodynamic and metabolic responses of two most common interneuron subtypes, parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SOM). PV induced biphasic hemodynamic responses, initial decrease and later increase, whereas SOM produced only positive hemodynamic responses. In both PV and SOM interneurons, dilation was initiated from the cortical surface.