title: Atlas-based analysis of resting-state functional connectivity: evaluation for reproducibility and multi-modal anatomy-function correlation studies.
abstract: Resting state functional connectivity MRI (rsfc-MRI) reveals a wealth of information about the functional organization of the brain, but poses unique challenges for quantitative image analysis, mostly related to the large number of voxels with low signal-to-noise ratios. In this study, we tested the idea of using a prior spatial parcellation of the entire brain into various structural units, to perform an analysis on a structure-by-structure, rather than voxel-by-voxel, basis. This analysis, based upon atlas parcels, potentially offers enhanced SNR and reproducibility, and can be used as a common anatomical framework for cross-modality and cross-subject quantitative analysis. We used Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Mapping (LDDMM) and a deformable brain atlas to parcel each brain into 185 regions. To investigate the precision of the cross-subject analysis, we computed inter-parcel correlations in 20 participants, each of whom was scanned twice, as well as the consistency of the connectivity patterns inter- and intra-subject, and the intersession reproducibility. We report significant inter-parcel correlations consistent with previous findings, and high test-retest reliability, an important consideration when the goal is to compare clinical populations. As an example of the cross-modality analysis, correlation with anatomical connectivity is also examined.
authors.affiliation: The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. afaria1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Andreia V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Suresh E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Joel
authors.forename: Yajing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: Peter C M
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van Zjil
authors.forename: Michael I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pekar
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001271:Atlases as Topic; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult