Functional Connectivity and Baseline Networks of the White Matter Brain: Development and Dissemination of Algorithms and Tools

项目摘要 功能性脑连接（FC）和功能性网络（FN）的发现推动了 神经成像领域，特别是在功能性磁共振成像（fMRI），它经历了一个 近年来呈指数增长。FNs使我们能够更好地了解大脑的外在和内在 在各种疾病和健康状态下的特性，从而更好地表征神经精神疾病 紊乱然而，目前的功能磁共振成像分析仅限于大脑的灰质（GM）区域， 来自白色物质（WM）区域的fMRI数据经常被丢弃，该区域约占50%。 脑容量。许多脑功能障碍与WM缺乏有关，因为WM对大脑的功能至关重要。 将信息传递到GM皮层区域。尽管发现血氧水平依赖于 WM、WM-FN中的（粗体）信号尚未被完全表征，并且也没有机制， WM-FN可能影响GM-FN，也不知道WM-FN如何与表型性状相关。 该项目的长期目标是更好地了解WM-FN对正常认知功能的影响。 功能，并应用来自各种健康和患病人群的fMRI数据， 可靠的诊断和监测。这项研究的基本原理是基于我们的初步研究， 使用人类连接组项目数据集研究了WM-FN。我们发现WM-FN与 与胼胝体的子区域，一个关键的WM区域中继信息之间的两个皮层 半球此外，我们还确定了WM-FN与扩散张量纤维束之间的重叠 磁共振弥散张量成像（DTI）。在这项研究中，我们将使用两个大的脑组织的静息功能磁共振成像数据来检查整个大脑的WM-FN。 独立的群体。我们假设，从WM得出的FN措施将类似于GM， 该度量可用于可靠地预测表型性状。假设将通过以下方式进行检验 具体目标：目标1：开发和评估整个WM的时间序列，FC和FN特征- 目的2：研究WM-表型的相关性和使用WM-FN表型的可预测性; 目标3：开发和传播妇女运动-新生力量工具箱。据我们所知，这项研究将是 第一次检查的可靠性和有效性的WM-FNs在休息功能磁共振成像数据，以及它与大脑功能。的 拟议的工作具有重大贡献，因为它将促进使用WM-FN方法的 目前缺乏必要的分析工具来可靠地表征WM 功能这项研究将为WM-FN和GM-FN的未来临床应用提供坚实的基础， 更全面地了解大脑功能，除了促进使用可靠和可重复的 WM-FC方法

PROJECT ABSTRACT The discovery of functional brain connectivity (FC) and functional networks (FNs) have propelled the neuroimaging field, particularly in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has experienced an exponential growth in recent years. FNs have allowed us to better understand extrinsic and intrinsic brain properties in various disease and healthy states, leading to better characterization of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, current fMRI analyses are constrained to the gray matter (GM) region of the brain and fMRI data from the white matter (WM) region are often discarded, which makes up approximately 50% of the brain by volume. Many brain disorders have been associated with WM deficiencies, since WM is critical for the transmission of information to the GM cortical areas. Despite findings of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the WM, WM-FNs are yet to be fully characterized, and neither the mechanism by which WM-FNs may affect GM-FNs, nor how WM-FNs are associated with phenotypic traits are known. The long-term goal of this project is to better understand the effect of WM-FNs on normal cognitive functions of the human brain and apply fMRI data from various healthy and diseased populations for more reliable diagnostics and monitoring. The rationale for this study is based on our preliminary studies which investigated WM-FNs using the Human Connectome Project dataset. We found that WM-FNs are correlated with subregions of the corpus callosum, a critical WM region relaying information between the two cortical hemispheres. Furthermore, we determined an overlap between the WM-FNs and tracts from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). In this study we will examine WM-FNs of the whole brain using resting fMRI data from two large independent cohorts. We hypothesize that the FN measures derived from WM will be similar to that of GM and the metrics can be used to reliably predict phenotypic traits. The hypothesis will be tested with the following specific aims: Aim1: To develop and evaluate the time-series, FC and FN characteristics of WM of the whole - brain; Aim 2: To investigate WM-phenotype associations and the predictability of phenotypes using WM-FNs; and Aim 3: To develop and disseminate a WM-FN toolbox. To the best of our knowledge, this study will be the first to examine the reliability and validity of WM-FNs in resting fMRI data, and its relation to brain function. The proposed work holds significant contribution since it will facilitate the use of WM-FN methods for the neuroimaging community, which currently lacks the necessary analytic tools to reliably characterize WM function. This study will provide a strong foundation f or future clinical use of both WM-FNs and GM-FNs, to understand brain function more comprehensively, in addition to facilitating the use of reliable and reproducible WM-FC methods.