Quasi-periodic patterns (QPP): Large-scale dynamics in resting state fMRI that correlate with local infraslow electrical activity

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 84; pp. 1018 - 1031
• Main Authors: Thompson, Garth John, Pan, Wen-Ju, Magnuson, Matthew Evan, Jaeger, Dieter, Keilholz, Shella Dawn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.01.2014; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animals; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Blood oxygen level dependent; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping - methods; Correlation; Disorders; Dynamics; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Infraslow oscillation; Local field potential; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mathematical models; Networks; Oscillations; Quasi-periodic; Rats; Rest - physiology; Rodents; Slow wave; Spatiotemporal dynamics; Standard deviation; Statistical methods; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; S1FL; Blood oxygen level dependent; EEG; NPL; Quasi-periodic; Infraslow oscillation; SGoF; PPL; QPP; Local field potential; fMRI; NPR; PPR; Slow wave; LFP; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; BOLD; Spatiotemporal dynamics; EPI; FWER; Oscillation; Electrophysiology; Field potential; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Functional imaging; primary somatosensory cortex of the forelimb region; family-wise error rate; negative peak on left; quasi-periodic pattern; electroencephalography; sequential goodness of fit; positive peak on left; negative peak on right; local field potentials; echo-planar imaging; positive peak on right
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.09.029
• ISSN: 1053-8119

Functional connectivity measurements from resting state blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are proving a powerful tool to probe both normal brain function and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the neural mechanisms that coordinate these large networks are poorly understood, particularly in the context of the growing interest in network dynamics. Recent work in anesthetized rats has shown that the spontaneous BOLD fluctuations are tightly linked to infraslow local field potentials (LFPs) that are seldom recorded but comparable in frequency to the slow BOLD fluctuations. These findings support the hypothesis that long-range coordination involves low frequency neural oscillations and establishes infraslow LFPs as an excellent candidate for probing the neural underpinnings of the BOLD spatiotemporal patterns observed in both rats and humans. To further examine the link between large-scale network dynamics and infraslow LFPs, simultaneous fMRI and microelectrode recording were performed in anesthetized rats. Using an optimized filter to isolate shared components of the signals, we found that time-lagged correlation between infraslow LFPs and BOLD is comparable in spatial extent and timing to a quasi-periodic pattern (QPP) found from BOLD alone, suggesting that fMRI-measured QPPs and the infraslow LFPs share a common mechanism. As fMRI allows spatial resolution and whole brain coverage not available with electroencephalography, QPPs can be used to better understand the role of infraslow oscillations in normal brain function and neurological or psychiatric disorders. •Local field potential/fMRI coherence can be used to create an effective filter.•Infraslow field potentials correlate to a spatiotemporal dynamic pattern in fMRI.•Pattern of time-lagged correlation matches pattern observed in fMRI alone.•Filtered infraslow field potentials weakly correlate with fMRI pattern strength.•Results similar for somatosensory and caudate-putamen regions in the rat brain.