# Biophysical Basis of Functional Connectivity by MRI

> **NIH NIH R01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $541,697

## Abstract

SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
 This is a 1st competitive renewal of our project “Biophysical Basis of Resting State Connectivity by MRI”.
Our goals are to determine whether inter-regional correlations in resting state fluctuations of MRI (rsfMRI)
signals from the brain reliably measure functional connectivity (rsFC) between brain regions, and to establish
how MRI data correlate with other metrics of connectivity. These goals are directly relevant for the validation
and interpretation of human applications of rsfMRI. Studies performed to date have focused on mesoscopic
scale networks (100µm - 10mm) within a well defined functional region of primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
in non-human primates, where we can measure spatial patterns of resting state correlations at high resolution
and validate their interpretation with electrophysiological signals and anatomic tracers. In the next phase, we
aim to expand these studies to further establish the origins and significance of rsFC measurements.
 Cerebral cortex exhibits a laminar structure, but the laminar distribution of rsFC is poorly understood. In
addition, whether the strong inference that rsfMRI correlations directly represent and link functional connectivity
extends beyond the fine-grained level of sub-regions in S1 to more macroscopic dimensions remains
unexplored. Moreover, recent studies of apparent slow variations of rsfMRI correlations suggest that the resting
state itself exhibits dynamic variations that may be of functional importance. We therefore propose three
specific aims: [1] to identify the origins of rsFC by measuring the connectivity patterns of rsfMRI signals across
and between cortical layers in sub-regions of S1, S2, thalamus and corresponding contralateral regions. We
will acquire fMRI data at 9.4T using vibrotactile stimuli to identify functionally distinct candidate areas of
activation in bilateral S1, S2, and thalamus, and measure resting state correlations between voxels within and
across layers in these regions: [2] to measure the effects of selective deprivation of spinal, thalamic, cortical
and inter-hemispheric inputs on rsfMRI and demonstrate their relationships to behavior: [3] to validate
measurements of rsFC signals in normal and input-deprived conditions by direct comparisons with quantitative
intracranial electrophysiology and histology. We will acquire rsfMRI and invasive multi-electrode measurements
in the same animals to quantitatively compare different metrics of neural activity and anatomical connections.
 We will acquire fMRI data at 9.4T from monkey brain to study functionally distinct areas in SI, SII, and
thalamus. We will use innovative mathematical analyses to quantify variations in resting state correlations
across time and whether these patterns agree with slow variations in electrophysiological correlations. We will
perform invasive multichannel microelectrode array measurements in the same animals so that we can
quantitatively compare different metrics of neu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10382296
- **Project number:** 5R01NS078680-11
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** John C Gore
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $541,697
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-09-28 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10382296

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10382296, Biophysical Basis of Functional Connectivity by MRI (5R01NS078680-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10382296. Licensed CC0.

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