Coupling of functional connectivity and regional cerebral blood flow reveals a physiological basis for network hubs of the human brain.

ABSTRACT: Human brain functional networks contain a few densely connected hubs that play a vital role in transferring information across regions during resting and task states. However, the relationship of these functional hubs to measures of brain physiology, such as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), remains incompletely understood. Here, we used functional MRI data of blood-oxygenation-level-dependent and arterial-spin-labeling perfusion contrasts to investigate the relationship between functional connectivity strength (FCS) and rCBF during resting and an N-back working-memory task. During resting state, functional brain hubs with higher FCS were identified, primarily in the default-mode, insula, and visual regions. The FCS showed a striking spatial correlation with rCBF, and the correlation wa

SUBMITTER: Liang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3562840 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature