Multivariate Granger causality unveils directed parietal to prefrontal cortex connectivity during task-free MRI.

ABSTRACT: While a large body of research has focused on the study of functional brain "connectivity", few investigators have focused on directionality of brain-brain interactions which, in spite of the mostly bidirectional anatomical substrates, cannot be assumed to be symmetrical. We employ a multivariate Granger Causality-based approach to estimating directed in-network interactions and quantify its advantages using extensive realistic synthetic BOLD data simulations to match Human Connectome Project (HCP) data specification. We then apply our framework to resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data provided by the HCP to estimate the directed connectome of the human brain. We show that the functional interactions between parietal and prefrontal cortices commonly observed in rs-fMRI studies are no

SUBMITTER: Duggento A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5882904 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature