Brain connectivity
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A primary objective in neuroscience is to determine how neuronal populations process information within networks. In humans and animal models, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is gaining increasing popularity for network mapping. Although neuroimaging with fMRI-conducted with or without tasks-is actively discovering new brain networks, current fMRI data analysis schemes disregard the importance of the total neuronal activity in a region. ⋯ Thus, another alternative for quantitative neuroimaging of fMRI-based networks is a perspective in which the activity of a neuronal population is accounted for by the demanded oxidative energy (CMR(O2)). In this article, we argue that network mapping can be improved by including neuronal energy/activity of both the information about baseline and small differences/fluctuations of BOLD signal. Thus, total energy/activity information can be obtained through use of calibrated fMRI to quantify differences of ΔCMR(O2) and through resting-state positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements for average CMR(O2).