NEURO-COMM · Inter-areal cortical communication: investigating the relationship between hemodynamic and electrophysiological measurements
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2013-06-01 → 2017-05-31
- EU contribution
- €100,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-CIG
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Inter-areal cortical communication: investigating the relationship between hemodynamic and electrophysiological measurements
A large part of the cerebral processes associated with our actions or out thoughts is implemented through the communication between different groups of neurons located in distant brain regions. With this project, we aimed to more deeply understand processes of neuronal communications that are ongoing when we perform a task or when we are at rest. To reach this goal, we developed new technologies to record simultaneously high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, to remove signals of non-neuronal origin mixed in the data, and perform accurate reconstructions of brain activity. The direct comparison between long-range functional interactions in the brain estimated from EEG and fMRI data has started shedding new light on how different parts of the brain exchange information. In conclusion, the project has provided new fundamental knowledge about long-range functional interactions in the human brain. This may open up new avenues to understand the physiological basis of functional connectivity alterations in several brain diseases. Following these research achievements, the researcher has been able to establish himself as a prominent figure in the field of systems neuroscience, and this has enabled his long-term career integration in the EU.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Perception, cognition and behaviour are achieved through the coordination of multiple brain regions, which exchange information between each other. Large-scale functional interactions arise at two distinct but potentially related temporal scales: “slow” hemodynamic fluctuations measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); and “fast” electrophysiological oscillations of the neurons, as measured non-invasively by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography, and invasively at finer spatial scales by local field potentials and multi-unit activity. Despite enormous recent progress, our understanding of the relationship between, and functional role of fast and slow synchronization in inter-areal cortical communication is still limited. In this project, we will study interactions in large-scale functional networks of healthy human volunteers using combined electrophysiological and hemodynamic measures. We will characterize functional brain networks showing coherent hemodynamic activity at rest and examine how the functional architecture of these networks varies with active behaviour. Moreover, we will study large-scale interactions at different spatio-temporal scales, relating slow fMRI fluctuations with fast EEG oscillations recorded simultaneously. Finally, we will target specific areas under different states by transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the causal effects of these focal perturbations on the spatial and temporal properties of brain networks. These studies will provide deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying inter-areal cortical communication and their functional role with respect to behaviour.""
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH · ZuerichCoordinatorSwitzerland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union