The spontaneous blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) fluctuations detected using resting state magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) are the basis for functional connectivity, functional networks, functional connectivity gradients, and graph-based analyses of the brain’s functional architecture. Rs-fMRI is noninvasive, does not require task performance, and has a balance of spatial and temporal resolution that is well-suited to macroscale brain activity. More than 2700 publications related to rs-fMRI appear for 2021 alone (Pubmed), in areas ranging from cognition to psychiatric or neurological disorders. BOLD is an integrative signal that reflects neural activity, metabolism, and hemodynamics, which often makes it challenging to interpret changes observed in clinical population. For example, a general decrease in functional connectivity in Alzheimers patients could arise from a loss of coordinated activity across brain areas, a disruption of neurovascular coupling, or both. In rodents, however, rs-fMRI can be combined with invasive measurements and manipulations that can shed light on the neurophysiology underlying BOLD fluctuations in healthy brains and the alterations that are observed in neurological or psychiatric conditions. This educational course will describe rs-fMRI features that are conserved across rodents and humans, and discuss commonalities and differences in image acquisition and processing. Tools for probing and manipulating functional connectivity in rodents will be discussed, with example studies that demonstrate how multi-modal preclinical imaging can inform the interpretation of rs-fMRI in humans.

Acknowledgements

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References

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