Analysis of temporal and spatial brain circuit using real-time simultaneous electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15338
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Hirohisa 名古屋大学, 脳とこころの研究センター, 特任教授 (10378177)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HOSHIYAMA Minoru 名古屋大学, 脳とこころの研究センター, 教授 (30270482) ; MORI Daisuke 名古屋大学, 脳とこころの研究センター, 特任准教授 (00381997) ; TANABE Hiroki 名古屋大学, 環境科学研究科, 教授 (20414021)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: MRI / 脳波 / 高次脳機能 / リアルタイム / 認知症 / てんかん

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aim to resolve the spatiotemporal changes in brain activation using simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings. We proposed a method that employed whole scalp EEG data to generate regressors needed for the analysis of fMRI using the general linear model. Using simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings from healthy subjects and patients with epilepsy, we obtained activation maps showing brain regions that were consistent with working memory task and suspected or confirmed sources of the epileptogenic activity. We also identified spatiotemporal activation patterns during epileptic spikes that include sequential activation of multiple brain regions involved, shifting location of the peak activation, and local spreading of activated regions. These findings demonstrated the efficacy of the method in resolving rapidly changing activation patterns with sub-second temporal resolution observed during cognitive task and epileptic spikes.

Free Research Field

神経内科学