Combined EEG-fMRI analysis correlates time courses from single electrodes or independent EEG components with the hemodynamic response. Implementing information from only one electrode, however, may miss relevant information from complex electrophysiological networks. Component based analysis, in turn, depends on a priori knowledge of the signal topography. Complex designs such as studies on multisensory integration of emotions investigate subtle differences in distributed networks based on only a few trials per condition. Thus, they require a sensitive and comprehensive approach which does not rely on a-priori knowledge about the underlying neural processes. In this pilot study, feasibility and sensitivity of source localization-driven analysis for EEG-fMRI was tested using a multisensory integration paradigm. Dynamic audiovisual stimuli consisting of emotional talking faces and pseudowords with emotional prosody were rated in a delayed response task. The trials comprised affectively congruent and incongruent displays. In addition to event-locked EEG and fMRI analyses, induced oscillatory EEG responses at estimated cortical sources and in specific temporo-spectral windows were correlated with the corresponding BOLD responses. EEG analysis showed high data quality with less than 10% trial rejection. In an early time window, alpha oscillations were suppressed in bilateral occipital cortices and fMRI analysis confirmed high data quality with reliable activation in auditory, visual and frontal areas to the presentation of multisensory stimuli. In line with previous studies, we obtained reliable correlation patterns for event locked occipital alpha suppression and BOLD signal time course. Our results suggest a valid methodological approach to investigate complex stimuli using the present source localization driven method for EEG-fMRI. This novel procedure may help to investigate combined EEG-fMRI data from novel complex paradigms with high spatial and temporal resolution.
Facial threat is associated with changes in limbic activity as well as modifications in the cortical face-related N170. It remains unclear if task-irrelevant threat modulates the response to a subsequent facial stimulus, and whether the amygdala's role in early threat perception is independent and direct, or modulatory. In 19 participants, crowds of emotional faces were followed by target faces and a rating task while simultaneous EEG-fMRI were recorded. In addition to conventional analyses, fMRI-informed EEG analyses and fMRI dynamic causal modeling (DCM) were performed. Fearful crowds reduced EEG N170 target face amplitudes and increased responses in a fMRI network comprising insula, amygdala and inferior frontal cortex. Multimodal analyses showed that amygdala response was present ∼60 ms before the right fusiform gyrus-derived N170. DCM indicated inhibitory connections from amygdala to fusiform gyrus, strengthened when fearful crowds preceded a target face. Results demonstrated the suppressing influence of task-irrelevant fearful crowds on subsequent face processing. The amygdala may be sensitive to task-irrelevant fearful crowds and subsequently strengthen its inhibitory influence on face-responsive fusiform N170 generators. This provides spatiotemporal evidence for a feedback mechanism of the amygdala by narrowing attention in order to focus on potential threats.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.