A software tool for interactive exploration of intrinsic functional connectivity opens new perspectives for brain surgery

Abstract

Although fcrs-fMRI is a nascent method still undergoing evaluation with respect to established standards, the interactive software is nonetheless a promising tool for non-invasive exploration of individual functional connectivity networks in neurosurgical practice, both for well-known networks and for those less typically addressed.

Graph Theoretic Analysis of Resting State Functional MR Imaging

“…For example, rsfMRI connectivity has been evaluated to guide or predict outcomes in neurosurgical approaches in brain injury [97], brain tumors [98], and epilepsy [99], and deep brain stimulation [100]. In addition, the effects of noninvasive brain stimulation have been linked to the connectivity profiles of intrinsic networks across many diseases.…”

Three-Dimensional Mean-Shift Edge Bundling for the Visualization of Functional Connectivity in the Brain

“…Due to the same property, the application to clinical contexts, especially neurosurgery, is also promising, offering a quick overview of distorted connectivity patterns. From a practical standpoint, resting-state fMRI has numerous advantages over task-based approaches for clinical application [20], [53], [54], mainly due to its short acquisition time and post hoc versatility. The method could be especially helpful for presurgical planning prior to tumor resections.…”

“…The standard "seed"-based method calculates the connectivity of a single selected region, which can then be visualized using standardized color scales. Interactive and explorative software using this approach exist, and allow for movement of the seed with simultaneous observation of the changing connectivity patterns [18], [19], [20], [21], but they can show only a fraction of the whole connectivity data in a single image. Showing all the available information at once is impossible due to overlapping connectivity from different seed points.…”

Presurgical Assessment of the Sensorimotor Cortex Using Resting-State fMRI

“…11,[13][14][15] This approach requires the definition of a seed region based on anatomy or additional functional exploration, to reveal correlations between the average signal time course of voxels within the ROI and the time courses of the other brain voxels. The approach we used here (ICA) does not require any prior knowledge of the temporal or spatial patterns of brain responses.…”

“…The conclusions of previous pioneering studies were limited to the feasibility of rs-fMRI for presurgical mapping by using small patient samples. [11][12][13][14][15] In this study, we investigated the sensitivity of extracting the sensorimotor network from rs-fMRI at the individual level in patients with brain damage scheduled for surgery. Because brain lesions can appear at any segment of the motor cortex, we divided our investigations into 3 portions of the somatotypy (foot, hand, and face).…”