The functional role of inter-areal cortical communication in the normal and transiently perturbed human and non-human primate brain: a somparative and combined electrophysiological and hemodynamic study.

Perception, cognition and behavior is achieved through concerted neural activity in functional networks. Despite enormous recent progress, our understanding of the relationship between, and functional role of fast and slow synchronization in neural communication is still limited. Here, we propose to study interactions in large-scale functional networks of humans and non human primates (NHP) using combined electrophysiological and hemodynamic measures. We will characterize functional brain networks showing coherent hemodynamic activity in rest and examine how the functional architecture of these networks varies with behavior. Moreover, we will target specific areas under different states by transcranial magnetic stimulation (humans and NHP) and by electrical microstimulation and muscimol injections (NHP). We will investigate the causal effects of these focal perturbations on the spatial and temporal properties of the intrinsic functional architecture, how network changes relate to changes in behavior, and whether networks can be established de-novo. Finally, we will study large-scale interactions at different spatio-temporal scales, relating slow fMRI fluctuations with simultaneously recorded EEG (humans and NHP) and/or LFP signals (NHP). These studies will provide deeper insights into the synchronization mechanisms underlying neuronal communication and their functional role with respect to behavior and may provide model-free insights about homologous networks in primates.

Keywords:Functional imaging, Monkeys, Functional networks, Synchronisation, fMRI-EEG, Resting state, Perturbation

Disciplines:Neurosciences, Biological and physiological psychology, Cognitive science and intelligent systems, Developmental psychology and ageing