Meeting Banner
Abstract #1116

Paradoxical fMRI overconnectivity upon neural silencing of fronto-cortical activity

Carola Canella1,2, Federico Rocchi1,2, Shahryar Noei3, Daniel Gutierrez-Barragan1, Ludovico Coletta1, Elizabeth de Guzman1, Alberto Galbusera1, Massimo Pasqualetti4, Giuliano Iurilli5, Stefano Panzeri3, and Alessandro Gozzi1
1Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy, 2Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy, 3Neuronal Computational Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy, 4Biology Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 5Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy

Neuroimaging measurements of functional connectivity are commonly interpreted as an index of reciprocal interareal communication. However, direct testing of this hypothesis has been lacking. Using chemogenetics, electrophysiology and resting-state fMRI in the mouse, we show that acute and chronic silencing of the prefrontal cortex result in paradoxical rsfMRI overconnectivity of the mouse default mode network (DMN) and increased delta activity, an effect relayed to wider cortical territories by polymodal thalamic areas. Our results challenge prevailing interpretations of functional connectivity and implicate a critical contribution of sub-cortical rhythm generators to the establishment of large-scale functional coupling.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here