Blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability is more than just noise
Douglas D Garrett, Natasa Kovacevic, Anthony R McIntosh, Cheryl L Grady, Douglas D Garrett, Natasa Kovacevic, Anthony R McIntosh, Cheryl L Grady
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research often attributes blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal variance to measurement-related confounds. However, what is typically considered "noise" variance in data may be a vital feature of brain function. We examined fMRI signal variability during fixation baseline periods, and then compared SD- and mean-based spatial patterns and their relations with chronological age (20-85 years). We found that not only was the SD-based pattern robust, it differed greatly, both spatially and statistically, from the mean-based pattern. Notably, the unique age-predictive power of the SD-based pattern was more than five times that of the mean-based pattern. This reliable SD-based pattern of activity highlights an important "signal" within what is often considered measurement-related "noise." We suggest that examination of BOLD signal variability may reveal a host of novel brain-related effects not previously considered in neuroimaging research.
Figures
![Figure 1.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/6632804/bin/zns9991079560001.jpg)
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![Figure 4.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/6632804/bin/zns9991079560004.jpg)
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Source: PubMed