Functional Connectivity in the Brain

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has revealed that different regions of the brain are functionally linked into networks. Once such network is the Salience Network (SN), which chooses the most important stimuli to dedicate cognitive resources to. The SN is not only found in humans, but also in other primates. In cases of neurological or psychiatric disorders, researchers have found abnormal activity in the SN.

While researchers believe that functional connectivity is related to connectivity in the anatomical structure, they have not yet confirmed this. Adriana Cushnie, a PhD student in neuroscience, is working to determine the structural connectivity of the SN, using resting-state fMRI. Findings will be used to understand healthy and disordered functional patterns of connectivity.

Some funding for this project was provided by a 2021 University of Minnesota Informatics Institute MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Assistantship. The UMII MnDRIVE Graduate Assistantship program supports UMN PhD candidates pursuing research at the intersection of informatics and any of the five MnDRIVE areas:

  • Robotics, Sensors and Advanced Manufacturing
  • Global Food Ventures
  • Advancing Industry, Conserving Our Environment
  • Discoveries and Treatments for Brain Conditions
  • Cancer Clinical Trials

This project is part of the Discoveries and Treatments for Brain Conditions MnDRIVE area.

Research Computing partners:

  • University of Minnesota Informatics Institute

 

illustration of regions of the brain