Method for Spatial Overlap Estimation of Electroencephalography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Responses

Authors

N. Heugel, Marquette University
E. Liebenthal, Marquette UniversityFollow
Scott A. Beardsley, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

12-2019

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Journal of Neuroscience Methods

Source ISSN

0165-0270

Abstract

Background

Simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) measurements may represent activity from partially divergent neural sources, but this factor is seldom modeled in fMRI-EEG data integration.

New method

This paper proposes an approach to estimate the spatial overlap between sources of activity measured simultaneously with fMRI and EEG. Following the extraction of task-related activity, the key steps include, 1) distributed source reconstruction of the task-related ERP activity (ERP source model), 2) transformation of fMRI activity to the ERP spatial scale by forward modelling of the scalp potential field distribution and backward source reconstruction (fMRI source simulation), and 3) optimization of fMRI and ERP thresholds to maximize spatial overlap without a priori constraints of coupling (overlap calculation).

Results

FMRI and ERP responses were recorded simultaneously in 15 subjects performing an auditory oddball task. A high degree of spatial overlap between sources of fMRI and ERP responses (in 9 or more of 15 subjects) was found specifically within temporoparietal areas associated with the task. Areas of non-overlap in fMRI and ERP sources were relatively small and inconsistent across subjects.

Comparison with existing method

The ERP and fMRI sources estimated with solely jICA overlapped in just 4 of 15 subjects, and strictly in the parietal cortex.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that the new fMRI-ERP spatial overlap estimation method provides greater spatiotemporal detail of the cortical dynamics than solely jICA. As such, we propose that it is a superior method for the integration of fMRI and EEG to study brain function.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Vol. 328 (December 2019): 108401. DOI. © 2019 Elsevier. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Heugel, N.; Liebenthal, E.; and Beardsley, Scott A., "Method for Spatial Overlap Estimation of Electroencephalography and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Responses" (2019). Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications. 614.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bioengin_fac/614