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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.01.17.476583

Metastability, fractal scaling, and synergistic information processing: what phase relationships reveal about intrinsic brain activity

Hancock, F.·Cabral, J.·Luppi, A.·Rosas, F.·Mediano, P.·Dipasquale, O.·Turkheimer, F. E.
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Abstract

Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) in resting-state fMRI holds promise to deliver candidate biomarkers for clinical applications. However, the reliability and interpretability of dFC metrics remain contested. Despite a myriad of methodologies and resulting measures, few studies have combined metrics derived from different conceptualizations of brain functioning within the same analysis - perhaps missing an opportunity for improved interpretability. Using a complexity-science approach, we assessed the reliability and interrelationships of a battery of phase-based dFC metrics including tools originated from dynamical systems, stochastic processes, and information dynamics approaches. Our analysis revealed novel relationships between these metrics, which allowed us to build a predictive model for integrated information using metrics from dynamical systems and information theory. Furthermore, global metastability - a metric reflecting simultaneous tendencies for coupling and decoupling - was found to be the most representative and stable metric in brain parcellations that included cerebellar regions. Additionally, spatiotemporal patterns of phase-locking were found to change in a slow, non-random, continuous manner over time. Taken together, our findings show that the majority of characteristics of resting-state fMRI dynamics reflect an interrelated dynamical- and informational-complexity profile, which is unique to each acquisition. This finding challenges the interpretation of results from cross-sectional designs for brain neuromarker discovery, suggesting that individual life-trajectories may be more informative than sample means. HighlightsO_LISpatiotemporal patterns of phase-locking tend to be time-invariant C_LIO_LIGlobal metastability is representative and stable in a cohort of heathy young adults C_LIO_LIdFC characteristics are in general unique to any fMRI acquisition C_LIO_LIDynamical- and informational-complexity are interrelated C_LIO_LIComplexity science contributes to a coherent description of brain dynamics C_LI

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Hancock, F., Cabral, J., Luppi, A., Rosas, F., Mediano, P., Dipasquale, O., Turkheimer, F. E.. 2022-01-20. Metastability, fractal scaling, and synergistic information processing: what phase relationships reveal about intrinsic brain activity. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.17.476583

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