Very large fMRI study using the IMAGEN database: sensitivity-specificity and population effect modeling in relation to the underlying anatomy

Neuroimage. 2012 May 15;61(1):295-303. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.083. Epub 2012 Mar 10.

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the use of classical fMRI Random Effect (RFX) group statistics when analyzing a very large cohort and the possible improvement brought from anatomical information. Using 1326 subjects from the IMAGEN study, we first give a global picture of the evolution of the group effect t-value from a simple face-watching contrast with increasing cohort size. We obtain a wide activated pattern, far from being limited to the reasonably expected brain areas, illustrating the difference between statistical significance and practical significance. This motivates us to inject tissue-probability information into the group estimation, we model the BOLD contrast using a matter-weighted mixture of Gaussians and compare it to the common, single-Gaussian model. In both cases, the model parameters are estimated per-voxel for one subgroup, and the likelihood of both models is computed on a second, separate subgroup to reflect model generalization capacity. Various group sizes are tested, and significance is asserted using a 10-fold cross-validation scheme. We conclude that adding matter information consistently improves the quantitative analysis of BOLD responses in some areas of the brain, particularly those where accurate inter-subject registration remains challenging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Brain / anatomy & histology*
  • Brain Mapping / methods*
  • Databases, Factual
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Models, Neurological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Normal Distribution
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Population
  • Reproducibility of Results

Substances

  • Oxygen