Residual functional connectivity in the split-brain revealed with resting-state fMRI

摘要

Split-brain patients present a unique opportunity to address controversies regarding subcortical contributions to interhemispheric coordination. We characterized residual functional connectivity in a complete commissurotomy patient by examining patterns of low-frequency BOLD fMRI signal. Using independent components analysis (ICA) and region-of-interest (ROI) based functional connectivity analyses, we demonstrate bilateral resting state networks in a patient lacking all major cerebral commissures. Compared to a control group, the patient’s interhemispheric correlation scores fell within the normal range for two out of three regions examined. Thus we provide evidence for bilateral resting state networks in a patient with complete commissurotomy. Such continued interhemispheric interaction suggests that, at least in part, cortical networks in the brain can be coordinated by subcortical mechanisms.