Spatial Dynamics: Temporal reconfiguration of functional patterns and clinical applications

COEX 

Early studies have displayed the success of utilizing resting-state fMRI to quantify brain dynamics, resulting in a growing interest in the evaluation of time-varying functional connectivity patterns. Dynamic analyses are more informative than static analyses and provide richer sets of information, such as the temporal trajectory of functional connectivity patterns obscured by static analyses. Existing work often calculates dynamic functional connectivity using either the same anatomical regions (fixed anatomical patterns) or subject-specific nodes (varying across subjects but spatially fixed over time). However, the dynamic nature of the brain dictates variations in the spatial patterns of brain functional entities over time. In this lecture, I introduce the concept of spatial dynamics and differentiate between different types of dynamic functional connectivity. I provide examples of time-varying spatial patterns and the benefits of incorporating space in functional connectivity analyses, including in the study of clinical populations. I also provide general recommendations for future dynamic functional connectivity research.