Resting state functional connectivity in the human spinal cord
Robert L Barry,
Seth A Smith,
Adrienne N Dula,
John C Gore
Affiliations
Robert L Barry
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States
Seth A Smith
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
Adrienne N Dula
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States
John C Gore
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
Functional magnetic resonance imaging using blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast is well established as one of the most powerful methods for mapping human brain function. Numerous studies have measured how low-frequency BOLD signal fluctuations from the brain are correlated between voxels in a resting state, and have exploited these signals to infer functional connectivity within specific neural circuits. However, to date there have been no previous substantiated reports of resting state correlations in the spinal cord. In a cohort of healthy volunteers, we observed robust functional connectivity between left and right ventral (motor) horns, and between left and right dorsal (sensory) horns. Our results demonstrate that low-frequency BOLD fluctuations are inherent in the spinal cord as well as the brain, and by analogy to cortical circuits, we hypothesize that these correlations may offer insight into the execution and maintenance of sensory and motor functions both locally and within the cerebrum.
