Stable individual differences

in temperament and
personality reflect variation in
the structure and function of
the brain

PSYC 612

Tools for measuring the brain:

What You Can and Cant
Do With
EEG and MRI
AJ Shackman
13 October 2014

Just As People Differ, Brains Differ

Just As People Differ, Brains Differ

Individual maps from 17 subjects
These subjects are all supposed
to be "the same
Activation blobs are common, but
strength (relative to noise) varies
a lot

Neurons video (4 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIGqp6_PG6k

There are many ways

to measure the brain

SpaBal ResoluBon

Resolving Time & Space

Temporal ResoluBon

SpaBal ResoluBon

Resolving Time & Space

Temporal ResoluBon

SpaBal ResoluBon

Resolving Time & Space

Temporal ResoluBon
Note: Techniques also dier in the amount of the brain they can survey at one Bme

Whadya Mean by Spatial Resolution?

Temporal resoluBon is
analogous

EEG/ERP

Hans Berger 1924

EEG (0:44 to 4:21)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUAPUoV56gM

See also Jackson & Bolger Psychophysiol 2014

How do you compute ERPs?

You compute the average potenAal
(voltage) evoked by a parAcular event

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Strengths & Weaknesses of EEG/ERP

Strengths
Cheap
EEG can be used in more places than fMRI/PET, as these techniques require bulky
and immobile equipment (fMRI requires the use of a mulN-ton magnet in a shielded room)

Millisecond temporal resoluNon

RelaNvely tolerant of subject movement, unlike most other neuroimaging techniques (kids!)
Silent, which allows for beUer study of the responses to auditory sNmuli.

Does not aggravate claustrophobia, unlike fMRI
Does not involve exposure to radioligands, unlike positron emission tomography

Weaknesses
Poor spaNal resoluNon, parNcularly for deep structures

CorrelaNonal (not mechanisNc), like all brain imaging techniques

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Scanner

Skip video clip

MRI Intro Video (6 min; stop at 5:55)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQR57V5TVU

How Does MRI Work?

You will not be
responsible for the details

structural MRI vs. functional MRI

structural MRI vs. functional MRI

MRI
high spatial
resolution
(1 mm)

fMRI

lower spatial
resolution
(~3 mm)

One 3D volume

series of 3D volumes (i.e., 4D data)

(e.g., every 2 sec for 5 mins)

fMRI Does NOT Measure Neuronal Activity

It Measures Blood Oxygenation
(Details Not Important)

How do we estimate fMRI activation?

Conceptually Similar to ERPs

Events (Dog)

Events (Dog)

fMRI Signal

Events (Dog)

fMRI Signal

Average Response to Event

(in arbitrary units!)

But complex psychological

phenomena (T&P) reect the
coordinated acAvity of distributed
neural circuits

How do we assess the connecAvity of
funcAonal circuits in the brain?

Dummies Guide to
Functional Connectivity

fMRI Caveats

fMRI Caveats
Measuring blood oxygenaNon not neurons!

Although recent work suggests that, unlike EEG, the BOLD signal is
strongly correlated with neuronal spiking (Lima et al J Neuro 2014)

Not enNrely clear whether fMRI signal reects neuronal

acNvaNon

We also know, however, that the fMRI signal is o6en unable to

dieren;ate between func;on-specic processing and neuromodula;on,
between boAom-up and top-down signals, and it may occasionally confuse
excita;on and inhibi;on (Logothe;s, 2008). [LogotheNs Neuroimage 2012]

Not clear whether funcNonal connecNvity (cross-correlaNon

of Nme-series) reects true coupling between regions (e.g.,
regulaNon or the transmission of informaNon)

fMRI Caveats
Measuring blood oxygenaNon not neurons!

Although recent work suggests that, unlike EEG, the BOLD signal is
strongly correlated with neuronal spiking (Lima et al J Neuro 2014)

Not enNrely clear whether fMRI signal reects neuronal

acNvaNon

We also know, however, that the fMRI signal is o6en unable to

dieren;ate between func;on-specic processing and neuromodula;on,
between boAom-up and top-down signals, and it may occasionally confuse
excita;on and inhibi;on (Logothe;s, 2008). [LogotheNs Neuroimage 2012]

Not clear whether funcNonal connecNvity (cross-correlaNon

of Nme-series) reects true coupling between regions (e.g.,
regulaNon or the transmission of informaNon)

fMRI Caveats
Measuring blood oxygenaNon not neurons!

Although recent work suggests that, unlike EEG, the BOLD signal is
strongly correlated with neuronal spiking (Lima et al J Neuro 2014)

Not enNrely clear whether fMRI signal reects neuronal

acNvaNon

We also know, however, that the fMRI signal is o6en unable to

dieren;ate between func;on-specic processing and neuromodula;on,
between boAom-up and top-down signals, and it may occasionally confuse
excita;on and inhibi;on (Logothe;s, 2008). [LogotheNs Neuroimage 2012]

Not clear whether funcNonal connecNvity (cross-correlaNon

of Nme-series) reects true coupling between regions (e.g.,
regulaNon or the transmission of informaNon)

Strengths & Weaknesses of fMRI

Strengths

Very good spaNal resoluNon

Non-invasive (no radiaNon)
Common at most universiNes and larger hospitals

Weaknesses

Poor temporal resoluNon (seconds)

Noisy, unnatural
Expensive ($600/hour @ UMCP)
Requires parNcipants to remain completely sNll!
Neuronal source of signal is not enNrely clear (but
correlated with spiking)
CorrelaNonal, not causal

Strengths & Weaknesses of fMRI

Strengths

Very good spaNal resoluNon

Non-invasive (no radiaNon)
Common at most universiNes and larger hospitals

Weaknesses

Poor temporal resoluNon (seconds)

Noisy, unnatural
Expensive ($600/hour @ UMCP)
Requires parNcipants to remain completely sNll!
Neuronal source of signal is not enNrely clear (but
correlated with spiking)
CorrelaNonal, not causal

Strengths & Weaknesses of fMRI

Strengths

Very good spaNal resoluNon

Non-invasive (no radiaNon)
Common at most universiNes and larger hospitals

Weaknesses

Poor temporal resoluNon (seconds)

Noisy, unnatural
Expensive ($600/hour @ UMCP)
Requires parNcipants to remain completely sNll!
Neuronal source of signal is not enNrely clear (but
correlated with spiking)
CorrelaNonal, not causal

Some Things Are Just Plain

Hard to Do with fMRI

Anything requiring subject to speak or move

One word or sound can be OK

Requires censoring out data during subject speech jaw
moNon is bad for images

Anything that uses subtle sounds (music, language)
Scanner is very loud
Workaround: silent period between scans

Very long duraBon tasks (learning; drug infusion)

Hard to tell long acNvaNon changes from MRI signal drijing

up or down (e.g., head drij)
Not impossible, but requires special analysis or pulse
sequence (ASL)

Some Things Are Just Plain

Hard to Do with fMRI

Anything requiring subject to speak or move

One word or sound can be OK

Requires censoring out data during subject speech jaw
moNon is bad for images

Anything that uses subtle sounds (music, language)
Scanner is very loud
Workaround: silent period between scans

Very long duraBon tasks (learning; drug infusion)

Hard to tell long acNvaNon changes from MRI signal drijing

up or down (e.g., head drij)
Not impossible, but requires special analysis or pulse
sequence (ASL)

Some Things Are Just Plain

Hard to Do with fMRI

Anything requiring subject to speak or move

One word or sound can be OK

Requires censoring out data during subject speech jaw
moNon is bad for images

Anything that uses subtle sounds (music, language)
Scanner is very loud
Workaround: silent period between scans

Very long duraBon tasks (learning; drug infusion)

Hard to tell long acNvaNon changes from MRI signal drijing

up or down (e.g., head drij)
Not impossible, but requires special analysis or pulse
sequence (ASL)

Some Things Are Just Plain

Hard to Do with fMRI

Anything requiring subject to speak or move

One word or sound can be OK

Requires censoring out data during subject speech jaw
moNon is bad for images

Anything that uses subtle sounds (music, language)
Scanner is very loud
Workaround: silent period between scans

Very long duraBon tasks (learning; drug infusion)

Hard to tell long acNvaNon changes from MRI signal drijing

up or down (e.g., head drij)
Not impossible, but requires special analysis or pulse
sequence (ASL)

Reality Check: Whats Lurking in a Voxel

Reality Check: Whats Lurking in a Voxel

A complex mesh of vessels, dierent kinds of neurons
and glia; all contribuAng to the fMRI signal




A single voxel contains




* 5.5 million neurons



* 22 km of dendrites



* 220 km of axons



* 4 x 1010 (40B) synapses

Reality Check: Whats Lurking in a Voxel

A complex mesh of vessels, dierent kinds of neurons
and glia; all contribuAng to the fMRI signal




A single voxel contains




* 5.5 million neurons



* 22 km of dendrites



* 220 km of axons



* 4 x 1010 (40B) synapses

40B synapses is a lot

x 4

This aint just theoreAcal

e.g., Amygdala contains complex microcircuits

that gate and modulate
the expression of fear and anxiety

These microcircuits can not be resolved using fMRI

DETAILS ARE NOT IMPORTANT!

Pare & Duvarci Curr Opin Neurobiol 2012

CriBcal Thinking QuesBons

Please pick 2 of 3

CriBcal Thinking QuesBons

1. Watch Joe LeDouxs BigThink interviews:

hUps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8hpf4dC8H0
hUps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ3_-Z3Jycw

-OR-

2. Watch June Grubers interview of Tor Wager:

hUps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8XCK9P430

Briey describe the 2 most important or interes;ng things
that you learned and 2 key challenges for future research.

CriBcal Thinking QuesBons

3. The brains structural connectome.

Briey describe:

A) What is diusion tensor imaging (DTI) and how can it be used
to map the brains wiring?
For some Nps, see these handy references

- Overview @ hUp://www.diusion-imaging.com/2009/05/lectures-on-dN-basics-and-analysis.html

- Wiki @ hUps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diusion_MRI

- Film clip @ hUps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6ZqP04RhNI

- Film clip @ hUps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjbkepJRrZc

B) How can DTI be used to understand a facet of T&P?
- For some Nps, see

- hUp://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104507

The End (No Review QuesBons)

Material to Consider
IncorporaBng as a CriBcal Thinking Q
in the Future

Extra Slides

EEG Intro Video, Version #1

(1:12 to end)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGuayTwqieM

Summary
EEG

fMRI

Strengths

excellent
temporal

excellent
spatial

Weaknesses

poor
spatial

poor
temporal

Measuring?

electrical
currents

oxygen in
blood

Upper wave in each pair = signal; lower = residual noise est

DTI Video (60 sec)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6ZqP04RhNI
And this one is 30 sec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjbkepJRrZc

fMRI Experiment Stages: Anatomicals

4) Take anatomical (T1) images

high-resolution images (e.g., 0.75 x 0.75 x 3.0 mm)

3D data: 3 spatial dimensions, sampled at one point in time

64 anatomical slices takes ~4 minutes
64 slices x
3 mm

-79-

Some FMRI Data

Left = decent looking single subject activation map

From 300 s of data (150 time points)

Right = data time series that gives activation map

This is good data [strong activation, little head movement]

Hemodynamic Response FuncNon

(HRF)
Time course of fMRI is ~6 seconds (blood ow
4-6 seconds
is slow!)
Increase in oxyHb because new
oxyHb has overcompensated

Back to baseline because

neurons extract oxygen so
oxyHb becomes deoxyHb

Dip because
neurons begin to
extract oxygen
before oxyHb
arrives

10 seconds

FMRI Experiment
Faces

Scrambled

Faces

F

S

F

S

F

S

F

S

fMRI Analysis
Voxel

Condition I
Condition S (If
significant)

I = Intact face

S = Scrambled face

fMRI relies on subtracNon method

fMRI Experiment Stages: Functionals

5) Take functional (T2*) images

images are indirectly related to neural activity

usually low resolution images (3 x 3 x 6 mm)

all slices at one time = a volume (sometimes also called an image)
sample many volumes (time points) (e.g., 1 volume every 2 seconds for 136
volumes = 272 sec = 4:32)
4D data: 3 spatial, 1 temporal

Reverse Engineering Marion Barry

-86-

Confusions & Distinctions

Brain vs. Mind
Neuroscience vs. Cognitive science

Mass level vs. Micro-circuitry

Connecting blobs to cell-level actions?

Excitation & Inhibition both consume energy

What does active mean?

Active vs. Necessary (e.g., lesion studies)

Modulated here? Or there?
MVPA vs. Specificity
Resting State: Function vs. Physiology

BART Procedure

Computer simulated sequence of balloons

$0.05 per balloon pump (in temporary bank)
Must hit collect $$$ button to earn money
Balloon explosion = temporary money lost
Explosion point for balloons (1 128)
Earnings after session in gift certificates

MIN
MAX

Earnings ($)

Not Just Psychiatry

Other syndromes with complex eBology and overlapping symptoms

E.g., Diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension

Clinical presentaNon: PaNent complains of faNgue; whats the Dx?
DierenNal Diagnosis: challenges (stress test) and
assays to determine a primary eNology and Dx
E.g., glucose tolerance test, serum cholesterol, BP

Similar symptoms, dierent endophenotypes,

dierent geneNc underpinnings

GoUesman & Gould Amer J Psychiatry 2003

The Promise

Promises to enhance:

EAology (cause)
What is the proximal biological cause(s) of the disorder/T&P?

Nosology (Dx)
Unlike many physical diseases, psychiatric disorders/T&P are dened by symptoms not
pathophysiology; understanding the eNology would lead to a restructuring of nosology (or
the Big 3 or 5 Factors)
Challenging to know how disorders/factors should be clumped together what if
symptoms reect similar vs. dierent causes?
E.g., growing biological evidence that SZ and BPD are related

Prognosis
If we understood the eNology, we could beUer predict the likely outcome (cf. MoU)

Treatment (Personalized or Precision Medicine)
Most disorders resist treatment; extant treatments work for a subset of paNents
If we understood the eNology, we could target treatments, enhancing cost/benet
Early intervenAon for high-risk populaAons (e.g., cholesterol test staAns)
Screen idenNfy intervene before the deleterious secondary consequences emerge

MRI vs. fMRI

fMRI Simplified
~2s

ROI Time Course

fMRI
Signal
Intensity
Condition

Time

Time

~ 5 min

fMRI Setup