Subcortical-cortical dynamical states of the human brain and their breakdown in stroke

Favaretto, Chiara; Allegra, Michele; Deco, Gustavo; Metcalf, Nicholas V.; Griffis, Joseph C.; Shulman, Gordon L.; Brovelli, Andrea; Corbetta, Maurizio

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32304-1

Subcortical-cortical dynamical states of the human brain and their breakdown in stroke

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Favaretto C, Allegra M, Deco G, Metcalf NV, Griffis JC, Shulman GL, Brovelli A, Corbetta M. Subcortical-cortical dynamical states of the human brain and their breakdown in stroke. Nat Commun. 2022;13:5069. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32304-1

Abstract

The mechanisms controlling dynamical patterns in spontaneous brain activity are poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that cortical dynamics in the ultra-slow frequency range (<0.01–0.1 Hz) requires intact cortical-subcortical communication. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest, we identify Dynamic Functional States (DFSs), transient but recurrent clusters of cortical and subcortical regions synchronizing at ultra-slow frequencies. We observe that shifts in cortical clusters are temporally coincident with shifts in subcortical clusters, with cortical regions flexibly synchronizing with either limbic regions (hippocampus/amygdala), or subcortical nuclei (thalamus/basal ganglia). Focal lesions induced by stroke, especially those damaging white matter connections between basal ganglia/thalamus and cortex, provoke anomalies in the fraction times, dwell times, and transitions between DFSs, causing a bias toward abnormal network integration. Dynamical anomalies observed 2 weeks after stroke recover in time and contribute to explaining neurological impairment and long-term outcome.