Cited by 6,542Advanced MRI Techniques and ApplicationsAdvanced Neuroimaging Techniques and ApplicationsFunctional Brain Connectivity Studies

Neurophysiological investigation of the basis of the fMRI signal

Logothetis, Nikos K., Pauls, Jon, Augath, Mark, Trinath, Torsten, Oeltermann, Axel·2001·Nature

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely used to study the operational organization of the human brain, but the exact relationship between the measured fMRI signal and the underlying neural activity is unclear. Here we present simultaneous intracortical recordings of neural signals and fMRI responses. We compared local field potentials (LFPs), single- and multi-unit spiking activity with highly spatio-temporally resolved blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI responses from the visual cortex of monkeys. The largest magnitude changes were observed in LFPs, which at recording sites characterized by transient responses were the only signal that significantly correlated with the haemodynamic response. Linear systems analysis on a trial-by-trial basis showed that the impulse response of the neurovascular system is both animal- and site-specific, and that LFPs yield a better estimate of BOLD responses than the multi-unit responses. These findings suggest that the BOLD contrast mechanism reflects the input and intracortical processing of a given area rather than its spiking output.

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Crossref · 10.1038/35084005

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53 of 53 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Local field potentials and tissue oxygen response, which directly contribute to the generation of the BOLD signals, were preserved at both low and high frequencies.

    “Importantly, local field potentials and tissue oxygen response, which directly contribute to the generation of the BOLD signals (Logothetis et al., 2001), were preserved at both frequencies.”

    From Perception is associated with the brain’s metabolic response to sensory stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as Logothetis et al., 2001

  • fMRI signals in secondary visual areas can serve as a rough surrogate of V1 output.

    “Although the electrophysiological activity in V1 could not be directly assessed in our experiment, based on the literature (Logothetis et al., 2001) we can obtain a rough surrogate of V1 output by evaluating fMRI signals in the secondary visual areas, which receive input directly from V1.”

    From Perception is associated with the brain’s metabolic response to sensory stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as Logothetis et al., 2001

  • During simultaneous recordings with sensory stimulation, the BOLD response correlates more with LFP than MUA.

    “When recorded simultaneously during sensory stimulation, the BOLD response is more correlated with LFP than MUA (129, 130).”
  • The fMRI signal primarily originates from synaptic activity in gray matter rather than from spiking activity.

    “Increasing evidence suggests that the primary source of fMRI is synaptic activity, rather than spiking activity, in the gray matter (129, 130).”
  • The BOLD response is thought to be generated by local excitatory synaptic activity, leading to precisely localised changes in blood flow in response to the release of glutamate.

    “The BOLD response is thought to be generated by local excitatory synaptic activity (Logothetis et al., 2001), leading to precisely localised changes in blood flow in response to the release of glutamate (Attwell and Iadecola, 2002).”

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Juergens, E., Eckhorn, R., Frien, A. & Woelbern, T. Brain and Evolution 418 (Thieme, Berlin, 1996).
  2. Sokoloff, L. in Basic Neurochemistry (eds Siegel, G., Agranoff, B., Albers, R. W. & Molinoff, P.) 565–590 (Raven, New York, 1989).

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Authors
Logothetis, N. K., Pauls, J., Augath, M., Trinath, T., & Oeltermann, A.
Affiliations
  • Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (DE)
  • Max Planck Society (DE)
Corresponding author
Logothetis, Nikos K.
Venue
Nature
Published
2001-07-12
Volume
412
Issue
6843
Pages
150-157
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2114104729
Cited by
6,542
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 126 · 2025: 211 · 2024: 193 · 2023: 198 · 2022: 237 · 2021: 281 · 2020: 239 · 2019: 292 · 2018: 227 · 2017: 295 · 2016: 240 · 2015: 282 · 2014: 288 · 2013: 287 · 2012: 318
FWCI
179.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
Keywords
BOLD signal, local field potentials, intracortical recording, neurovascular coupling, hemodynamic response, visual cortex, linear systems analysis, impulse response
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Electrodes, Electrophysiology, Hemodynamics, Macaca mulatta, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Synaptic Transmission, Neurons

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