Shorter TR Combination with Finer Atlas Positively Modulate Topological Organization of Brain Networks: A Resting State fMRI Study

Abstract BackgroundThe simultaneous multislice echo planar imaging technique can shorten the repetition time (TR) of blood oxygen level-dependent acquisition and thus acquires more information. However, little is known about the influence of higher temporal resolution on functional networks. Whether the topological organization of small-world networks is modulated in the multispectra at high temporal resolution is still unclear. Results: The network reconstruction based on the shorter TR and the finer atlas, showed significant (p<0.05, Bonferroni correction) increases in normalized clustering coefficient, small-worldness, clustering coefficient, local efficiency and global efficiency, and reductions in normalized characteristic path length and characteristic path length. ConclusionsThe shorter TR coupled with the finer atlas can positively modulate topological characteristics of brain networks. Although five multispectra present properties of small-world networks, the properties of the network in 0.082-0.1 Hz are weaker than those in 0.01-0.082 Hz. These findings provide new insights into the topological patterns of brain networks and have implications for the study of brain connectomes and their applications in brain disease.