Resting brain fluctuations are intrinsically coupled to visual response dynamics

Abstract

How do intrinsic brain dynamics interact with processing of external sensory stimuli? We sought new insights using functional (f)MRI to track spatiotemporal activity patterns at the whole brain level in lightly anesthetized mice, during both resting conditions and visual stimulation trials. Our results provide evidence that quasiperiodic patterns (QPPs) govern mouse resting brain dynamics. QPPs captured the temporal alignment of global brain fluctuations, anti-correlation of the Default Mode (DMN)- and Task Positive (TPN)-like networks, and activity in neuromodulatory nuclei of the reticular formation. While visual stimulation could trigger a transient spatiotemporal pattern highly similar to intrinsic QPPs, global signal fluctuations and QPPs during rest periods could explain variance in the following visual responses. QPPs and the global signal thus appeared to capture a common arousal-related brain-state fluctuation, orchestrated through neuromodulation. Our findings provide new frontiers to understand the neural processes that shape functional brain states and modulate sensory input processing.