Multimodal EEG-fMRI: Advancing insight into large-scale human brain dynamics

Advances in the acquisition and analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are revealing increasingly rich spatiotemporal structure across the human brain. Nonetheless, uncertainty surrounding the origins of fMRI hemodynamic signals, and in the link between large-scale fMRI patterns and ongoing functional states, presently limits the neurobiological conclusions one can draw from fMRI alone. Electroencephalography (EEG) provides complementary information about neural electrical activity and state change, and simultaneously acquiring EEG together with fMRI presents unique opportunities for studying large-scale brain activity and gaining more information from fMRI itself. Here, we discuss the recent progress in the use of concurrent EEG-fMRI to enrich the investigation of neural and physiological states and clarify the origins of fMRI hemodynamic signals. Throughout, we outline perspectives on future directions and open challenges.

Automated summary

Advancements in fMRI technology have unveiled intricate spatiotemporal structures in the human brain, but uncertainties surrounding the origins of fMRI signals and their relationship to functional states hinder conclusive neurobiological interpretations. Simultaneous EEG and fMRI acquisition offers unique opportunities to study brain activity and enhance the information extracted from fMRI.