Coupling Mechanism and Significance of the BOLD Signal: A Status Report

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides a unique view of the working human mind. The blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal, detected in fMRI, reflects changes in deoxyhemoglobin driven by localized changes in brain blood flow and blood oxygenation, which are coupled to underlying neuronal activity by a process termed neurovascular coupling. Over the past 10 years, a range of cellular mechanisms, including astrocytes, pericytes, and interneurons, have been proposed to play a role in functional neurovascular coupling. However, the field remains conflicted over the relative importance of each process, while key spatiotemporal features of BOLD response remain unexplained. Here, we review current…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 0954796
• NI
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

  Awards: 1R01NS063226, R21NS053684, 1R01NS076628
• NC
  National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

  Award: UL1 RR024156