MRI-related anxiety can induce slow BOLD oscillations coupled with cardiac oscillations. Issue 9 (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pfurtscheller, G.; Schwerdtfeger, A.R.; Rassler, B.; Andrade, A.; Schwarz, G.
• Is Part Of: Clinical neurophysiology. Volume 132:Issue 9(2021)
• Page Start: 2083
• Page End: 2090
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Anxiety -- Cardiac-interval oscillations -- fMRI -- Pacemaker-like activity -- Slow BOLD oscillations; AS anxiety score -- HA high anxiety -- LA low anxiety -- nTD negative time delay -- NBC neuro-BOLD coupling -- RSFC resting state functional connectivity -- pTD positive time delay; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Electroencephalography -- Periodicals; Electromyography -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.05.021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-2457

Abstract

Highlights: MRI-related anxiety affects BOLD signals mainly above 0.1 Hz. Neural BOLD oscillations might be associated with pacemaker-like activity in brainstem. Elevated MRI-related anxiety intensifies especially neural BOLD oscillations. Abstract: Objective: Although about 1–2% of MRI examinations must be aborted due to anxiety, there is little research on how MRI-related anxiety affects BOLD signals in resting states. Methods: We re-analyzed cardiac beat-to beat interval (RRI) and BOLD signals of 23 healthy fMRI participants in four resting states by calculation of phase-coupling in the 0.07–0.13 Hz band and determination of positive time delays (pTDs; RRI leading neural BOLD oscillations) and negative time delays (nTDs; RRI lagging behind vascular BOLD oscillations). State anxiety of each subject was assigned to either a low anxiety (LA) or a high anxiety (HA, with most participants exhibiting moderate anxiety symptoms) category based on the inside scanner assessed anxiety score. Results: Although anxiety strongly differed between HA and LA categories, no significant difference was found for nTDs. In contrast, pTDs indicating neural BOLD oscillations exhibited a significant cumulation in the high anxiety category. Conclusions: Findings may suggest that vascular BOLD oscillations related to slow cerebral blood circulation are of about similar intensity during low/no and elevated anxiety. In contrast, neural BOLD oscillations, which might be associated with a central rhythm generating mechanism (pacemaker-like activity), appear to be significantly intensified during elevated anxiety. Significance: The study provides evidence that fMRI-related anxiety can activate a central rhythm generating mechanism very likely located in the brain stem, associated with slow neural BOLD oscillation.