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Abstract #2085

Characterization of the Effects of Task-Correlated Facial and Head Movements in FMRI

Jeremy F. Magland1, Anna Rose Childress2

1Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States

It is generally assumed that facial movements occur randomly throughout the fMRI scan. However, since humans use facial movements to express emotion, task-correlated movement cannot be ruled out. Eight healthy volunteers were instructed to move systematically during fMRI examinations, with various types of movements of the eyes (open/close, squint), face (smile/frown, clench jaw), and body. Standard fMRI analyses were performed to identify false activations. The facial movements resulted in several brain regions having high statistical significance. Jaw clenching yielded the characteristic false activation in the region surrounding the temporal muscles. These data may be used to characterize the potential confounding effects of systematic movements during an fMRI exam.

Keywords

absolute according activation activations addition affine alignment analyses anxiety around array assumed assumption averaging block blocks brain cause characterization characterize clenched clenching close closing cognitive compiled complicated confounding correction correlated cortex covariates cues decrease design designs detection distortions either emotional errors even every examination example expected experiment extent eyes face facial false field flow frequently frown frowning furthermore future head healthy humans improvements inclusion induced instructed instruction interfaces interpolation involve kinds lessened limited limiting listed maps motion move movement movements muscles near next occur occurs open outside pair pairs partial particular particularly percent periods persist physical planar potential power preprocessing procedure processes propose prospective psychiatry radiology real realignment registration repeated repetitions rest retrospective rigid rose ruled score sensitivity separated several shoulders significance since situation slice slight smile smiling spending squint statistical stimuli stressful studies subject subjects surrounding susceptibility systematic systematically table task tasks throughout tissue twelve type virtually visual whereas yielded