practiCal fMRI

Neuronavigation-free and MRI-free Localization of Deep Brain Targets https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.04.703768v1

Multi-echo BOLD fMRI improves cerebrovascular reactivity estimates in stroke https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.03.703581v1

More fMRI work at 5 T. The natural replacement for 3 T research scanners in future…?

The hemo-neural hypothesis: on the role of blood flow in information processing - PubMed Brain vasculature is a complex and interconnected network under tight regulatory control that exists in intimate communication with neurons and glia. Typically, hemodynamics are considered to exclusively serve as a metabolic support system. In contrast to this canonical view, we propose that hemodyn …

"The hemo-neural hypothesis: on the role of blood flow in information processing."

A classic paper I've only recently discovered! The fMRI crowd should give it a read.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17913979/

Easy. Make this so-called AGI connect any printer or projector to any laptop and work first time, without 30 minutes of driver updates and futzing with the setup.

Blood pressure pulsations modulate central neuronal activity via mechanosensitive ion channels - PubMed The transmission of the heartbeat through the cerebral vascular system causes intracranial pressure pulsations. We discovered that arterial pressure pulsations can directly modulate central neuronal activity. In a semi-intact rat brain preparation, vascular pressure pulsations elicited correlated lo …

Found this late, but better late than never!

Blood pressure pulsations modulate central neuronal
activity via mechanosensitive ion channels

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38301001/

Redefining respiratory sinus arrhythmia as respiratory heart rate variability: an international Expert Recommendation for terminological clarity - PubMed The variation of heart rate in phase with breathing, known as 'respiratory sinus arrhythmia' (RSA), is a physiological phenomenon present in all air-breathing vertebrates. RSA arises from the interaction of several physiological mechanisms but is primarily mediated by rhythmic changes in cardiac par …

Redefining respiratory sinus arrhythmia as respiratory heart rate variability: an international Expert Recommendation for terminological clarity
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40328963/

New article with some legendary marine mammal research vets - we make the case for opportunistic, developmental studies of naturally occurring maternal exposure to algal neurotoxins in sea lions.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

When the ASL and BOLD are collected in separate scans there could well be transit time differences because of slight variations in vascular physiology over time. Ideally one would collect BOLD and ASL with a dual echo scan.

Melaniacoin?

And don’t forget the Canadian airspace the American carriers rely on for efficient routes to Europe. Tell him they can always fly the long way around instead.

“These findings suggest that the MNI152 template does not reflect the average morphology of contemporary population samples and that linear registration alone cannot resolve these discrepancies. Therefore, more robust and unbiased template-generation pipelines may be necessary….”

Morphological bias of the MNI152 brain https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.24.701532v1

I don't know if this was well known, but NMR/MRS icon and NAS fellow Bob Shulman (middle) passed away a couple of weeks ago at the age of 101. He was the mentor of my mentors (left and right), so I suppose my grand mentor. Scientists like him are unlikely to be found ever again in this day and age

Electro-Calcium uncoupling precedes neurodegeneration in Alzheimers disease https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.26.701803v1

The mood stabilizer lithium alters behaviour and physiology via the gut brain axis. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.26.701868v1

Exploring Marine Mammal Cognition as a Conservation Tool Cognition is an animal's real-time adaptation system for responding to change. Rapid environmental change, often anthropogenic, is expanding the range and severity of challenges confronting wild anim...

This one was a long time in the making! Written with my great colleagues Heidi Harley and Gordon Bauer, and a host of people game enough to engage with us on cognition and marine mammal conservation at a special 2022 Marine Mammal Society workshop.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Rotational ultrasound and photoacoustic tomography of the human body - Nature Biomedical Engineering Fast panoramic rotational ultrasound tomography and photoacoustic tomography are integrated for hybrid rotational ultrasound and photoacoustic tomography, for three-dimensional dual-contrast imaging o...

Rotational ultrasound and photoacoustic tomography of the human body
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41545778/

scitechdaily.com/scientists-d...

Vascular smooth muscle cell loss, but not neuroinflammation, drives cerebrovascular reactivity impairment in Alzheimer's disease - PubMed Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) impairment occurred in 5xFAD mice only when vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) loss was present5xFAD mice exhibited prominent parenchymal but minimal vascular amyloid-β depositionVSMC developmental deficiency resulted in CVR impairment in a small-vessel disease (SVD) …

Vascular smooth muscle cell loss, but not neuroinflammation, drives cerebrovascular reactivity impairment in Alzheimer's disease
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41573926/

Is the World Cup still on? Are any fans still planning to attend?

Postdoc position to work on neuroimaging methods with @fmri-today.bsky.social (and me) fim.nimh.nih.gov/positions-av...

Agree. It’s the rate of change that may matter more. Scientists value predictability as well as absolute funding. Federal agencies now see they are the most vulnerable, not the least. That lasts even if funding is restored next week.

A clown covering for the actual dangerous animals of the rest of the circus.

So I wasn't expecting to experience mild relief after laughing my ***s off after today's "presser." Having the clown represent the circus does at least ensure European leaders finally wake up to reality. The clown's deranged but the rest of the circus are worse. They really mean it!

Remember when we all used to chuckle at Kim Jong Un as the world's biggest clown supreme leader? Ah, the nostalgia.

This is the part most Americans have yet to appreciate: that the US isn't as uncoupled from the world as they might want. It's all a wheeze until Greenland costs them half the value of their house or stock portfolio or their job in a crisis.

The threat of it would do the trick, so long as Carney is actually prepared to do it if needed. Be interesting to watch the 10 year yield later this week. Cryptos already selling off a bit, but clearly expecting a TACO. What an infant.

Greenland is closer to Canada than the US. 11th Canadian province? And then what about Alaska? It's bolted to Canada FFS. Surely AK should become another part of Canada, too!

I'd do threat of sanctions first. Act like a mobster. Return the favor. Just start talking about investigations, watch the markets slam into reverse, wait for the pressure to build. CA gov Newsom has it right: Whatever Trump says/does, mirror it.

I wonder when the European countries (including the UK) will decide to stand up to the bully. Hit Americans where it hurts.... in the stock market. Mobsters only understand mob tactics.