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Alexander Cohen
Hometown: Evans, GA
Undergrad: Washington University (2003)
Program of Study: Neurosciences
Thesis Lab: Dr. Steven Petersen
Short Description: Defining cortical functional areas in humans using resting functional connectivity
Email: alexc@npg.wustl.edu
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RESEARCH
The objective of my current research is to use intrinsic ongoing fluctuations in human brain activity to delineate cortical functional areas in individuals. Defining functional areas in living humans is currently only possible for a small fraction of areas. As such, the generation of cortex-wide maps of functional areas for individuals would allow for more accurate and functionally meaningful distinctions to be utilized without relying on current stereotactic or functional localizer approaches.
My current study utilizes spontaneous fluctuations in the resting state fMRI BOLD signal (rs-fcMRI). rs-fcMRI across expanses of cortex show strong localized differences in patterns of correlation strength. These localized differences will then be analyzed using a set of image analysis tools to explore the plausibility of using rs-fcMRI measures to aid in the definition of widespread functional area boundaries.
In addition to providing better areal labeling within individuals, this method would allow us to directly examine the variability of area extent, location, and organization across subjects, which is currently extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do with functional imaging. If the full, or even a partial, collection of functional areas can be delineated and characterized across subjects, the study of anatomical and functional differences between groups, including developmental studies, studies of normal or abnormal aging, or clinical population studies will be greatly facilitated.
GRADUATE PUBLICATIONS
Fair DA, Cohen AL, Power JD, Dosenbach NU, Church JA, Miezin FM, Schlaggar BL, Petersen SE. Functional brain networks develop from a "local to distributed" organization. PLoS Comput Biol 2009 5(5):e1000381. PMC2671306. PMID: 19412534.
Church JA, Fair DA, Dosenbach NU, Cohen NU, Cohen AL, Miezin FM, Petersen SE, Schlaggar BL. Control Networks in Pediatric Tourette Syndrome Show Immature and Anomalous Patterns of Functional Connectivity. Brain 2008 132(Pt 1):225-38. PMC2638693. PMID: 18952678.
Cohen AL, Fair DA, Dosenbach NU, Miezin FM, Dierker D, Van Essen DC, Schlaggar BL, Petersen SE. Defining functional areas in individual human brains using resting functional connectivity MRI. Neuroimage 2008 41(1):45-57. PMID: 18367410.
Dosenbach NU, Fair DA, Cohen AL, Schlaggar BL, Petersen SE. A dual-networks architecture of top-down control. Trends Cogn Sci 2008 12(3):99-105. PMID: 18262825.
Fair DA, Cohen AL, Dosenbach NU, Church JA, Miezin FM, Barch DM, Raichle ME, Petersen SE, Schlaggar BL. The Maturing Architecture of the Default Network. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2008 105(10):4028-32. PMC2268790. PMID: 18322013.
Fair DA, Dosenbach NU, Church JA, Cohen AL, Brahmbhatt S, Miezin FM, Barch DM, Raichle ME, Petersen SE, et al. Development of distinct control networks through segregation and integration. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007 104(33):13507-12. PMC1940033. PMID: 17679691.
Dosenbach NU, Fair DA, Miezin FM, Cohen AL, Wenger KK, Dosenbach RA, Fox MD, Snyder AZ, Vincent JL, et al. Distinct brain networks for adaptive and stable task control in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007 104(26):11073-8. PMC1904171. PMID: 17576922.
Fair DA, Schlaggar BL, Cohen AL, Miezin FM, Dosenbach NU, Wenger KK, Fox MD, Snyder AZ, Raichle ME, et al. A method for using blocked and event-related fMRI data to study "resting state" functional connectivity. Neuroimage 2007 35(1):396-405. PMC2563954. PMID: 17239622.
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