Estimating trial-wise modulation of functional connectivity using event-related fMRI

Regression-based beta-series modeling (BSM) detects trial-wise modulation of functional connectivity in event-related fMRI with well-controlled false-positive rates, and improves power under lower signal-to-noise conditions.

• Why it matters: Trial-wise behavioral and computational variables can be linked to brain activity with event-related fMRI, but methods to test how these variables modulate functional connectivity are limited.
• What they did: The authors build a regression-based BSM framework using single-trial response estimates and interaction terms to test connectivity modulation by continuous and categorical variables, evaluating it in comprehensive simulations and then empirical event-related fMRI.
• The result: In simulations, BSM sensitively recovers ground-truth effects with controlled false positives and matches generalized psychophysiological interaction across most conditions while showing improved statistical power at lower signal-to-noise; empirical data show temporally specific, selective connectivity modulation.

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