Test-retest reliability of longitudinal task-based fMRI: Implications for developmental studies

Megan M Herting; Prapti Gautam; Zhanghua Chen; Adam Mezher; Nora C Vetter

doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.07.001

Test-retest reliability of longitudinal task-based fMRI: Implications for developmental studies

Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2018 Oct:33:17-26. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.07.001. Epub 2017 Jul 13.

Authors

Megan M Herting¹, Prapti Gautam², Zhanghua Chen³, Adam Mezher⁴, Nora C Vetter⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States. Electronic address: herting@usc.edu.
² Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Centre for Research on Ageing, Health, and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Electronic address: prapss@gmail.com.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States. Electronic address: zhanghuc@usc.edu.
⁴ Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA 90007, United States. Electronic address: mezher@usc.edu.
⁵ Neuroimaging Center & Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Germany. Electronic address: nora.vetter@tu-dresden.de.

Abstract

Great advances have been made in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies, including the use of longitudinal design to more accurately identify changes in brain development across childhood and adolescence. While longitudinal fMRI studies are necessary for our understanding of typical and atypical patterns of brain development, the variability observed in fMRI blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal and its test-retest reliability in developing populations remain a concern. Here we review the current state of test-retest reliability for child and adolescent fMRI studies (ages 5-18 years) as indexed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). In addition to highlighting ways to improve fMRI test-retest reliability in developmental cognitive neuroscience research, we hope to open a platform for dialogue regarding longitudinal fMRI study designs, analyses, and reporting of results.

Keywords: Development; Intraclass correlation; Test-retest reliability; fMRI.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Brain / metabolism*
Brain Mapping / methods*
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Male
Reproducibility of Results

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding