Exploring Regional Homogeneity and Functional Connectivity Changes following Contrast Agent Injection: A Pilot Resting-State fMRI Study

Motivation: Contrast agents are widely used to increase the contrast difference between normal and abnormal tissues. Existing literature primarily focuses on the structural and perfusion effects of CAs, leaving a knowledge gap regarding their potential functional repercussions. Goal(s): We aimed to explore the potential impact of CA administration on brain function. Approach: We applied a combination of regional homogeneity, ROI-to-ROI, and seed-to-voxel FC analyses to rs-fMRI data from five participants before and after CA injection. Results: Our ReHo analysis showed no significant changes of local connectivity pattern, while ROI-to-ROI and seed-to-voxel FC analyses did yield significant FC changes at network level after CA administration. Impact: Even though the small sample size, our findings may raise an intriguing possibility that CA may indeed have the potential to influence brain function, particularly when examined at a network level.