Brain-to-brain communication channels and information content

Motivation: Most fMRI studies on brain-to-brain interactions focus on synchrony between two brains. However, such correlations merely suggest the existence of communication channels, not the information communicated in the channels. Goal(s): Our goal is to identify both communication channels and communicated information. Approach: A hyperscan fMRI study was conducted on parent-child eye-contact. The brain-to-brain network interaction was decomposed into multiple channels by Correspondence Analysis; the information flows in each channel were quantified by mutual information (MI). Results: Two channels were significant: one is dyadic visual link where bi-directional MIs are about the same; another is social cognition link, where parent-to-child information flow is predominant. Impact: A novel approach was developed to identify both brain-to-brain network communication channels and the information content in each channel. The characteristics of the channels and the information flows in parent-child eye-contact quantify both social interaction and children's brain developmental stages.