Optogenetic fMRI Investigation of the Role of Zona Incerta in Regulating Brain-wide Functional Connectivity

Motivation: Our comprehension of the role of the zona incerta (ZI) in brain-wide functional connectivity remains limited despite recent knowledge of incertal projections and functions. Goal(s): We aim to examine the role of inhibitory ZI in the regulation of functional connectivity in brain-wide networks. Approach: We employed optogenetic fMRI to directly initiate neural activity at ZI and monitor brain-wide functional connectivity before, during, and after stimulations. Results: ZI inhibitory activity reshaped brain-wide functional connectivity by driving the emergence of cortical-cortical cooperative and cortical-subcortical antagonistic network motifs. Impact: We posit that the findings from this study will provide critical insights into where and how ZI neural activities are distributed throughout the brain, and their contributions to brain functional connectivity.