Research Note: Functional Connectivity Between a Corticostriatal Network and the Cerebellum.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Basal ganglia and cerebellum are structurally and functionally connected in animals. In humans, tractography and seed-based functional connectivity have confirmed this cerebellar-striatal relation. Independent component analysis (ICA) showed that both cerebellum and basal ganglia take part in distinct intrinsic networks. METHODS: Probabilistic ICA analysis was applied to the brain images of 15 healthy volunteers during the resting state and using a 3 T MRI. RESULTS: A spatial map corresponding to dorsal and ventral basal ganglia circuits was also found to be in functional coherence with crus 2, especially with its vermal region. CONCLUSION: It is speculated that such cerebellar-basal ganglionic rsFC could reflect structural interconnections traced in animals and explain reward-based activity detected in the cerebellum.