Reproducibility of resting-state functional connectivity in healthy aging and brain injury: A mini-multiverse analysis Open Access

Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods are the most widely applied tools in the network neurosciences, but their reliability remains an active area of study. We use back-to-back 10-min resting-state scans in a healthy aging (n = 41) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) sample (n = 45) composed of older adults to assess the replicability of RSFC using a “mini” multiverse approach. The goal was to evaluate the reproducibility of commonly used graph metrics and determine if aging and moderate-severe TBI influences RSFC reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). There is clear evidence for reliable results in aging and TBI. Global network metrics such as within-network connectivity and segregation were most reliable whereas other whole-brain connectivity estimates (e.g., clustering coefficient, eigenvector centrality) were least reliable. Analysis of canonical networks revealed the default mode and salience networks as most reliable. There was a notable influence of motion scrubbing on ICCs, with diminished reliability proportional to the number of volumes removed. Choice of brain atlas had a modest effect on findings. Overall, RSFC reproducibility is preserved in older adults and after significant neurological compromise. We also identify a subset of graph metrics and canonical networks with promising reliability.

In this paper, we examine the reproducibility of resting-state functional connectivity in healthy aging and traumatic brain injury (TBI). We use a mini-verse approach to determine if workflows have a significant effect on resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) reliability. While the study of RSFC reliability has been previously examined (e.g., in healthy, young adults), it is lacking in the aging and TBI literatures. To our knowledge, this is the first study of back-to-back (consecutive) scans that examine RSFC reliability in healthy aging and TBI. In brief, these data and these analyses do not currently exist in the literature. RSFC reliability remains a vital area of investigation in healthy aging and clinical samples. We believe there are critical contributions that can be made by this paper.