Nonlinear statistical properties of fMRI signals in human visual cortex during resting-state

The purpose of the current work is to study nonlinear dynamics in neuronal activity within human brain visual cortex based on blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrast imaging. In particular, based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals, measures of fractality, complexity, and state disorder are estimated from central and peripheral eccentricity bands across three visual areas. Statistical results from analysis of 48750 resting-state fMRI signals show evidence that nonlinear dynamics of neuronal activity in resting-state in central and peripheral eccentricity bands of human visual cortex are persistent. However, they exhibit heterogeneous variability across eccentricity bands and visual areas. Also, information content in first visual area is more ordered than in the second one, whilst information content in the third visual area is the least ordered. These interesting nonlinear statistical properties are a further step toward understanding neuronal activity and nonlinear dynamics in human brain visual cortex.