Mariam AlyDec 23, 2022

I was more candid on this podcast than I expected to be!

Have a listen if you want to hear about my research, study tips, life on the tenure track, thinking too much, and mental health struggles. I think it's important to be open about those, even if it hurts to relive.

https://braininspired.co/podcast/156/

BI 156 Mariam Aly: Memory, Attention, and Perception | Brain Inspired

Show threadTeixiJan 14, 2023
@mariam
Not candid!
Surprised listening your #neuroscience brave voice:
» And I think based on my work, I’m very hesitant to conclude that lower versus higher relative bold signal necessarily means anything in particular.
Um the fact that there’s differentiation in the #BOLD signal across tasks means that there is a signal related to the task.
But in terms of whether more is better or less is better,
I’m not gonna reach conclusions, at least based on the, the work that I’ve done and I’ve seen «
Show threadMariam AlyJan 14, 2023
@teixi Thank you for listening! Yes, we have sometimes found that *lower* BOLD activity is related to more stable activity patterns that in turn predict better behavior! And that lower BOLD activity in a given region can be observed for tasks that the region is critical for.
Show threadTeixiJan 15, 2023

@mariam

Interesting to think about how low signals are somehow because of current #neurotech artifacts or limitations, and/or possibly because some/most brain ativities simply work in low measurement thresholds.

Then also perhaps the #DMN default mode network, as opposed to other modes or networks, is an oxymoron at best, or even has lead to misleading conclusions at worst.

Show threadMariam Aly
@teixi Yep, the relationship between the fMRI BOLD signal and neural activity (local field potentials) varies across brain regions, so it can indeed be hard to interpret deactivation in fMRI. But converging results between fMRI and other methods (e.g., lesion studies, animal electrophysiology) can lend support to lots of fMRI findings that can be ambiguous on their own.
Jan 16, 2023 at 12:28amWeb
Show threadTeixiJan 16, 2023

@mariam

You might also appreciate this quote from one of my favorite #NeuroBooks

https://mastodon.social/@teixi/109314810260581249