Todd B. Harshbarger1, M. Stephen Melton2, Allen W. Song1, Stephen Klein2
1Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States; 2Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
Functional connectivity is increasingly used to compare normal brain states with various disorders. In this study, we investigated resting state functional connectivity before and after a peripheral nerve block. We show that cross-hemispheric correlations in motor areas which exist before the block is applied are disrupted by the nerve block. These correlations return immediately after the block wears off. This can have implications in the study of connectivity and correlations between hemispheres, as well as potential implications for studies of how the brain reacts to damage in the peripheral nervous system.