Seasonal variations of functional connectivity of human brains

Seasonal variations have been observed in various aspects of human behavior. While studies have explored the seasonality effects in cognition and mood, possible underlying seasonal variations of human brain activity have not gained wide attention. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based on blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) effects can detect and map functional activity and thus provides opportunities to characterize seasonal variations in brain functions. This work used fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) to quantify seasonal patterns of brain connectivity. Knowledge of seasonality effects in brain activity offers the potential of advancing our understanding of seasonal variations in human behavior.