Complexity Analysis of fMRI Time Sequences

In this paper, we propose a novel strategy to explore population complexity and regularity from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series. The analysis is based on the sample entropy (SampEn), which performs a unbiased assessment of the complexity and regularity of time series dynamics. A fMRI scanning series from a healthy subject in resting state was analyzed to prove the effectiveness of this method. Moreover, the framework also includes a similarity test for particular populations. It can be considered as a valuable complementary method to classical fMRI analysis, and it could improve the understanding of complexity human brain functions.