We have developed an MFT approach to fMRI analysis. The method is model-free since it makes no assumptions of a particular hemodynamic response of the BOLD signal. It is time preserving by maintaining the full temporal information of the response. The MFT approach is based on the idea that similarities of temporal variation among pixels can be measured by a particular metric, such as Pearson product correlation function, carried in a pair-wise form among all the voxels and grouped accordingly. However, the process of calculating pair-wise correlation among all the voxels renders this approach impractical.
Statistical mechanics faces a similar problem when calculating interactions among particles.
We have applied MFT to study CNS response to a noxious thermal stimulus. The stimuli were delivered in a classical block design of 25 seconds on interspersed with 30 seconds of neutral temperature. Eight male subjects were recruited for this study. The stimuli were delivered to the dorsum of the left hand. Data was motion corrected, intensity normalized, talairach transformed and averaged across subjects.