Dear Experts,
I am interested in whether it is feasible to combine and analyze both Resting State fMRI and Axial rsfMRI (Eyes Open) data together from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) .
I understand that Resting State fMRI typically involves participants with their eyes closed, while Axial rsfMRI (Eyes Open) involves participants with their eyes open. Given the differences in the experimental conditions, I am wondering if it is methodologically sound to combine these two types of data for analysis. While both datasets capture resting-state brain activity, the change in visual input could potentially influence neural activity patterns
If combining these datasets is possible, I would like to know whether it is appropriate to preprocess them separately and then include the eye state (open or closed) as a covariate in the statistical analysis.