Functional connectivity and structural covariance between regions of interest can be measured more accurately using multivariate distance correlation

Linda Geerligs, Richard N. Henson

Abstract: Highlights•We introduce distance correlation as a new measure of ROI-based connectivity.•It can be used for functional connectivity and structural covariance analyses.•Simulations show that distance correlation copes with inhomogeneous ROIs.•In real data, distance correlation is more reliable and robust than Pearson correlation.•Distance correlation improves correspondence between different ROI definitions.