Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a pivotal tool in localizing brain functions in vivo. However, despite its wide application in basic and clinical sciences, the electrophysiological basis of the BOLD signals remains elusive. Likewise, the precise spatial congruence between the foci of neuronal and BOLD activity remains controversial. The overall objective of this study is to define the neural correlate of BOLD by performing combined fMRI and single unit recordings in a single subject. We used a 4.7T horizontal bore scanner (Oxford, UK) to label the individual iso-orientation columns in cat primary visual cortex. Animal preparation and stimulation paradigms were similar to those of standard optical imaging experiments. A dense Cartesian grid phantom was placed on the exposed cortex for the fMRI and single-unit signal alignment. Typical MR parameters were: gradient-echo echo-planar images; TE=31ms; TR=0.5 sec; 64×64 or 128×128; FOV=2×2 cm2 (nomi...

Spreading Depolarization (SD) is a neurophysiological phenomenon of large-scale depolarization of brain cells followed by a period of long-lasting neuronal inactivity. SD propagates through the brain at approximately 3-5 mm per minute causing an underly...

The neural basis of voluntary motor control in humans has been extensively investigated at the brain level using noninvasive techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In contrast, this approach has rarely been used in the spinal cord to study its role in motor functions.

A large body of evidence suggests that progressive cell loss in midbrain and brainstem neuromodulatory structures is significantly implicated in age-related decline in memory function, and they are among the first structures affected in dementia. Howeve...

Exposure to traumatic events can have adverse effects on cognitive and affective functions. However, traumatized individuals vary in their individual susceptibility to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. Although prior research has suggest...

Chronic pain is an important public health problem, specifically chronic low back pain (CLBP). Limbic brain structures and more importantly the hippocampus is known to be involved in the transition from an acute to a chronic pain condition. Investigatin...

Inhibitory control (IC) is a core executive function that enables humans to resist habits, temptations, or distractions. IC efficiency in childhood is a strong predictor of academic and professional success later in life. Based on analysis of the sulcal pattern, a qualitative feature of cortex anatomy determined during fetal life and stable during development, we searched for evidence that interindividual differences in IC partly trace back to prenatal processes. Using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we analyzed the sulcal pattern of two key regions of the IC neural network, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the inferior frontal cortex (IFC), which limits the inferior frontal gyrus. We found that the sulcal pattern asymmetry of both the ACC and IFC contributes to IC (Stroop score) in children and adults: participants with asymmetrical ACC or IFC sulcal patterns had better IC efficiency than participants with symmetrical ACC or IFC sulcal patterns. Such additive effects of IFC and ...

About 60 % people could not acquire the ability of programming language(Dehnadi S. et al, 2006). However, an issue remains unsettled if programming language ability relies exclusively on the innately privileged brain structure or function, or is more fl...

Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), commonly diagnosed in children and adolescence, is routinely treated with the psychostimulants Ritalin and Adderall. It has been argued, ADHD is over diagnosed resulting in “normal” individuals being ex...

Each year approximately 6 million children in the USA alone undergo anesthesia in the course of surgeries, imaging and other diagnostic procedures. Multiple studies have indicated that early exposure to general anesthesia can affect neuronal development...