The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is a key subcortical brain structure of the human visual system. Traditionally, non-invasive spatial mapping of the LGN proved challenging due to its small size and deep position within the brain. However, recent adv...

A persistent question in cognitive neuroscience is whether localized brain regions, or a collection of brain regions, support the representation of different knowledge domains. Using previously published data available in the National fMRI Data Center database (http://www.fmridc.org), the present study explored whether brain regions that respond preferentially to one domain relative to another can be considered neural modules. The domains of interest were the representation of action knowledge, object knowledge and word form. We defined modularity by operationally defining two properties of modular systems (Fodor, 1983) -- domain specificity and mandatory processing. A brain region exhibited domain-specificity if it significantly responded to the domain of interest (e.g. retrieving action knowledge) relative to other domains (e.g. retrieving object knowledge) and a baseline task (e.g. matching visual noise patterns), and the other domain and baseline task did not produce statistically different responses. ...

Neurons responding to the observation of actions performed by others have been described in the superior temporal sulcus (STS), parietal area PF, and prefrontal area F5 (see Rizzolatti and Craighero, Ann Rev Neurosci., 2004). In the present study we defined the whole cortical circuit underlying action observation, using contrast-enhanced fMRI in awake macaques. Three macaques (Macaca mulatta) were scanned (1.5Tesla; Siemens Sonata; MION) while they viewed video-sequences of grasping actions. These included object directed human hand actions, human actions using tools, actions performed by a robot hand and mimed human actions. As a control either static images or phase-scrambled sequences were presented. Comparing human actions with their static or phase-scrambled controls, revealed activations throughout the lower bank and the middle part of the upper bank of the STS, in the anterior part of the intraparietal sulcus, extending sometimes laterally on the parietal convexity, and in the posterior bank, fundus...

Chronic pain affects roughly 20% of the population, negatively impacting both the economy and patients’ quality of life. In most chronic pain conditions, the underlying cause of the pain is difficult to diagnose, and the efficacy of treatments for these...

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms enables treatment strategies based on slowing disease progression. However, despite recent efforts and significant progress, reliable detection of pre-symptomatic and prodromal AD remains a major chal...

Macaque anatomy and physiology studies have revealed multiple visual areas in posterior parietal cortex (PPC). While many response properties of PPC neurons have been probed, little is known about PPC's large-scale functional topography—specifically related to visuotopic organization. Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T with a phase–encoded retinotopic mapping paradigm in the awake macaque, a large-scale visuotopic organization along lateral portions of PPC anterior to area V3a and extending into the lateral intraparietal sulcus (LIP) was found. We identify two new visual field maps anterior to V3a within caudal PPC, referred to as caudal intraparietal-1 (CIP-1) and CIP-2. The polar angle representation in CIP-1 extends from regions near the upper vertical meridian (that is the shared border with V3a and dorsal prelunate) to those within the lower visual field (that is the shared border with CIP-2). The polar angle representation in CIP-2 is a mirror reversal of the CIP-1 rep...

Investigating the Effects of Flotation Restricted Environment Stimulation Therapy on Neural Networks in Chronic Pain Patients via Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Authors: Finomore V.S. and McGaughey T.A. According to the CDC, there are 50 million ...

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) is a technique used to enhance the contrast of specific tissues in MR images and allows for great specificity in anatomical and functional studies of living systems in vivo. MEMRI is especially usefu...

Magnetic resonance imaging and computer image analysis in human clinical studies effectively identify abnormal neuroanatomy in disease populations. As more mouse models of neurological disorders are discovered, such an approach may prove useful for translational studies. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a similar strategy for mouse neuroscience studies by phenotyping mice with the cerebellar deficient folia ( cdf ) mutation. Using in vivo multiple-mouse magnetic resonance imaging for increased throughput, we imaged groups of cdf mutant, heterozygous, and wild-type mice and made an atlas-based segmentation of the structures in 15 individual brains. We then performed computer automated volume measurements on the structures. We found a reduced cerebellar volume in the cdf mutants, which was expected, but we also found a new phenotype in the inferior colliculus and the olfactory bulbs. Subsequent local histology revealed additional cytoarchitectural abnormalities in the olfactory bulbs. This demonstra...

Introduction: The MRI contrast agent Mn2+ acts as a calcium analogue in the CNS; thus, it is used as a marker of neuronal function in animals. Systemic injections of Mn2+ can measure function in the inferior colliculus1 and hypothalamus2 in rodents. How...