Neuroscience 2003 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 21.3 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | Whole brain functional magnetic resonance imaging of the rat somatosensory system. |
| Authors: |
Keilholz, S. D.*1
; Silva, A. C.1
; Raman, M.1
; Merkle, H.1
; Koretsky, A. P.1
1Nat Inst. Neurological Disorders & Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Techniques in Neuroscience - Staining, tracing and imaging techniques |
| Secondary Theme and Topics | Sensory Systems<br />- Tactile/Somatosensory<br />-- Cortex imaging |
| Session: |
21. Staining, Tracing & Imaging Techniques I Slide |
| Presentation Time: | Saturday, November 8, 2003 1:30 PM-1:30 PM |
| Location: | Morial Convention Center - Room 398 |
| Keywords: | FMRI, RAT, CORTEX, BRAIN IMAGING |
Although fMRI of the whole brain is routinely performed in humans, there are few reports of whole brain fMRI in rodents, due in part to the need for high spatial and temporal resolution. Instead, most rodent studies have focused on the primary sensory cortex. We have developed an 11.7 T MR imager for animals that can provide the high spatial and temporal resolution necessary for whole brain fMRI in rodents. We performed whole brain imaging in the rat during electrical stimulation of the forepaw. Functional MR images with BOLD contrast were obtained in 11 rats during forepaw stimulation (90 s rest, 45 s stimulation, 90 s rest). An echo planar imaging sequence with interleaved slices was used to image the entire brain every 1.5 seconds, from olfactory bulb to cerebellum, with an in-plane resolution of 300 microns. Excellent image quality with single shot echo planar imaging was achieved even at this high magnetic field by optimizing the MR imaging sequence and hardware. Activation was observed in the primary sensory cortex (average 7% change in intensity, 11/11 rats), cerebellum (6%, 8/11), thalamus (5%, 7/11), and secondary sensory cortex (4%, 8/11). Functional images from all rats were warped to the Paxinos rat brain atlas to demonstrate the high degree of correspondence between activated areas. Additional experiments were run on 4 rats in which the frequency of the forepaw stimulation was varied to 1, 3, 5, or 8 Hz. Activation area and amplitude in the primary cortex was greatest at 3 Hz, followed closely by 5 Hz. Activation in the thalamus, cerebellum and secondary cortex followed the same pattern. This work demonstrates that whole brain fMRI can be applied in the well-characterized rodent brain. Future work will be extended to study cortical inhibition caused by multiple sensory stimulatory inputs and changes of the activated network that occur during learning.
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2003 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans, LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2003. Online.
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