cassava7
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Millisecond neural activation tracking
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has made profound contributions to our understanding of the human brain. However, limitations in the temporal and spatial resolution of the underlying signal have prevented this technique from providing information about how cognitive functions emerge from communication between different brain regions. Toi et al. developed a method that allows for direct imaging of neuronal activity by fMRI (see the Perspective by van Kerkoerle and Cloos).
Retaining the original benefit of high spatial resolution of MRI, the temporal resolution of this method is on the order of milliseconds. Detecting sequential propagation of neuronal activity through functionally defined networks in the brain is thus possible. The ability to image a direct correlate of neuronal spiking is a game changer for noninvasive neuroimaging. —PRS
Abstract
There has been a long-standing demand for noninvasive neuroimaging methods that can detect neuronal activity at both high temporal and high spatial resolution.
We present a two-dimensional fast line-scan approach that enables direct imaging of neuronal activity with millisecond precision while retaining the high spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This approach was demonstrated through in vivo mouse brain imaging at 9.4 tesla during electrical whisker-pad stimulation.
In vivo spike recording and optogenetics confirmed the high correlation of the observed MRI signal with neural activity. It also captured the sequential and laminar-specific propagation of neuronal activity along the thalamocortical pathway.
This high-resolution, direct imaging of neuronal activity will open up new avenues in brain science by providing a deeper understanding of the brain’s functional organization, including the temporospatial dynamics of neural networks.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh4340
Preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.21.444581v2
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has made profound contributions to our understanding of the human brain. However, limitations in the temporal and spatial resolution of the underlying signal have prevented this technique from providing information about how cognitive functions emerge from communication between different brain regions. Toi et al. developed a method that allows for direct imaging of neuronal activity by fMRI (see the Perspective by van Kerkoerle and Cloos).
Retaining the original benefit of high spatial resolution of MRI, the temporal resolution of this method is on the order of milliseconds. Detecting sequential propagation of neuronal activity through functionally defined networks in the brain is thus possible. The ability to image a direct correlate of neuronal spiking is a game changer for noninvasive neuroimaging. —PRS
Abstract
There has been a long-standing demand for noninvasive neuroimaging methods that can detect neuronal activity at both high temporal and high spatial resolution.
We present a two-dimensional fast line-scan approach that enables direct imaging of neuronal activity with millisecond precision while retaining the high spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This approach was demonstrated through in vivo mouse brain imaging at 9.4 tesla during electrical whisker-pad stimulation.
In vivo spike recording and optogenetics confirmed the high correlation of the observed MRI signal with neural activity. It also captured the sequential and laminar-specific propagation of neuronal activity along the thalamocortical pathway.
This high-resolution, direct imaging of neuronal activity will open up new avenues in brain science by providing a deeper understanding of the brain’s functional organization, including the temporospatial dynamics of neural networks.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh4340
Preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.21.444581v2
