High-resolution awake mouse fMRI at 14 tesla

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.95528
• Publication Date: 2024-03-28T11:25:35Z
• Authors: David Hike; Xiaochen Liu; Zeping Xie; Bei Zhang; Sangcheon Choi; Xiaoqing Alice Zhou; Andy Liu; Alyssa Murstein; Yuanyuan Jiang; Anna Devor; Xin Yu
• Keywords: QH301-705.5; Science; fMRI; vibrissa stimulation; Q; R; prediction; Article; awake mouse; Medicine; Biology (General); visual stimulation; BOLD; Neuroscience

High-resolution awake mouse functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) remains challenging despite extensive efforts to address motion-induced artifacts and stress. This study introduces an implantable radio frequency (RF) surface coil design that minimizes image distortion caused by the air/tissue interface of brains while simultaneously serving as a headpost for fixation during scanning. Furthermore, this provides thorough acclimation method used accustom animals MRI environment minimizing artifacts. Using 14 T scanner, high-resolution fMRI enabled brain-wide mapping visual vibrissa stimulation at 100 µm×100 µm×200 µm resolution with 2 s per frame sampling rate. Besides activated ascending pathways, robust blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses were detected in anterior cingulate cortex upon spread through ventral retrosplenial area (VRA) air-puff stimulation, demonstrating higher-order sensory processing association cortices mice. In particular, rapid hemodynamic VRA showed strong correlation hippocampus, thalamus, prefrontal cortical areas. Cross-correlation analysis designated revealed early positive BOLD signals contralateral barrel (BC) occurring prior mice repetitive which was not using randomized paradigm. BC activation indicated learned anticipation system under continuous exposure stimulation. work establishes platform, enabling signal higher