Abstract

The long term goal of the proposed research is to develop, validate and disseminate a set of generalizable methods for non-invasive mapping of the spatio-temporal dynamics of functional and structural plastic changes in the primate CNS using MRI. It outlines a strategy for improving MRI methods for measuring CNS plasticity, together with tools that allow the high resolution MRI observations to link changes in local and cellular electrophysiological properties on the one hand, to plastic changes in distributed brain circuits on the other, providing a methodological bridge across scales. The specific tools include optimized, translational, MR approaches for multiscale structural and functional brain imaging and high precision (sub-millimeter) methods for MRI and multi-modality intra- and inter-subject co-registration. The methods will be developed and tested using a well-characterized non-human primate model, and will be validated using """"""""gold standard"""""""" highresolution mapping tools including functional optical imaging of intrinsic signal (OIS), dense array electrode mapping, and tissue histology. With these goals in mind, the proposal's Specific Aims are:
Aim 1) To refine and test the limits of MRI for mapping and characterizing functional and structural plasticity with sub-millimeter resolution in intact animals.
Aim 2) To develop integrated imaging and post-processing tools that allow high precision coregistration of MR images in the same animal longitudinally and across multiple modalities.

Public Health Relevance

The overarching goal of this proposal is to develop, validate and disseminate a set of generalizable methods for non-invasive mapping of functional and structural brain organization at sub-millimeter resolution by MRI. These tools can be used to study the spatio-temporal trajectories of brain re-wiring that are believed to occur in, for example, drug abuse or spinal cord injury. These methods, developed and validated in animal models, can be directly translated to study the same functional and structural changes in the human brain.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DA028303-01
Application #
7690629
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Aigner, Thomas G
Project Start
2009-08-15
Project End
2011-07-31
Budget Start
2009-08-15
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Radiation-Diagnostic/Oncology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212

  Publications

Qi, Hui-Xin; Wang, Feng; Liao, Chia-Chi et al. (2016) Spatiotemporal trajectories of reactivation of somatosensory cortex by direct and secondary pathways after dorsal column lesions in squirrel monkeys. Neuroimage 142:431-453
Majeed, Waqas; Avison, Malcolm J (2014) Robust data driven model order estimation for independent component analysis of FMRI data with low contrast to noise. PLoS One 9:e94943
Gao, Yurui; Choe, Ann S; Stepniewska, Iwona et al. (2013) Validation of DTI tractography-based measures of primary motor area connectivity in the squirrel monkey brain. PLoS One 8:e75065
Lecoeur, Jérémy; Wang, Feng; Chen, Li Min et al. (2011) Co-registration of high resolution MRI scans with partial brain coverage in non-human primates. Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng 7962:
Choe, Ann S; Gao, Yurui; Li, Xia et al. (2011) Accuracy of image registration between MRI and light microscopy in the ex vivo brain. Magn Reson Imaging 29:683-92
Lecoeur, Jérémy; Wang, Feng; Chen, Li Min et al. (2011) Automated longitudinal registration of high resolution structural MRI brain sub-volumes in non-human primates. J Neurosci Methods 202:99-108
Zhang, N; Wang, F; Turner, G H et al. (2010) Intra- and inter-subject variability of high field fMRI digit maps in somatosensory area 3b of new world monkeys. Neuroscience 165:252-64