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Abstract

Neuroscience

Acquisition of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data in the Rat

Published: August 28th, 2021

DOI:

10.3791/62596

1Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 2Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, 3National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 4University of Guelph

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has become an increasingly popular method to study brain function in a resting, non-task state. This protocol describes a preclinical survival method for obtaining rs-fMRI data. Combining low dose isoflurane with continuous infusion of the α2 adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine provides a robust option for stable, high-quality data acquisition while preserving brain network function. Furthermore, this procedure allows for spontaneous breathing and near-normal physiology in the rat. Additional imaging sequences can be combined with resting-state acquisition creating experimental protocols with anesthetic stability of up to 5 h using this method. This protocol describes the setup of equipment, monitoring of rat physiology during four distinct phases of anesthesia, acquisition of resting-state scans, quality assessment of data, recovery of the animal, and a brief discussion of post-processing data analysis. This protocol can be used across a wide variety of preclinical rodent models to help reveal the resulting brain network changes that occur at rest.

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Keywords Resting state FMRI

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