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The common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus ) is a small-bodied New World primate that is becoming an important model to study brain functions. Despite several studies exploring the somatosensory system of marmosets, all results have come from anesthetized animals using invasive techniques and postmortem analyses. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility for getting high-quality and reproducible somatosensory mapping in awake marmosets with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We acquired fMRI sequences in four animals, while they received tactile stimulation (via air-puffs), delivered to the face, arm, or leg. We found a topographic body representation with the leg representation in the most medial part, the face representation in the most lateral part, and the arm representation between leg and face representation within areas 3a, 3b, and 1/2. A similar sequence from leg to face from caudal to rostral sites was identified in areas S2 and PV. By generating functional connectivity maps of seeds defined in the primary and second somatosensory regions, we identified two clusters of tactile representation within the posterior and midcingulate cortex. However, unlike humans and macaques, no clear somatotopic maps were observed. At the subcortical level, we found a somatotopic body representation in the thalamus and, for the first time in marmosets, in the putamen. These maps have similar organizations, as those previously found in Old World macaque monkeys and humans, suggesting that these subcortical somatotopic organizations were already established before Old and New World primates diverged. Our results show the first whole brain mapping of somatosensory responses acquired in a noninvasive way in awake marmosets. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used somatosensory stimulation combined with functional MRI (fMRI) in awake marmosets to reveal the topographic body representation in areas S1, S2, thalamus, and putamen. We showed the existence of a body representation organization within the thalamus and the cingulate cortex by computing functional connectivity maps from seeds defined in S1/S2, using resting-state fMRI data. This noninvasive approach will be essential for chronic studies by guiding invasive recording and manipulation techniques.

Monkeys are a valuable model for investigating the structure and function of the brain. To attain the requisite resolution to resolve fine anatomical detail and map localized brain activation requires radiofrequency (RF) coils that produce high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) both spatially (image SNR) and temporally. Increasing the strength of the static magnetic field is an effective method to improve SNR, yet this comes with commensurate challenges in RF coil design. First, at ultrahigh field strengths, the magnetic field produced by a surface coil in a dielectric medium is asymmetric. In neuroimaging of rhesus macaques, this complex field pattern is compounded by the heterogeneous structure of the head. The confluence of these effects results in a non-uniform flip angle, but more markedly, a suboptimal circularly polarized mode with reduced transmit efficiency. Secondly, susceptibility-induced geometric distortions are exacerbated when performing echo-planar imaging (EPI), which is a standard technique in functional studies. This requires receive coils capable of parallel imaging with low noise amplification during image reconstruction. To address these challenges at 7T, this study presents a parallel (8-channel) transmit coil developed for monkey imaging, along with a highly parallel (24-channel) receive coil. RF shimming with the parallel-transmit coil produced significant advantages-the transmit field was 38% more uniform than a traditional circularly polarized mode and 54% more power-efficient, demonstrating that parallel-transmit coils should be used for monkey imaging at ultrahigh field strengths. The receive coil had the ability to accelerate along an arbitrary axis with at least a three-fold reduction factor, thereby reducing geometric distortions in whole-brain EPI., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

When conducting auditory investigations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), there are inherent potential confounds that need to be considered. Traditional continuous fMRI acquisition methods produce sounds >90 dB which compete with stimuli or produce neural activation masking evoked activity. Sparse scanning methods insert a period of reduced MRI-related noise, between image acquisitions, in which a stimulus can be presented without competition. In this study, we compared sparse and continuous scanning methods to identify the optimal approach to investigate acoustically evoked cortical, thalamic and midbrain activity in the cat. Using a 7 T magnet, we presented broadband noise, 10 kHz tones, or 0.5 kHz tones in a block design, interleaved with blocks in which no stimulus was presented. Continuous scanning resulted in larger clusters of activation and more peak voxels within the auditory cortex. However, no significant activation was observed within the thalamus. Also, there was no significant difference found, between continuous or sparse scanning, in activations of midbrain structures. Higher magnitude activations were identified in auditory cortex compared to the midbrain using both continuous and sparse scanning. These results indicate that continuous scanning is the preferred method for investigations of auditory cortex in the cat using fMRI. Also, choice of method for future investigations of midbrain activity should be driven by other experimental factors, such as stimulus intensity and task performance during scanning., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Characterization of large-scale brain networks using blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging is typically based on the assumption of network stationarity across the duration of scan. Recent studies in humans have questioned this assumption by showing that within-network functional connectivity fluctuates on the order of seconds to minutes. Time-varying profiles of resting-state networks (RSNs) may relate to spontaneously shifting, electrophysiological network states and are thus mechanistically of particular importance. However, because these studies acquired data from awake subjects, the fluctuating connectivity could reflect various forms of conscious brain processing such as passive mind wandering, active monitoring, memory formation, or changes in attention and arousal during image acquisition. Here, we characterize RSN dynamics of anesthetized macaques that control for these accounts, and compare them to awake human subjects. We find that functional connectivity among nodes comprising the "oculomotor (OCM) network" strongly fluctuated over time during awake as well as anaesthetized states. For time dependent analysis with short windows (<60 s), periods of positive functional correlations alternated with prominent anticorrelations that were missed when assessed with longer time windows. Similarly, the analysis identified network nodes that transiently link to the OCM network and did not emerge in average RSN analysis. Furthermore, time-dependent analysis reliably revealed transient states of large-scale synchronization that spanned all seeds. The results illustrate that resting-state functional connectivity is not static and that RSNs can exhibit nonstationary, spontaneous relationships irrespective of conscious, cognitive processing. The findings imply that mechanistically important network information can be missed when using average functional connectivity as the single network measure., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., a Wiley company.)

Much of what is known about the cortical organization for audition in humans draws from studies of auditory cortex in the cat. However, these data build largely on electrophysiological recordings that are both highly invasive and provide less evidence concerning macroscopic patterns of brain activation. Optical imaging, using intrinsic signals or dyes, allows visualization of surface-based activity but is also quite invasive. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) overcomes these limitations by providing a large-scale perspective of distributed activity across the brain in a non-invasive manner. The present study used fMRI to characterize stimulus-evoked activity in auditory cortex of an anesthetized (ketamine/isoflurane) cat, focusing specifically on the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal time course. Functional images were acquired for adult cats in a 7 T MRI scanner. To determine the BOLD signal time course, we presented 1s broadband noise bursts between widely spaced scan acquisitions at randomized delays (1-12 s in 1s increments) prior to each scan. Baseline trials in which no stimulus was presented were also acquired. Our results indicate that the BOLD response peaks at about 3.5s in primary auditory cortex (AI) and at about 4.5 s in non-primary areas (AII, PAF) of cat auditory cortex. The observed peak latency is within the range reported for humans and non-human primates (3-4 s). The time course of hemodynamic activity in cat auditory cortex also occurs on a comparatively shorter scale than in cat visual cortex. The results of this study will provide a foundation for future auditory fMRI studies in the cat to incorporate these hemodynamic response properties into appropriate analyses of cat auditory cortex., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A 15-channel transmit-receive (transceive) radiofrequency (RF) coil was developed to image the human brain at 7 T. A hybrid decoupling scheme was implemented that used both capacitive decoupling and the partial geometric overlapping of adjacent coil elements. The decoupling scheme allowed coil elements to be arrayed along all three Cartesian axes; this facilitated shimming of the transmit field, B₁⁺, and parallel imaging acceleration along the longitudinal direction in addition to the standard transverse directions. Each channel was independently controlled during imaging using a 16-channel console and a 16 × 1-kW RF amplifier-matrix. The mean isolation between all combinations of coil elements was 18 ± 7 dB. After B₁⁺ shimming, the standard deviation of the transmit field uniformity was 11% in an axial plane and 32% over the entire brain superior to the mid-cerebellum. Transmit uniformity was sufficient to acquire fast spin echo images of this region of the brain with a single B₁⁺ shim solution. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) maps showed higher SNR in the periphery vs center of the brain, and higher SNR in the occipital and temporal lobes vs the frontal lobe. Parallel imaging acceleration in a rostral-caudal oblique plane was demonstrated. The implication of the number of channels in a transmit-receive coil was discussed: it was determined that improvements in SNR and B₁⁺ shimming can be expected when using more than 15 independently controlled transmit-receive channels., (Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

A novel method for decoupling coil elements of transmit/receive (transceive) arrays is reported. Each element of a coil array is shielded both concentrically and radially to reduce the magnetic flux linkage between neighboring coils; this substantially reduces the mutual inductance between coil elements and allows them to behave independently. A six-channel transceive coil was developed using this decoupling scheme and compared with two conventional decoupling schemes: the partial overlapping of adjacent elements and capacitive decoupling. The radiofrequency coils were designed to image the human head and were tested on a 7-T Varian scanner. The decoupling, transmit uniformity, transmit efficiency, signal-to-noise ratio, and geometry factors were compared between coils. The individually shielded coil achieved higher minimum isolation between elements (2.7-4.0 dB) and lower geometry factors (2-14%) than the overlapped and capacitively decoupled coils, while showing a reduction in transmit efficiency (2.8-5.9 dB) and signal-to-noise ratio (up to 34%). No difference was found in the power absorbed by the sample during a 90° radiofrequency pulse. The inset distance of coil elements within their shields was then reduced, resulting in significant improvement of the transmit efficiency (1.3 dB) and signal-to-noise ratio (28%). The greatest asset of this decoupling method lies in its versatility: transceive coils can be created with elements of arbitrary shape, size, location, and resonant frequency to produce three-dimensional conformal arrays., (Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The rodent brain is organized into functional networks that can be studied through examination of synchronized low-frequency spontaneous fluctuations (LFFs) of the functional magnetic resonance imaging -blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal. In this study, resting networks of LFFs were estimated from the whole-brain BOLD signals using independent component analysis (ICA). ICA provides a hypothesis-free technique for determining the functional connectivity map that does not require a priori selection of a seed region. Twenty Long-Evans rats were anesthetized with isoflurane (1%, n = 10) or ketamine/xylazine (50/6 mg . kg(-1) . h(-1) ip, n = 10) and imaged for 5-10 min in a 9.4 T MR scanner without experimental stimulation or task requirement. Independent, synchronous LFFs of BOLD signals were found to exist in clustered, bilaterally symmetric regions of both cortical and subcortical structures, including primary and secondary somatosensory cortices, motor cortices, visual cortices, posterior and anterior cingulate cortices, hippocampi, caudate-putamen, and thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. The somatosensory and motor cortices typically demonstrated both symmetric and asymmetric components with unique frequency profiles. Similar independent network components were found under isoflurane and ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. The report demonstrates, for the first time, 12 independent resting networks that are bilaterally synchronous in different cortical and subcortical areas of the rat brain.

Most of our knowledge about the functional organization of the nonhuman primate brain has come from single neuron recordings, whereas functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has rapidly become the method of choice for the study of the human brain. In some cases these two methods have resulted in conflicting models of frontal lobe function. Based on the finding that the frontal eye fields (FEF) exhibit a higher blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) activation for anti-saccades compared with pro-saccades, it has been proposed that this area is more involved in voluntary than automatic saccade generation. This model has been questioned by the finding of decreased single neuron activity in FEF for anti-compared with pro-saccades in monkeys. To reconcile these findings, we employed fMRI to compare BOLD activation between anti-saccades and pro-saccades in monkeys. FEF and a number of other cortical and subcortical areas showed an increased activation for anti-saccades. The results indicate that previous contrary findings between single neuron recordings and fMRI were due to differences between these techniques and were not related to differences between the two primate species.

Background: Neuroanatomical studies investigating the connectivity of brain areas have heretofore employed procedures in which chemical or viral tracers are injected into an area of interest, and connected areas are subsequently identified using histological techniques. Such experiments require the sacrifice of the animals and do not allow for subsequent electrophysiological studies in the same subjects, rendering a direct investigation of the functional properties of anatomically identified areas impossible., Methodology/principal Findings: Here, we used a combination of microstimulation and fMRI in an anesthetized monkey preparation to study the connectivity of the superior colliculus (SC). Microstimulation of the SC resulted in changes in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the SC and in several cortical and subcortical areas consistent with the known connectivity of the SC in primates., Conclusions/significance: These findings demonstrates that the concurrent use of microstimulation and fMRI can be used to identify brain networks for further electrophysiological or fMRI investigation.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the cortical structures involved with integrated baroreceptor-mediated modulation of autonomic cardiovascular function in conscious humans independent of changes in arterial blood pressure. We assessed the brain regions associated with lower body negative pressure (LBNP)-induced baroreflex control using functional magnetic resonance imaging with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast in eight healthy male volunteer subjects. The levels of LBNP administered were 5, 15 and 35 mmHg. Heart rate (HR; representing the cardiovascular response) and LBNP (representing the baroreceptor activation level) were simultaneously monitored during the scanning period. In addition, estimated central venous pressure (CVP), arterial blood pressure (ABP) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity were recorded on a separate session. Random effects analyses (SPM2) were used to evaluate significant (P < 0.05) BOLD signal changes that correlated separately with both LBNP and HR (15- and 35-mmHg versus 5-mmHg LBNP). Compared to baseline, steady-state LBNP at 15 and 35 mmHg decreased CVP (from 7 +/- 1 to 5 +/- 1 and 4 +/- 1 mmHg, respectively) and increased MSNA (from 12 +/- 1 to 23 +/- 3 and 36 +/- 4 bursts min(-1), respectively, both P < 0.05 versus baseline). Furthermore, steady-state LBNP elevated HR from 54 +/- 2 beats min(-1) at baseline to 64 +/- 2 beats min(-1) at 35-mmHg suction. Both mean arterial and pulse pressure were not different between rest and any level of LBNP. Cortical regions demonstrating increased activity that correlated with higher HR and greater LBNP included the right superior posterior insula, frontoparietal cortex and the left cerebellum. Conversely, using the identical statistical paradigm, bilateral anterior insular cortices, the right anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, midbrain and mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus showed decreased neural activation. These data corroborate previous investigations highlighting the involved roles of the insula, anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala in central autonomic cardiovascular control. In addition, we have provided the first evidence for the identification of the cortical network involved specifically with baroreflex-mediated autonomic cardiovascular function in conscious humans.

The magnetization‐prepared two‐rapid‐gradient‐echo (MP2RAGE) sequence is used for structural T1‐weighted imaging and T1 mapping of the human brain. In this sequence, adiabatic inversion RF pulses are commonly used, which require the B1+ magnitude to be above a certain threshold. Achieving this threshold in the whole brain may not be possible at ultra‐high fields because of the short RF wavelength. This results in low‐inversion regions especially in the inferior brain (eg cerebellum and temporal lobes), which is reflected as regions of bright signal in MP2RAGE images. This study aims at eliminating the low‐inversion‐efficiency induced artifacts in MP2RAGE images at 7 T. The proposed technique takes advantage of parallel RF transmission systems by splitting the brain into two overlapping slabs and calculating the complex weights of transmit channels (ie RF shims) on these slabs for excitation and inversion independently. RF shims were calculated using fast methods implemented in the standard workflow. The excitation RF pulse was designed to obtain slabs with flat plateaus and sharp edges. These slabs were joined into a single volume during the online image reconstruction. The two‐slab strategy naturally results in a signal‐to‐noise ratio loss; however, it allowed the use of independent shims to make the B1+ field exceed the adiabatic threshold in the inferior brain, eliminating regions of low inversion efficiency. Accordingly, the normalized root‐mean‐square errors in the inversion were reduced to below 2%. The two‐slab strategy was found to outperform subject‐specific kT‐point inversion RF pulses in terms of inversion error. The proposed strategy is a simple yet effective method to eliminate low‐inversion‐efficiency artifacts; consequently, MP2RAGE‐based, artifact‐free T1‐weighted structural images were obtained in the whole brain at 7 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that may modulate cortical excitability, metabolite concentration, and human behaviour. The supplementary motor area (SMA) has been largely ignored as a potential target for tDCS neurorehabilitation but is an important region in motor compensation after brain injury with strong efferent connections to the primary motor cortex (M1). The objective of this work was to measure tissue metabolite changes in the human motor cortex immediately following tDCS. We hypothesized that bihemispheric tDCS would change levels of metabolites involved in neuromodulation including N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu), and creatine (tCr). In this single-blind, randomized, cross-over study, fifteen healthy adults aged 21–60 participated in two 7T MRI sessions, to identify changes in metabolite concentrations by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Immediately after 20 minutes of tDCS, there were no significant changes in metabolite levels or metabolite ratios comparing tDCS to sham. However there was a trend toward increased NAA/tCr concentration (p = 0.08) in M1 under the stimulating cathode. There was a strong, positive correlation between the change in the absolute concentration of NAA and the change in the absolute concentration of tCr (p<0.001) suggesting an effect of tDCS. Both NAA and creatine are important markers of neurometabolism. Our findings provide novel insight into the modulation of neural metabolites in the motor cortex immediately following application of bihemispheric tDCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans and many other primates, the visual system plays the major role in object recognition. But objects can also be recognized through haptic exploration, which uses our sense of touch. Nonetheless, it has been argued that the haptic system makes use of ‘visual’ processing to construct a representation of the object. To investigate possible interactions between the visual and haptic systems, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure the effects of cross-modal haptic-to-visual priming on brain activation. Subjects studied three-dimensional novel clay objects either visually or haptically before entering the scanner. During scanning, subjects viewed visually primed, haptically primed, and non-primed objects. They also haptically explored non-primed objects. Visual and haptic exploration of non-primed objects produced significant activation in several brain regions, and produced overlapping activation in the middle occipital area (MO). Viewing visually and haptically primed objects produced more activation than viewing non-primed objects in both area MO and the lateral occipital area (LO). In summary, haptic exploration of novel three-dimensional objects produced activation, not only in somatosensory cortex, but also in areas of the occipital cortex associated with visual processing. Furthermore, previous haptic experience with these objects enhanced activation in visual areas when these same objects were subsequently viewed. Taken together, these results suggest that the object-representation systems of the ventral visual pathway are exploited for haptic object perception. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]