Direct magnetic resonance detection of neuronal electrical activity

Natalia Petridou, Dietmar Plenz, Afonso C Silva, Murray Loew, Jerzy Bodurka, Peter A Bandettini

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Present noninvasive neuroimaging methods measure neuronal activity indirectly, via either cerebrovascular changes or extracranial measurements of electrical/magnetic signals. Recent studies have shown evidence that MRI may be used to directly and noninvasively map electrical activity associated with human brain activation, but results are inconclusive. Here, we show that MRI can detect cortical electrical activity directly. We use organotypic rat-brain cultures in vitro that are spontaneously active in the absence of a cerebrovascular system. Single-voxel magnetic resonance (MR) measurements obtained at 7 T were highly correlated with multisite extracellular local field potential recordings of the same cultures before and after blockade of neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin. Similarly, for MR images obtained at 3 T, the MR signal changed solely in voxels containing the culture, thus allowing the spatial localization of the active neuronal tissue.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)16015-20
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume103
Issue number43
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2006

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Electroencephalography
  • Electrophysiology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neurons
  • Rats
  • Tissue Culture Techniques
  • Journal Article

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