Resting-state functional connectivity in the rat cervical spinal cord at 9.4 T.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Numerous studies have adopted resting-state functional MRI methods to infer functional connectivity between cortical regions, but very few have translated them to the spinal cord, despite its critical role in the central nervous system. Resting-state functional connectivity between gray matter horns of the spinal cord has previously been shown to be detectable in humans and nonhuman primates, but it has not been reported previously in rodents.

Methods

Resting-state functional MRI of the cervical spinal cord of live anesthetized rats was performed at 9.4 T. The quality of the functional images acquired was assessed, and quantitative analyses of functional connectivity in C4-C7 of the spinal cord were derived.

Results

Robust gray matter horn-to-horn connectivity

SUBMITTER: Wu TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5821555 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature