3D functional ultrasound imaging of the cerebral visual system in rodents.
3D functional imaging of the whole brain activity during visual task is a challenging task in rodents due to the complex tri-dimensional shape of involved brain regions and the fine spatial and temporal resolutions required to reveal the visual tract. By coupling functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging with a translational motorized stage and an episodic visual stimulation device, we managed to accurately map and to recover the activity of the visual cortices, the Superior Colliculus (SC) and the Lateral Geniculate Nuclei (LGN) in 3D. Cerebral Blood Volume (CBV) responses during visual stimuli were found to be highly correlated with the visual stimulus time profile in visual cortices (r=0.6), SC (r=0.7) and LGN (r=0.7). These responses were found dependent on flickering frequency and contrast, and optimal stimulus parameters for largest CBV increases were obtained. In particular, increasing the flickering frequency higher than 7Hz revealed a decrease of visual cortices response while the SC response was preserved. Finally, cross-correlation between CBV signals exhibited significant delays (d=0.35s +/-0.1s) between blood volume response in SC and visual cortices in response to our visual stimulus. These results emphasize the interest of fUS imaging as a whole brain neuroimaging modality for brain vision studies in rodent models.
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM U979, 75012 Paris, France. Electronic address: marc.gesnik@espci.fr.
Marc
M
Gesnik
Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, University of Paris 06, INSERM UMR_S 968, CNRS UMR 7210, 75012 Paris, France.
Kevin
K
Blaize
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM U979, 75012 Paris, France.
Thomas
T
Deffieux
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM U979, 75012 Paris, France.
Jean-Luc
JL
Gennisson
Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, University of Paris 06, INSERM UMR_S 968, CNRS UMR 7210, 75012 Paris, France; Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, DHU Sight Restore, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, 75012 Paris, France; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA; Academie des Sciences, Paris.
José-Alain
JA
Sahel
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM U979, 75012 Paris, France.
Mathias
M
Fink
Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Universités UPMC, University of Paris 06, INSERM UMR_S 968, CNRS UMR 7210, 75012 Paris, France.
Serge
S
Picaud
Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 7587, INSERM U979, 75012 Paris, France.
Mickaël
M
Tanter
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*