title: Short Latency Gray Matter Changes in Voxel-Based Morphometry following High Frequent Visual Stimulation.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging studies using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) detected structural changes in the human brain within periods of months or weeks. The underlying molecular mechanisms of VBM findings remain unresolved. We showed that simple visual stimulation by an alternating checkerboard leads to instant, short-lasting alterations of the primary and secondary visual cortex detected by VBM. The rapidness of occurrence (i.e., within 10 minutes) rather excludes most of the proposed physiological mechanism such as neural or glial cell genesis/degeneration or synapse turnover. We therefore favour cerebral fluid shifts to be the underlying correlate of the here observed VBM gray matter changes. Fast onset gray matter changes might be one important explanation for the inconsistency of VBM study results that often raise concern in regard to the validity of presented data. This study shows that changes detectable by VBM may occur within a few minutes after physiological stimulation and must be considered in future VBM experiments to avoid misinterpretation of results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1727-9362
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3631-3450
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hagenacker
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theysohn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Diener
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany; Department of Neurology, EK Unna, Holbeinstr. 10, 59423 Unna, Germany.
authors.forename: Zaza
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Katsarava
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany; Center for Neurology, Asklepios Hospitals Schildautal, Karl-Herold-Straße 1, 38723 Seesen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult