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Updated: May 7, 2026
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Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging
Published on: February 24, 2021
Distributed BOLD and CBV-weighted resting-state networks in the mouse brain
Francesco Sforazzini1, Adam J Schwarz2, Alberto Galbusera3
1Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; IMT Institute for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy.
Neuroimage
|October 2, 2013
Summary
Researchers demonstrated robust resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) networks in mouse brains using fMRI. This finding enables cross-species brain research and investigation into neurological disorders using mouse models.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging
- Translational Research
Background:
- Laboratory mouse models are crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.
- Valid cross-species measures are essential for translating findings between mouse and human studies.
- Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is a promising tool for assessing brain function, but its presence in mice was not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the existence of robust and reproducible resting-state functional connectivity networks in the mouse brain.
- To validate the use of BOLD and CBV-weighted fMRI for mapping these networks.
- To establish a foundation for using rsFC in transgenic mouse models for disease research.
Main Methods:
- Utilized both blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) weighted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Applied Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to identify distributed networks.
- Employed seed-based analysis to confirm network specificity and identify homologous human networks.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated robust, reproducible inter-hemispheric homotopic rsFC networks in the mouse brain, including limbic, motor, and cortical areas.
- BOLD and CBV fMRI yielded consistent network findings, with CBV showing better preservation near air-tissue interfaces.
- Identified mouse brain networks homologous to human salience network (SN) and default-mode network (DMN), with DMN showing anti-correlation with fronto-parietal areas.
Conclusions:
- Established the presence of distributed intrinsic functional connectivity networks in the mouse brain.
- Validated fMRI techniques for mapping these networks, offering improved anatomical detail with CBV.
- Paved the way for applying rsFC in transgenic mouse models to study the biological basis of brain disorders.
