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Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns
Published on: May 12, 2019
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Short Latency Gray Matter Changes in Voxel-Based Morphometry following High Frequent Visual Stimulation.
Steffen Naegel1, Tim Hagenacker1, Nina Theysohn2
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
Neural Plasticity
|March 16, 2017
Summary
Simple visual stimulation causes rapid, temporary brain changes detectable by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). These findings suggest cerebral fluid shifts, not cell changes, explain VBM results and highlight the need to consider rapid alterations in future brain imaging studies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Brain Structure
Background:
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have detected brain structural changes over months or weeks.
- The molecular mechanisms behind these VBM findings are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rapidness of brain structural changes detectable by VBM.
- To explore potential mechanisms underlying short-term VBM alterations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
- Applied simple visual stimulation (alternating checkerboard pattern) to participants.
- Monitored changes in the primary and secondary visual cortex.
Main Results:
- Visual stimulation induced immediate, short-lasting alterations in the visual cortex.
- These changes were detectable by VBM within 10 minutes.
- The rapid onset excludes mechanisms like cell genesis/degeneration or synapse turnover.
Conclusions:
- Cerebral fluid shifts are proposed as the likely mechanism for rapid VBM gray matter changes.
- Fast-onset structural changes can explain inconsistencies in VBM study results.
- Future VBM experiments must account for rapid, physiologically induced changes to avoid misinterpretation.
