Structural Basis of Large-Scale Functional Connectivity in the Mouse

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Systems Neuroscience
• Connectomics

Background:

• Translational neuroimaging demands methods bridging species and diseases.
• Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) reveals functional connectivity (FC), often mirroring structural connectivity (SC) in humans and primates.
• Investigating mouse models requires understanding if their FC aligns with SC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare rs-fMRI derived FC with monosynaptic structural connectivity in female mice.
• To determine if the mouse functional connectome conforms to the underlying structural connectome.
• To validate rs-fMRI as a translational tool for brain circuitry research.

Main Methods:

• rs-fMRI was used to measure FC in female mice.
• FC data was compared with the Allen Brain Connectivity Atlas's monosynaptic SC data.
• Analysis focused on interhemispheric, cortico-striatal, and cortico-thalamic pathways.

Main Results:

• FC in homotopic cortical and hippocampal areas, and cortico-striatal pathways, primarily follows monosynaptic SC.
• Striatal regions show differential FC patterns mirroring SC with the isocortex.
• Some subcortical FC, like in the striatum, may involve polysynaptic pathways and top-down cortical control.

Conclusions:

• Mouse functional connectome largely corresponds to structural connectivity, especially in cortico-cortical and cortico-striatal networks.
• This correspondence validates rs-fMRI as a translational tool for studying brain circuitry and its pathologies.
• Findings support the use of mouse models for understanding neurological and psychiatric diseases across species.