Animal Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Trends and Path Toward Standardization

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Animal Models

Background:

• Animal whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a key tool for studying brain activity and mechanisms in health and disease.
• Rapid advancements in resting-state fMRI and neuromodulatory tools have accelerated animal fMRI research.
• Lack of standardization currently hinders comparability and reproducibility across different research sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore current trends in animal fMRI research.
• To identify critical factors in study design, data acquisition, and post-processing that impact results and comparability.
• To propose standardized practices to improve between-lab reproducibility and facilitate large-scale imaging efforts.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of past and present trends in the animal fMRI community.
• Analysis of critical aspects influencing study results and inter-site comparability.
• Suggestion of best practices for standardization and reproducibility.

Main Results:

• Mouse resting-state functional connectivity has shown convergence across centers, but significant discrepancies in sensitivity and specificity persist.
• Key aspects affecting comparability include study design, data acquisition parameters, and post-processing choices.
• Standardization efforts are needed to address these discrepancies.

Conclusions:

• Implementing standardized animal neuroimaging protocols is essential for robust scientific evidence.
• Standardization will facilitate population imaging, meta-analyses, and replication studies.
• Adoption of community-wide standards will significantly improve the reliability and validity of animal fMRI research.