Altered Resting-State Functional Connectivity Between Awake and Isoflurane Anesthetized Marmosets

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Primate Research
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• The common marmoset is a valuable preclinical model for brain research.
• Resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) assesses brain functional connectivity (FC).
• Isoflurane anesthesia is commonly used in marmoset RS-fMRI to mitigate motion and stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of isoflurane anesthesia on marmoset brain FC.
• To compare FC patterns under isoflurane delivered with medical air versus 100% oxygen.
• To determine the utility of isoflurane-anesthetized RS-fMRI for preclinical studies.

Main Methods:

• Acquisition of RS-fMRI data from common marmosets under isoflurane anesthesia.
• Delivery of isoflurane using either medical air or 100% pure oxygen.
• Analysis of functional connectivity patterns within and between brain regions.

Main Results:

• Isoflurane anesthesia globally decreased FC across identified resting-state networks in marmosets.
• The overall spatial organization of resting-state networks was maintained under isoflurane.
• Significant alterations in interhemispheric and thalamic FC were observed with isoflurane.

Conclusions:

• RS-fMRI under isoflurane anesthesia is suitable for assessing the global structure of marmoset brain networks.
• Isoflurane may obscure specific functional connections, potentially limiting detailed analysis compared to awake data.
• Careful consideration of anesthesia effects is crucial for interpreting RS-fMRI findings in marmoset models.