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Updated: Dec 8, 2025
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Whole-Brain 3D Activation and Functional Connectivity Mapping in Mice using Transcranial Functional Ultrasound Imaging
Published on: February 24, 2021
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A whole-brain connectivity map of mouse insular cortex.
Daniel A Gehrlach1,2, Caroline Weiand1,3, Thomas N Gaitanos1
1Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Martinsried, Germany.
Elife
|September 17, 2020
Summary
This study comprehensively mapped the mouse insular cortex (IC) brain connections. Findings reveal distinct connectivity patterns, suggesting two functional compartments within the IC.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain connectivity mapping
- Insular cortex function
Background:
- The insular cortex (IC) is crucial for emotional and regulatory functions.
- Psychiatric diseases often involve alterations in the IC.
- Comprehensive mapping of the mouse IC's whole-brain connections is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comprehensive whole-brain tracing of inputs and outputs for the mouse insular cortex (IC).
- To differentiate connectivity patterns based on cell type (excitatory/inhibitory) and IC subregions.
- To provide an anatomical basis for understanding IC's role in brain function and disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cell-type-specific monosynaptic rabies virus tracing for afferent connections.
- Employed adeno-associated viral tracing to map excitatory efferent axons.
- Traced connections across the entire rostro-caudal extent of the mouse IC.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated highly bidirectional connectivity between the IC and other cortical regions.
- Identified predominantly unidirectional pathways between the IC and subcortical structures.
- Revealed distinct connectivity patterns in the anterior IC compared to posterior and medial regions, suggesting two functional compartments.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a detailed map of the mouse IC's brain-wide anatomical connections.
- Findings suggest the IC comprises at least two major functional compartments based on connectivity.
- This anatomical framework will guide future research into the IC's role in cognition, emotion, and psychiatric disorders.
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