A consensus protocol for functional connectivity analysis in the rat brain

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Animal Models

Background:

• Task-free functional connectivity in animal models is crucial for understanding brain networks under controlled conditions.
• Current variations in animal imaging protocols hinder data comparison and integration across studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce StandardRat, a consensus functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition protocol for rats.
• To establish a reproducible analysis pipeline for rat fMRI data.
• To enhance the comparability and reliability of functional connectivity findings in rat models.

Main Methods:

• Aggregated 65 functional imaging datasets from 46 centers to inform protocol development.
• Developed and tested a consensus rat fMRI acquisition protocol (StandardRat) across 20 centers.
• Created a reproducible data analysis pipeline for diverse rat fMRI protocols.

Main Results:

• The standardized protocol demonstrated enhanced detection of biologically plausible functional connectivity patterns.
• The developed pipeline identified experimental and processing parameters for robust functional connectivity detection.
• Significant improvement in the consistency of functional connectivity results across centers using the StandardRat protocol.

Conclusions:

• StandardRat provides a standardized framework for rat fMRI acquisition, promoting interoperability.
• The shared protocol and pipeline facilitate cooperation and data integration in rodent neuroscience.
• This initiative aims to advance the understanding of brain connectivity by enabling robust cross-center comparisons.