Detection and characterization of resting state functional networks in squirrel monkey brain
Anirban Sengupta1,2, Feng Wang1,2, Arabinda Mishra1,2
1Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America.
Cerebral Cortex Communications
|September 27, 2023
Summary
Squirrel monkeys (SMs) exhibit homologous brain functional networks to humans and other non-human primates (NHPs). This finding supports SMs as translational models for brain research and offers insights into brain evolution.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Anatomy
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyzes blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals to map brain functional networks.
- Understanding brain network organization across species offers insights into brain evolution and disease mechanisms.
- Squirrel monkeys (SMs) are valuable non-human primate (NHP) models in preclinical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To derive and characterize resting-state functional brain networks in anesthetized squirrel monkeys (SMs).
- To compare the functional network organization of SMs with that of humans and other NHPs.
- To assess the suitability of SMs as a translational model for neuroscience research.
Main Methods:
- Whole-brain resting-state fMRI data were acquired from anesthetized SMs.
- Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was employed to identify distinct resting-state networks (RSNs).
- Anatomical localization and connectivity patterns of RSNs were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Fifteen anatomically constrained RSNs were identified in cortical, subcortical, and white-matter regions of the SM brain.
- Detected networks included visual, somatosensory, executive control, salience, default mode, and subcortical networks (e.g., hippocampus-amygdala, thalamus).
- The identified network organization and connectivity patterns closely resembled those reported in humans and other NHPs.
Conclusions:
- Squirrel monkeys possess a homologous functional brain network organization compared to humans and other NHPs.
- This study provides strong evidence for the utility of SMs as a translational animal model for studying brain function and disorders.
- The findings contribute to our understanding of brain evolution across species.
