Functional Neural Connectivity of the Mouse Brain using Photoacoustic Ultrasound Imaging

Brain connectomes are insightful models that describe the connectivity of different regions throughout the brain. These connectomes are traditionally generated through temporal correlation of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Photoacoustic ultrasound (PAU) can also detect oxygenation levels while being more accessible and cost effective than fMRI. We propose the use of PAU to generate brain connectomes as an alternative to fMRI. In this study we successfully developed a pipeline for processing PAU data from whole brain scans of mice models and found that the connectomes it produced were comparable to those generated by fMRI, particularly, in detecting connections previously documented in the literature. Our findings suggest that PAU is a promising alternative to fMRI for mapping brain connectome, offering advantages in sensitivity and accessibility, making it a valuable tool for future research on brain connectivity.