High-resolution fMRI mapping of ocular dominance layers in cat lateral geniculate nucleus
Zhang, Nanyin ; Zhu, Xiao-Hong ; Zhang, Yi ; Park, Jae-keun ; Chen, Wei
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Abstract
In this work, we exploited the superior capability of high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for functional mapping of ocular dominance layer (ODL) in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The stimulus-evoked neuronal activities in the LGN ODLs associated with contralateral- and ipsilateral-eye visual inputs were successfully differentiated and mapped using both blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD)-weighted and cerebral blood volume (CBV)-weighted fMRI methods. The morphology of mapped LGN ODLs was in remarkable consistency with histology findings in terms of ODL shape, orientation, thickness and eye-dominance. Compared with the BOLD signal, the CBV signal provides higher reproducibility and better spatial resolvability for function mapping of LGN because of improved contrast-to-noise ratio and point-spread function. The capability of fMRI for non-invasively imaging the functional sub-units of ODL in a small LGN overcomes the limitation of conventional neural-recording approach, and it opens a new opportunity for studying critical roles of LGN in brain function and dysfunction at the fine scale of ocular dominance layer.
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Neuroimage. 2010 May 1;50(4):1456-63. Epub 2010 Jan 28. Link to article on publisher's site