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Hansen JY, Cauzzo S, Singh K, García-Gomar MG, Shine JM, Bianciardi M, Misic B. Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures. Nat Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41593-024-01787-0. [PMID: 39414973 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01787-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
The brainstem is a fundamental component of the central nervous system, yet it is typically excluded from in vivo human brain mapping efforts, precluding a complete understanding of how the brainstem influences cortical function. In this study, we used high-resolution 7-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to derive a functional connectome encompassing cortex and 58 brainstem nuclei spanning the midbrain, pons and medulla. We identified a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with cerebral cortex. Patterns of connectivity between brainstem and cerebral cortex manifest as neurophysiological oscillatory rhythms, patterns of cognitive functional specialization and the unimodal-transmodal functional hierarchy. This persistent alignment between cortical functional topographies and brainstem nuclei is shaped by the spatial arrangement of multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We replicated all findings using 3-Tesla data from the same participants. Collectively, this work demonstrates that multiple organizational features of cortical activity can be traced back to the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Y Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Center for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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2
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Xie B, Ni H, Wang Y, Yao J, Xu Z, Zhu K, Bian S, Song P, Wu Y, Yu Y, Dong F. Dynamic Functional Network Connectivity in Acute Incomplete Cervical Cord Injury Patients and Its Associations With Sensorimotor Dysfunction Measures. World Neurosurg 2024:S1878-8750(24)01529-8. [PMID: 39243971 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.08.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) captures temporal variations in functional connectivity during magnetic resonance imaging acquisition. However, the neural mechanisms driving dFNC alterations in the brain networks of patients with acute incomplete cervical cord injury (AICCI) remain unclear. METHODS This study included 16 AICCI patients and 16 healthy controls. Initially, independent component analysis was employed to extract whole-brain independent components from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Subsequently, a sliding time window approach, combined with k-means clustering, was used to estimate dFNC states for each participant. Finally, a correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between sensorimotor dysfunction scores in AICCI patients and the temporal characteristics of dFNC. RESULTS Independent component analysis was employed to extract 26 whole-brain independent components. Subsequent dynamic analysis identified 4 distinct connectivity states across the entire cohort. Notably, AICCI patients demonstrated a significant preference for State 3 compared to healthy controls, as evidenced by a higher frequency and longer duration spent in this state. Conversely, State 4 exhibited a reduced frequency and shorter dwell time in AICCI patients. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed a positive association between sensorimotor dysfunction and both the mean dwell time and the fraction of time spent in State 3. CONCLUSIONS Patients with AICCI demonstrate abnormal connectivity within dFNC states, and the temporal characteristics of dFNC are associated with sensorimotor dysfunction scores. These findings highlight the potential of dFNC as a sensitive biomarker for detecting network functional changes in AICCI patients, providing valuable insights into the dynamic alterations in brain connectivity related to sensorimotor dysfunction in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyong Xie
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Haoyu Ni
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiyuan Yao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhibin Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kun Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Sicheng Bian
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peiwen Song
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yongqiang Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fulong Dong
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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3
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Dabbagh A, Horn U, Kaptan M, Mildner T, Müller R, Lepsien J, Weiskopf N, Brooks JCW, Finsterbusch J, Eippert F. Reliability of task-based fMRI in the dorsal horn of the human spinal cord. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.22.572825. [PMID: 38187724 PMCID: PMC10769329 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.572825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the human spinal cord is still a relatively small field of research and faces many challenges. Here we aimed to probe the limitations of task-based spinal fMRI at 3T by investigating the reliability of spinal cord blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to repeated nociceptive stimulation across two consecutive days in 40 healthy volunteers. We assessed the test-retest reliability of subjective ratings, autonomic responses, and spinal cord BOLD responses to short heat pain stimuli (1s duration) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). At the group level, we observed robust autonomic responses as well as spatially specific spinal cord BOLD responses at the expected location, but no spatial overlap in BOLD response patterns across days. While autonomic indicators of pain processing showed good-to-excellent reliability, both β-estimates and z-scores of task-related BOLD responses showed poor reliability across days in the target region (gray matter of the ipsilateral dorsal horn). When taking into account the sensitivity of gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GE-EPI) to draining vein signals by including the venous plexus in the analysis, we observed BOLD responses with fair reliability across days. Taken together, these results demonstrate that heat pain stimuli as short as one second are able to evoke a robust and spatially specific BOLD response, which is however strongly variable within participants across time, resulting in low reliability in the dorsal horn gray matter. Further improvements in data acquisition and analysis techniques are thus necessary before event-related spinal cord fMRI as used here can be reliably employed in longitudinal designs or clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Dabbagh
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Horn
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Merve Kaptan
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, CA, USA
| | - Toralf Mildner
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roland Müller
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jöran Lepsien
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia Wellcome Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (UWWBIC), Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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4
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Mardell LC, Spedden ME, O'Neill GC, Tierney TM, Timms RC, Zich C, Barnes GR, Bestmann S. Concurrent spinal and brain imaging with optically pumped magnetometers. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 406:110131. [PMID: 38583588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spinal cord and its interactions with the brain are fundamental for movement control and somatosensation. However, brain and spinal electrophysiology in humans have largely been treated as distinct enterprises, in part due to the relative inaccessibility of the spinal cord. Consequently, there is a dearth of knowledge on human spinal electrophysiology, including the multiple pathologies that affect the spinal cord as well as the brain. NEW METHOD Here we exploit recent advances in the development of wearable optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) which can be flexibly arranged to provide coverage of both the spinal cord and the brain in relatively unconstrained environments. This system for magnetospinoencephalography (MSEG) measures both spinal and cortical signals simultaneously by employing custom-made scanning casts. RESULTS We evidence the utility of such a system by recording spinal and cortical evoked responses to median nerve stimulation at the wrist. MSEG revealed early (10 - 15 ms) and late (>20 ms) responses at the spinal cord, in addition to typical cortical evoked responses (i.e., N20). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Early spinal evoked responses detected were in line with conventional somatosensory evoked potential recordings. CONCLUSION This MSEG system demonstrates the novel ability for concurrent non-invasive millisecond imaging of brain and spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia C Mardell
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Meaghan E Spedden
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - George C O'Neill
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Tim M Tierney
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Ryan C Timms
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Catharina Zich
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, UK; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK
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5
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Agyeman KA, Lee DJ, Russin J, Kreydin EI, Choi W, Abedi A, Lo YT, Cavaleri J, Wu K, Edgerton VR, Liu C, Christopoulos VN. Functional ultrasound imaging of the human spinal cord. Neuron 2024; 112:1710-1722.e3. [PMID: 38458198 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Utilizing the first in-human functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) of the spinal cord, we demonstrate the integration of spinal functional responses to electrical stimulation. We record and characterize the hemodynamic responses of the spinal cord to a neuromodulatory intervention commonly used for treating pain and increasingly used for the restoration of sensorimotor and autonomic function. We found that the hemodynamic response to stimulation reflects a spatiotemporal modulation of the spinal cord circuitry not previously recognized. Our analytical capability offers a mechanism to assess blood flow changes with a new level of spatial and temporal precision in vivo and demonstrates that fUSI can decode the functional state of spinal networks in a single trial, which is of fundamental importance for developing real-time closed-loop neuromodulation systems. This work is a critical step toward developing a vital technique to study spinal cord function and effects of clinical neuromodulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Agyeman
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - D J Lee
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - J Russin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - E I Kreydin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, USA; Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - W Choi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - A Abedi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Y T Lo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - J Cavaleri
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - K Wu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - V R Edgerton
- Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, USA.
| | - C Liu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, CA, USA; Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - V N Christopoulos
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
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6
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Celinskis D, Black CJ, Murphy J, Barrios-Anderson A, Friedman NG, Shaner NC, Saab CY, Gomez-Ramirez M, Borton DA, Moore CI. Toward a brighter constellation: multiorgan neuroimaging of neural and vascular dynamics in the spinal cord and brain. NEUROPHOTONICS 2024; 11:024209. [PMID: 38725801 PMCID: PMC11079446 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.2.024209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Significance Pain comprises a complex interaction between motor action and somatosensation that is dependent on dynamic interactions between the brain and spinal cord. This makes understanding pain particularly challenging as it involves rich interactions between many circuits (e.g., neural and vascular) and signaling cascades throughout the body. As such, experimentation on a single region may lead to an incomplete and potentially incorrect understanding of crucial underlying mechanisms. Aim We aimed to develop and validate tools to enable detailed and extended observation of neural and vascular activity in the brain and spinal cord. The first key set of innovations was targeted to developing novel imaging hardware that addresses the many challenges of multisite imaging. The second key set of innovations was targeted to enabling bioluminescent (BL) imaging, as this approach can address limitations of fluorescent microscopy including photobleaching, phototoxicity, and decreased resolution due to scattering of excitation signals. Approach We designed 3D-printed brain and spinal cord implants to enable effective surgical implantations and optical access with wearable miniscopes or an open window (e.g., for one- or two-photon microscopy or optogenetic stimulation). We also tested the viability for BL imaging and developed a novel modified miniscope optimized for these signals (BLmini). Results We describe "universal" implants for acute and chronic simultaneous brain-spinal cord imaging and optical stimulation. We further describe successful imaging of BL signals in both foci and a new miniscope, the "BLmini," which has reduced weight, cost, and form-factor relative to standard wearable miniscopes. Conclusions The combination of 3D-printed implants, advanced imaging tools, and bioluminescence imaging techniques offers a coalition of methods for understanding spinal cord-brain interactions. Our work has the potential for use in future research into neuropathic pain and other sensory disorders and motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitrijs Celinskis
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | | | - Jeremy Murphy
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | | | - Nina G. Friedman
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Nathan C. Shaner
- University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Carl Y. Saab
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Neurological Institute, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
| | - Manuel Gomez-Ramirez
- University of Rochester, School of Arts and Sciences, Rochester, New York, United States
| | - David A. Borton
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Brown University, School of Engineering, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
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7
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Seifert AC, Xu J, Kong Y, Eippert F, Miller KL, Tracey I, Vannesjo SJ. Thermal stimulus task fMRI in the cervical spinal cord at 7 Tesla. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26597. [PMID: 38375948 PMCID: PMC10877664 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely applied in the brain, fMRI of the spinal cord is more technically demanding. Proximity to the vertebral column and lungs results in strong spatial inhomogeneity and temporal fluctuations in B0 . Increasing field strength enables higher spatial resolution and improved sensitivity to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal, but amplifies the effects of B0 inhomogeneity. In this work, we present the first task fMRI in the spinal cord at 7 T. Further, we compare the performance of single-shot and multi-shot 2D echo-planar imaging (EPI) protocols, which differ in sensitivity to spatial and temporal B0 inhomogeneity. The cervical spinal cords of 11 healthy volunteers were scanned at 7 T using single-shot 2D EPI at 0.75 mm in-plane resolution and multi-shot 2D EPI at 0.75 and 0.6 mm in-plane resolutions. All protocols used 3 mm slice thickness. For each protocol, the BOLD response to 13 10-s noxious thermal stimuli applied to the right thumb was acquired in a 10-min fMRI run. Image quality, temporal signal to noise ratio (SNR), and BOLD activation (percent signal change and z-stat) at both individual- and group-level were evaluated between the protocols. Temporal SNR was highest in single-shot and multi-shot 0.75 mm protocols. In group-level analyses, activation clusters appeared in all protocols in the ipsilateral dorsal quadrant at the expected C6 neurological level. In individual-level analyses, activation clusters at the expected level were detected in some, but not all subjects and protocols. Single-shot 0.75 mm generally produced the highest mean z-statistic, while multi-shot 0.60 mm produced the best-localized activation clusters and the least geometric distortion. Larger than expected within-subject segmental variation of BOLD activation along the cord was observed. Group-level sensory task fMRI of the cervical spinal cord is feasible at 7 T with single-shot or multi-shot EPI. The best choice of protocol will likely depend on the relative importance of sensitivity to activation versus spatial localization of activation for a given experiment. PRACTITIONER POINTS: First stimulus task fMRI results in the spinal cord at 7 T. Single-shot 0.75 mm 2D EPI produced the highest mean z-statistic. Multi-shot 0.60 mm 2D EPI provided the best-localized activation and least distortion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C. Seifert
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional RadiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Junqian Xu
- Department of RadiologyBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Falk Eippert
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Max Planck Research Group Pain PerceptionMax Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Karla L. Miller
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Irene Tracey
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - S. Johanna Vannesjo
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of PhysicsNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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8
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Kowalczyk OS, Medina S, Tsivaka D, McMahon SB, Williams SCR, Brooks JCW, Lythgoe DJ, Howard MA. Spinal fMRI demonstrates segmental organisation of functionally connected networks in the cervical spinal cord: A test-retest reliability study. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26600. [PMID: 38339896 PMCID: PMC10831202 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified intrinsic spinal cord activity, which forms organised motor (ventral) and sensory (dorsal) resting-state networks. However, to facilitate the use of spinal fMRI in, for example, clinical studies, it is crucial to first assess the reliability of the method, particularly given the unique anatomical, physiological, and methodological challenges associated with acquiring the data. Here, we characterise functional connectivity relationships in the cervical cord and assess their between-session test-retest reliability in 23 young healthy volunteers. Resting-state networks were estimated in two ways (1) by estimating seed-to-voxel connectivity maps and (2) by calculating seed-to-seed correlations. Seed regions corresponded to the four grey matter horns (ventral/dorsal and left/right) of C5-C8 segmental levels. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Spatial overlap of clusters derived from seed-to-voxel analysis between sessions was examined using Dice coefficients. Following seed-to-voxel analysis, we observed distinct unilateral dorsal and ventral organisation of cervical spinal resting-state networks that was largely confined in the rostro-caudal extent to each spinal segmental level, with more sparse connections observed between segments. Additionally, strongest correlations were observed between within-segment ipsilateral dorsal-ventral connections, followed by within-segment dorso-dorsal and ventro-ventral connections. Test-retest reliability of these networks was mixed. Reliability was poor when assessed on a voxelwise level, with more promising indications of reliability when examining the average signal within clusters. Reliability of correlation strength between seeds was highly variable, with the highest reliability achieved in ipsilateral dorsal-ventral and dorso-dorsal/ventro-ventral connectivity. However, the spatial overlap of networks between sessions was excellent. We demonstrate that while test-retest reliability of cervical spinal resting-state networks is mixed, their spatial extent is similar across sessions, suggesting that these networks are characterised by a consistent spatial representation over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia S. Kowalczyk
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Sonia Medina
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Dimitra Tsivaka
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Medical Physics Department, Medical SchoolUniversity of ThessalyLarisaGreece
| | | | - Steven C. R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - David J. Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Matthew A. Howard
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
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Vahdat S, Landelle C, Lungu O, De Leener B, Doyon J, Baniasad F. FASB: an integrated processing pipeline for Functional Analysis of simultaneous Spinal cord-Brain fMRI. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3889284. [PMID: 38352433 PMCID: PMC10862948 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3889284/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the spinal cord and brain represents a powerful method for examining both ascending sensory and descending motor pathways in humans in vivo . However, its image acquisition protocols, and processing pipeline are less well established. This limitation is mainly due to technical difficulties related to spinal cord fMRI, and problems with the logistics stemming from a large field of view covering both brain and cervical cord. Here, we propose an acquisition protocol optimized for both anatomical and functional images, as well as an optimized integrated image processing pipeline, which consists of a novel approach for automatic modeling and mitigating the negative impact of spinal voxels with low temporal signal to noise ratio (tSNR). We validate our integrated pipeline, named FASB, using simultaneous fMRI data acquired during the performance of a motor task, as well as during resting-state conditions. We demonstrate that FASB outperforms the current spinal fMRI processing methods in three domains, including motion correction, registration to the spinal cord template, and improved detection power of the group-level analysis by removing the effects of participant-specific low tSNR voxels, typically observed at the disk level. Using FASB, we identify significant task-based activations in the expected sensorimotor network associated with a unilateral handgrip force production task across the entire central nervous system, including the contralateral sensorimotor cortex, thalamus, striatum, cerebellum, brainstem, as well as ipsilateral ventral horn at C5-C8 cervical levels. Additionally, our results show significant task-based functional connectivity between the key sensory and motor brain areas and the dorsal and ventral horns of the cervical cord. Overall, our proposed acquisition protocol and processing pipeline provide a robust method for characterizing the activation and functional connectivity of distinct cortical, subcortical, brainstem and spinal cord regions in humans.
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10
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Rafati Fard A, Mowforth OD, Yuan M, Myrtle S, Lee KS, Banerjee A, Khan M, Kotter MR, Newcombe VFJ, Stamatakis EA, Davies BM. Brain MRI changes in degenerative cervical myelopathy: a systematic review. EBioMedicine 2024; 99:104915. [PMID: 38113760 PMCID: PMC10772405 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of adult spinal cord dysfunction globally. Associated neurological symptoms and signs have historically been explained by pathobiology within the cervical spine. However, recent advances in imaging have shed light on numerous brain changes in patients with DCM, and it is hypothesised that these changes contribute to DCM pathogenesis. The aetiology, significance, and distribution of these supraspinal changes is currently unknown. The objective was therefore to synthesise all current evidence on brain changes in DCM. METHODS A systematic review was performed. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with magnetic resonance imaging on a cohort of patients with DCM were eligible. PRISMA guidelines were followed. MEDLINE and Embase were searched to 28th August 2023. Duplicate title/abstract screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessments were conducted. A qualitative synthesis of the literature is presented as per the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) reporting guideline. The review was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022298538). FINDINGS Of the 2014 studies that were screened, 47 studies were identified that used MRI to investigate brain changes in DCM. In total, 1500 patients with DCM were included in the synthesis, with a mean age of 53 years. Brain alterations on MRI were associated with DCM both before and after surgery, particularly within the sensorimotor network, visual network, default mode network, thalamus and cerebellum. Associations were commonly reported between brain MRI alterations and clinical measures, particularly the Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) score. Risk of bias of included studies was low to moderate. INTERPRETATION The rapidly expanding literature provides mounting evidence for brain changes in DCM. We have identified key structures and pathways that are altered, although there remains uncertainty regarding the directionality and clinical significance of these changes. Future studies with greater sample sizes, more detailed phenotyping and longer follow-up are now needed. FUNDING ODM is supported by an Academic Clinical Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. BMD is supported by an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Cambridge (NIHR300696). VFJN is supported by an NIHR Rosetrees Trust Advanced Fellowship (NIHR302544). This project was supported by an award from the Rosetrees Foundation with the Storygate Trust (A2844).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Rafati Fard
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Oliver D Mowforth
- Division of Academic Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Melissa Yuan
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel Myrtle
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Keng Siang Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Arka Banerjee
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maaz Khan
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark R Kotter
- Division of Academic Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Virginia F J Newcombe
- PACE Section, Department of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- PACE Section, Department of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Benjamin M Davies
- Division of Academic Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Celinskis D, Black CJ, Murphy J, Barrios-Anderson A, Friedman N, Shaner NC, Saab C, Gomez-Ramirez M, Lipscombe D, Borton DA, Moore CI. Towards a Brighter Constellation: Multi-Organ Neuroimaging of Neural and Vascular Dynamics in the Spinal Cord and Brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.25.573323. [PMID: 38234789 PMCID: PMC10793404 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.25.573323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Significance Pain is comprised of a complex interaction between motor action and somatosensation that is dependent on dynamic interactions between the brain and spinal cord. This makes understanding pain particularly challenging as it involves rich interactions between many circuits (e.g., neural and vascular) and signaling cascades throughout the body. As such, experimentation on a single region may lead to an incomplete and potentially incorrect understanding of crucial underlying mechanisms. Aim Here, we aimed to develop and validate new tools to enable detailed and extended observation of neural and vascular activity in the brain and spinal cord. The first key set of innovations were targeted to developing novel imaging hardware that addresses the many challenges of multi-site imaging. The second key set of innovations were targeted to enabling bioluminescent imaging, as this approach can address limitations of fluorescent microscopy including photobleaching, phototoxicity and decreased resolution due to scattering of excitation signals. Approach We designed 3D-printed brain and spinal cord implants to enable effective surgical implantations and optical access with wearable miniscopes or an open window (e.g., for one- or two-photon microscopy or optogenetic stimulation). We also tested the viability for bioluminescent imaging, and developed a novel modified miniscope optimized for these signals (BLmini). Results Here, we describe novel 'universal' implants for acute and chronic simultaneous brain-spinal cord imaging and optical stimulation. We further describe successful imaging of bioluminescent signals in both foci, and a new miniscope, the 'BLmini,' which has reduced weight, cost and form-factor relative to standard wearable miniscopes. Conclusions The combination of 3D printed implants, advanced imaging tools, and bioluminescence imaging techniques offers a new coalition of methods for understanding spinal cord-brain interactions. This work has the potential for use in future research into neuropathic pain and other sensory disorders and motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeremy Murphy
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Nina Friedman
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nathan C. Shaner
- University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carl Saab
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | | | - David A. Borton
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Providence, RI, USA
- School of Engineering, Brown University, RI, USA
- Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, RI, USA
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12
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Braaß H, Feldheim J, Chu Y, Tinnermann A, Finsterbusch J, Büchel C, Schulz R, Gerloff C. Association between activity in the ventral premotor cortex and spinal cord activation during force generation-A combined cortico-spinal fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6471-6483. [PMID: 37873743 PMCID: PMC10681651 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Force generation is a crucial element of dexterity and a highly relevant skill of the human motor system. How cerebral and spinal components interact and how spinal activation is associated with the activity in the cerebral primary motor and premotor areas is poorly understood. Here, we conducted combined cortico-spinal functional magnetic resonance imaging during a simple visually guided isometric force generation task in 20 healthy young subjects. Activation was localized in the right cervical spinal cord and left primary motor and premotor areas. The main finding is that spinal activation was negatively correlated with ventral premotor cortex activation. Spinal activation was furthermore significantly correlated with primary motor cortex activation, while increasing target forces led to an increase in the amount of activation. These data indicate that human premotor areas such as the ventral premotor cortex might be functionally connected to the lower cervical spinal cord contributing to distal upper limb functions, a finding that extends our understanding of human motor function beyond the animal literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Braaß
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Jan Feldheim
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Ying Chu
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Alexandra Tinnermann
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Institute of Systems NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Robert Schulz
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Christian Gerloff
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
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13
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Kinany N, Pirondini E, Micera S, Van De Ville D. Spinal Cord fMRI: A New Window into the Central Nervous System. Neuroscientist 2023; 29:715-731. [PMID: 35822665 PMCID: PMC10623605 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221101827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
With the brain, the spinal cord forms the central nervous system. Initially considered a passive relay between the brain and the periphery, the spinal cord is now recognized as being active and plastic. Yet, it remains largely overlooked by the human neuroscience community, in stark contrast with the wealth of research investigating the brain. In this review, we argue that fMRI, traditionally used to image cerebral function, can be extended beyond the brain to help unravel spinal mechanisms involved in human behaviors. To this end, we first outline strategies that have been proposed to tackle the challenges inherent to spinal cord fMRI. Then, we discuss how they have been utilized to provide insights into the functional organization of spinal sensorimotor circuits, highlighting their potential to address fundamental and clinical questions. By summarizing guidelines and applications of spinal cord fMRI, we hope to stimulate and support further research into this promising yet underexplored field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Kinany
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Medical Image Processing Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elvira Pirondini
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of BioEngineering, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Rehabilitation Neural Engineering Laboratories, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Silvestro Micera
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Translational Neural Engineering Area, The Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Medical Image Processing Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
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14
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Hansen JY, Cauzzo S, Singh K, García-Gomar MG, Shine JM, Bianciardi M, Misic B. Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3569352. [PMID: 38076888 PMCID: PMC10705693 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3569352/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The brainstem is a fundamental component of the central nervous system yet it is typically excluded from in vivo human brain mapping efforts, precluding a complete understanding of how the brainstem influences cortical function. Here we use high-resolution 7 Tesla fMRI to derive a functional connectome encompassing cortex as well as 58 brainstem nuclei spanning the midbrain, pons and medulla. We identify a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with cerebral cortex. Patterns of connectivity between brainstem and cerebral cortex manifest as multiple emergent phenomena including neurophysiological oscillatory rhythms, patterns of cognitive functional specialization, and the unimodal-transmodal functional hierarchy. This persistent alignment between cortical functional topographies and brainstem nuclei is shaped by the spatial arrangement of multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We replicate all findings using 3 Tesla data from the same participants. Collectively, we find that multiple organizational features of cortical activity can be traced back to the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Y. Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Center for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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15
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Hansen JY, Cauzzo S, Singh K, García-Gomar MG, Shine JM, Bianciardi M, Misic B. Integrating brainstem and cortical functional architectures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564245. [PMID: 37961347 PMCID: PMC10634864 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The brainstem is a fundamental component of the central nervous system yet it is typically excluded from in vivo human brain mapping efforts, precluding a complete understanding of how the brainstem influences cortical function. Here we use high-resolution 7 Tesla fMRI to derive a functional connectome encompassing cortex as well as 58 brainstem nuclei spanning the midbrain, pons and medulla. We identify a compact set of integrative hubs in the brainstem with widespread connectivity with cerebral cortex. Patterns of connectivity between brainstem and cerebral cortex manifest as multiple emergent phenomena including neurophysiological oscillatory rhythms, patterns of cognitive functional specialization, and the unimodal-transmodal functional hierarchy. This persistent alignment between cortical functional topographies and brainstem nuclei is shaped by the spatial arrangement of multiple neurotransmitter receptors and transporters. We replicate all findings using 3 Tesla data from the same participants. Collectively, we find that multiple organizational features of cortical activity can be traced back to the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Y. Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simone Cauzzo
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Center for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Kavita Singh
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - María Guadalupe García-Gomar
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, México
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Brainstem Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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16
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Combes A, Narisetti L, Sengupta A, Rogers BP, Sweeney G, Prock L, Houston D, McKnight CD, Gore JC, Smith SA, O'Grady KP. Detection of resting-state functional connectivity in the lumbar spinal cord with 3T MRI. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18189. [PMID: 37875563 PMCID: PMC10597994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional MRI (fMRI) of the spinal cord is an expanding area of research with potential to investigate neuronal activity in the central nervous system. We aimed to characterize the functional connectivity features of the human lumbar spinal cord using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) at 3T, using region-based and data-driven analysis approaches. A 3D multi-shot gradient echo resting-state blood oxygenation level dependent-sensitive rs-fMRI protocol was implemented in 26 healthy participants. Average temporal signal-to-noise ratio in the gray matter was 16.35 ± 4.79 after denoising. Evidence of synchronous signal fluctuations in the ventral and dorsal horns with their contralateral counterparts was observed in representative participants using interactive, exploratory seed-based correlations. Group-wise average in-slice Pearson's correlations were 0.43 ± 0.17 between ventral horns, and 0.48 ± 0.16 between dorsal horns. Group spatial independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify areas of coherent activity¸ and revealed components within the gray matter corresponding to anatomical regions. Lower-dimensionality ICA revealed bilateral components corresponding to ventral and dorsal networks. Additional separate ICAs were run on two subsets of the participant group, yielding two sets of components that showed visual consistency and moderate spatial overlap. This work shows feasibility of rs-fMRI to probe the functional features and organization of the lumbar spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Combes
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Lipika Narisetti
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Anirban Sengupta
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Baxter P Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Grace Sweeney
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Logan Prock
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Delaney Houston
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Colin D McKnight
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Kristin P O'Grady
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Ave S, MCN AA1105, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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17
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Kaptan M, Horn U, Vannesjo SJ, Mildner T, Weiskopf N, Finsterbusch J, Brooks JCW, Eippert F. Reliability of resting-state functional connectivity in the human spinal cord: Assessing the impact of distinct noise sources. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120152. [PMID: 37142169 PMCID: PMC10262064 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The investigation of spontaneous fluctuations of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal has recently been extended from the brain to the spinal cord, where it has stimulated interest from a clinical perspective. A number of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated robust functional connectivity between the time series of BOLD fluctuations in bilateral dorsal horns and between those in bilateral ventral horns, in line with the functional neuroanatomy of the spinal cord. A necessary step prior to extension to clinical studies is assessing the reliability of such resting-state signals, which we aimed to do here in a group of 45 healthy young adults at the clinically prevalent field strength of 3T. When investigating connectivity in the entire cervical spinal cord, we observed fair to good reliability for dorsal-dorsal and ventral-ventral connectivity, whereas reliability was poor for within- and between-hemicord dorsal-ventral connectivity. Considering how prone spinal cord fMRI is to noise, we extensively investigated the impact of distinct noise sources and made two crucial observations: removal of physiological noise led to a reduction in functional connectivity strength and reliability - due to the removal of stable and participant-specific noise patterns - whereas removal of thermal noise considerably increased the detectability of functional connectivity without a clear influence on reliability. Finally, we also assessed connectivity within spinal cord segments and observed that while the pattern of connectivity was similar to that of whole cervical cord, reliability at the level of single segments was consistently poor. Taken together, our results demonstrate the presence of reliable resting-state functional connectivity in the human spinal cord even after thoroughly accounting for physiological and thermal noise, but at the same time urge caution if focal changes in connectivity (e.g. due to segmental lesions) are to be studied, especially in a longitudinal manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kaptan
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Ulrike Horn
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - S Johanna Vannesjo
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Toralf Mildner
- Methods & Development Group Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan C W Brooks
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia Wellcome Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (UWWBIC), Norwich, UK
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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18
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Tsivaka D, Williams SCR, Medina S, Kowalczyk OS, Brooks JCW, Howard MA, Lythgoe DJ, Tsougos I. A second-order and slice-specific linear shimming technique to improve spinal cord fMRI. Magn Reson Imaging 2023:S0730-725X(23)00108-X. [PMID: 37353180 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a second-order and slice-specific linear shimming technique and investigate its efficiency in the mitigation of signal loss and distortions, and the increase of temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) within the spinal cord during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the human cervical spinal cord. METHODS All scans were performed on a General Electric Discovery MR750 3 T scanner, using a head, neck and spine coil and a neurovascular array. To improve B0 homogeneity, a field map was acquired, and second-order shims (SOS) were optimized over manually defined regions of interest (ROIs). Signal loss from dephasing by susceptibility-induced gradients was reduced by optimizing slice-specific x-, y- and z-shims to maximize signal within the spinal cord. Spectral-spatial excitation pulses were used in both the slice-specific linear shimming calibration scan and fMRI acquisitions. The shimming technique's efficiency was initially tested on eight healthy volunteers by comparing tSNR between images acquired with the manufacturer's standard linear shimming and with our SOS and xyz-shimming technique. Subsequently, using an increased spatial resolution as needed for fMRI of the spinal cord, tSNR measurements were performed on resting-state fMRI images from 14 healthy participants. RESULTS Spinal fMRI images acquired with only the standard linear shimming suffered from severe signal loss below the C5 vertebral level. The developed shimming technique compensated for this loss especially at levels C6 and C7, while tSNR was significantly higher at all vertebral levels with SOS and xyz-shimming than without it. CONCLUSION A comprehensive shimming approach which includes the use of spectral-spatial excitation pulses along with both second-order and slice-specific linear shim optimization reduces regional signal loss and increases tSNR along the c-spine (C3-C7), improving the ability to record functional signals from the human spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tsivaka
- Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S C R Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Medina
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - O S Kowalczyk
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J C W Brooks
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - M A Howard
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - D J Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - I Tsougos
- Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece; Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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19
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Kinany N, Khatibi A, Lungu O, Finsterbusch J, Büchel C, Marchand-Pauvert V, Ville DVD, Vahdat S, Doyon J. Decoding cerebro-spinal signatures of human behavior: application to motor sequence learning. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120174. [PMID: 37201642 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping the neural patterns that drive human behavior is a key challenge in neuroscience. Even the simplest of our everyday actions stem from the dynamic and complex interplay of multiple neural structures across the central nervous system (CNS). Yet, most neuroimaging research has focused on investigating cerebral mechanisms, while the way the spinal cord accompanies the brain in shaping human behavior has been largely overlooked. Although the recent advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sequences that can simultaneously target the brain and spinal cord has opened up new avenues for studying these mechanisms at multiple levels of the CNS, research to date has been limited to inferential univariate techniques that cannot fully unveil the intricacies of the underlying neural states. To address this, we propose to go beyond traditional analyses and instead use a data-driven multivariate approach leveraging the dynamic content of cerebro-spinal signals using innovation-driven coactivation patterns (iCAPs). We demonstrate the relevance of this approach in a simultaneous brain-spinal cord fMRI dataset acquired during motor sequence learning (MSL), to highlight how large-scale CNS plasticity underpins rapid improvements in early skill acquisition and slower consolidation after extended practice. Specifically, we uncovered cortical, subcortical and spinal functional networks, which were used to decode the different stages of learning with a high accuracy and, thus, delineate meaningful cerebro-spinal signatures of learning progression. Our results provide compelling evidence that the dynamics of neural signals, paired with a data-driven approach, can be used to disentangle the modular organization of the CNS. While we outline the potential of this framework to probe the neural correlates of motor learning, its versatility makes it broadly applicable to explore the functioning of cerebro-spinal networks in other experimental or pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kinany
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland; Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, 1202, Switzerland.
| | - A Khatibi
- Center of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - O Lungu
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - C Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - V Marchand-Pauvert
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Imagerie biomédicale, Paris F-75006, France
| | - D Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland; Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, 1202, Switzerland
| | - S Vahdat
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, FL 32611, United States
| | - J Doyon
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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20
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Finsterbusch J, Chu Y. Simultaneous multislice imaging with slice-specific z-shim. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:633-642. [PMID: 37093986 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To implement slice-specific z-shim in simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging in order to minimize signal losses in slice-accelerated T2 *-weighted acquisitions, such as for spinal cord functional neuroimaging. METHODS The RF envelopes of the individual slice bands are temporally shifted on the plateau of the slice-selection gradient pulse before being combined to the multiband RF envelope. Thus, optimum z-shims can be realized for each slice of an SMS excitation, which is in contrast to conventional z-shimming. EPI with 2-fold SMS acceleration was performed on a 3T whole-body MR system in phantoms and the cervical spinal cord of healthy volunteers (i) without z-shim, (ii) with conventional z-shim using the average value of the slices of the SMS excitation, and (iii) with optimal, slice-specific z-shims for each slice using envelope shifts. RESULTS Phantom experiments demonstrate the equivalence of the envelope shift and conventional z-shimming for non-SMS excitations. With SMS, the best image quality is obtained with "mixed" z-shim, where only the z-shim differences of the slices of an SMS excitation are implemented by an envelope shift while their mean z-shim is applied conventionally with a gradient pulse after the echoes acquired for N/2 ghost correction. In phantoms and in vivo, this setup outperforms the approaches without slice-specific z-shim with respect to signal amplitude and temporal SNR at the expense of slight TE differences (<1 ms) between the slices. CONCLUSION With RF envelope shifts, slice-specific z-shims can be combined with SMS imaging, which could improve slice-accelerated functional neuroimaging in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ying Chu
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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21
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Chu Y, Fricke B, Finsterbusch J. Improving T2*-weighted human cortico-spinal acquisitions with a dedicated algorithm for region-wise shimming. Neuroimage 2023; 268:119868. [PMID: 36646161 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortico-spinal fMRI acquisitions aim to investigate direct interactions between brain and spinal cord, e.g. during motor output or pain processing, by covering both regions in a single measurement. Due to their large distance and location in the body, a dynamic shim update of constant and linear shim terms is required when using echo-planar imaging (EPI) to achieve reasonable image quality in both target regions. A previously presented approach with region-wise shim settings is based on a standard single-region shim algorithm and suffers from (i) non-optimal shim settings because it combines linear and second-order shim terms optimized for different volumes, and (ii) significant user interactions making it rather cumbersome, time consuming, and error-prone. Here, a dedicated ("CoSpi") shim algorithm for cortico-spinal fMRI is presented that performs joint optimization of static second-order shim terms and one set of linear and constant shim terms for each region in a single run and with minimal user interaction. Field map and T2*-weighted EPI measurements were performed on a clinical 3 T whole-body MR system in water phantoms and five healthy volunteers using the conventional region-wise and CoSpi shim settings as well as "gold standard" shim settings optimized for one of the target regions only. With CoSpi shim settings, (i) overall field inhomogeneity was reduced by about 65% / 75% (brain / spinal cord volume) compared to the conventional region-wise approach and in vivo was within 5% of the values obtained with the single-volume shim settings, (ii) geometric distortions derived from voxel displacement maps were reduced on average by about 35% / 70%, (iii) the temporal SNR determined from an EPI time series that may reflect the impact of through-slice dephasing, was increased by about 17% / 10%, and (iv) the variation of the mean field between slices, a measure targeting the predisposition to insufficient fat saturation and GRAPPA-related ghosting artifacts, was reduced by about 90% / 45%. Thus, the presented algorithm not only speeds up and simplifies the shim procedure considerably, but also provides a better field homogeneity and image quality, which both could help to significantly improve the applicability of cortico-spinal fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chu
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Geb. W34, Hamburg, 20246, Germany
| | - Björn Fricke
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Geb. W34, Hamburg, 20246, Germany
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Geb. W34, Hamburg, 20246, Germany.
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22
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Landelle C, Dahlberg LS, Lungu O, Misic B, De Leener B, Doyon J. Altered Spinal Cord Functional Connectivity Associated with Parkinson's Disease Progression. Mov Disord 2023; 38:636-645. [PMID: 36802374 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) has traditionally been viewed as an α-synucleinopathy brain pathology. Yet evidence based on postmortem human and animal experimental models indicates that the spinal cord may also be affected. OBJECTIVE Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) seems to be a promising candidate to better characterize spinal cord functional organization in PD patients. METHODS Resting-state spinal fMRI was performed in 70 PD patients and 24 age-matched healthy controls, the patients being divided into three groups based on their motor symptom severity: PDlow (n = 24), PDmed (n = 22), and PDadv (n = 24) groups. A combination of independent component analysis (ICA) and a seed-based approach was applied. RESULTS When pooling all participants, the ICA revealed distinct ventral and dorsal components distributed along the rostro-caudal axis. This organization was highly reproducible within subgroups of patients and controls. PD severity, assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores, was associated with a decrease in spinal functional connectivity (FC). Notably, we observed a reduced intersegmental correlation in PD as compared to controls, the latter being negatively associated with patients' upper-limb UPDRS scores (P = 0.0085). This negative association between FC and upper-limb UPDRS scores was significant between adjacent C4-C5 (P = 0.015) and C5-C6 (P = 0.20) cervical segments, levels associated with upper-limb functions. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides the first evidence of spinal cord FC changes in PD and opens new avenues for the effective diagnosis and therapeutic strategies in PD. This underscores how spinal cord fMRI can serve as a powerful tool to characterize, in vivo, spinal circuits for a variety of neurological diseases. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Landelle
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Linda Solstrand Dahlberg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benjamin De Leener
- Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julien Doyon
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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23
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Wu X, Wang Y, Chang J, Zhu K, Zhang S, Li Y, Zuo J, Chen S, Jin W, Yan T, Yang K, Xu P, Song P, Wu Y, Qian Y, Shen C, Yu Y, Dong F. Remodeling of the brain correlates with gait instability in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1087945. [PMID: 36816111 PMCID: PMC9932596 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1087945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common form of non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and usually leads to remodeling of the brain and spinal cord. In CSM with gait instability, the remodeling of the brain and cervical spinal cord is unclear. We attempted to explore the remodeling of these patients' brains and spinal cords, as well as the relationship between the remodeling of the brain and spinal cord and gait instability. Methods According to the CSM patients' gait, we divided patients into two groups: normal gait patients (nPT) and abnormal gait patients (aPT). Voxel-wise z-score transformation amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (zALFF) and resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) were performed for estimating brain changes. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the spinal cord were computed by Spinal cord toolbox. Correlations of these measures and the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score were analyzed. Results We found that the zALFF of caudate nucleus in aPT was higher than that in healthy controls (HC) and lower than that in nPT. The zALFF of the right postcentral gyrus and paracentral lobule in HC was higher than those of aPT and nPT. Compared with the nPT, the aPT showed increased functional connectivity between the caudate nucleus and left angular gyrus, bilateral precuneus and bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), which constitute a vital section of the default mode network (DMN). No significantly different FA values or CSA of spinal tracts at the C2 level were observed between the HC, nPT and aPT groups. In CSM, the right paracentral lobule's zALFF was negatively correlated with the FA value of fasciculus gracilis (FCG), and the right caudate zALFF was positively correlated with the FA value of the fasciculus cuneatus (FCC). The results showed that the functional connectivity between the right caudate nucleus and DMN was negatively correlated with the CSA of the lateral corticospinal tract (CST). Discussion The activation of the caudate nucleus and the strengthening functional connectivity between the caudate nucleus and DMN were associated with gait instability in CSM patients. Correlations between spinal cord and brain function might be related to the clinical symptoms in CSM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyong Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jianchao Chang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kun Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Siya Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Junxun Zuo
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Senlin Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Dongcheng Branch of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Feidong People’s Hospital), Hefei, China
| | - Weiming Jin
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tingfei Yan
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peiwen Song
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Yuanyuan Wu,
| | - Yinfeng Qian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Cailiang Shen
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yongqiang Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fulong Dong
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,*Correspondence: Fulong Dong,
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24
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Combes AJE, Clarke MA, O'Grady KP, Schilling KG, Smith SA. Advanced spinal cord MRI in multiple sclerosis: Current techniques and future directions. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103244. [PMID: 36306717 PMCID: PMC9668663 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a central role in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical practice for diagnosis and disease monitoring. Advanced MRI sequences capable of visualizing and quantifying tissue macro- and microstructure and reflecting different pathological disease processes have been used in MS research; however, the spinal cord remains under-explored, partly due to technical obstacles inherent to imaging this structure. We propose that the study of the spinal cord merits equal ambition in overcoming technical challenges, and that there is much information to be exploited to make valuable contributions to our understanding of MS. We present a narrative review on the latest progress in advanced spinal cord MRI in MS, covering in the first part structural, functional, metabolic and vascular imaging methods. We focus on recent studies of MS and those making significant technical steps, noting the challenges that remain to be addressed and what stands to be gained from such advances. Throughout we also refer to other works that presend more in-depth review on specific themes. In the second part, we present several topics that, in our view, hold particular potential. The need for better imaging of gray matter is discussed. We stress the importance of developing imaging beyond the cervical spinal cord, and explore the use of ultra-high field MRI. Finally, some recommendations are given for future research, from study design to newer developments in analysis, and the need for harmonization of sequences and methods within the field. This review is aimed at researchers and clinicians with an interest in gaining an overview of the current state of advanced MRI research in this field and what is primed to be the future of spinal cord imaging in MS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J E Combes
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Medical Center North, AA-1105, Nashville, TN 37232-2310, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, United States.
| | - Margareta A Clarke
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Medical Center North, AA-1105, Nashville, TN 37232-2310, United States
| | - Kristin P O'Grady
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Medical Center North, AA-1105, Nashville, TN 37232-2310, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, PMB 351826, Nashville, TN 37235-1826, United States
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Medical Center North, AA-1105, Nashville, TN 37232-2310, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Medical Center North, AA-1105, Nashville, TN 37232-2310, United States; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, PMB 351826, Nashville, TN 37235-1826, United States
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25
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Kaptan M, Vannesjo SJ, Mildner T, Horn U, Hartley‐Davies R, Oliva V, Brooks JCW, Weiskopf N, Finsterbusch J, Eippert F. Automated slice-specific z-shimming for functional magnetic resonance imaging of the human spinal cord. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5389-5407. [PMID: 35938527 PMCID: PMC9704784 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human spinal cord faces many challenges, such as signal loss due to local magnetic field inhomogeneities. This issue can be addressed with slice-specific z-shimming, which compensates for the dephasing effect of the inhomogeneities using a slice-specific gradient pulse. Here, we aim to address outstanding issues regarding this technique by evaluating its effects on several aspects that are directly relevant for spinal fMRI and by developing two automated procedures in order to improve upon the time-consuming and subjective nature of manual selection of z-shims: one procedure finds the z-shim that maximizes signal intensity in each slice of an EPI reference-scan and the other finds the through-slice field inhomogeneity for each EPI-slice in field map data and calculates the required compensation gradient moment. We demonstrate that the beneficial effects of z-shimming are apparent across different echo times, hold true for both the dorsal and ventral horn, and are also apparent in the temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) of EPI time-series data. Both of our automated approaches were faster than the manual approach, lead to significant improvements in gray matter tSNR compared to no z-shimming and resulted in beneficial effects that were stable across time. While the field-map-based approach performed slightly worse than the manual approach, the EPI-based approach performed as well as the manual one and was furthermore validated on an external corticospinal data-set (N > 100). Together, automated z-shimming may improve the data quality of future spinal fMRI studies and lead to increased reproducibility in longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kaptan
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - S. Johanna Vannesjo
- Department of PhysicsNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - Toralf Mildner
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Ulrike Horn
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Valeria Oliva
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and NeuroscienceUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Jonathan C. W. Brooks
- School of PsychologyUniversity of East Anglia Wellcome Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (UWWBIC)NorwichUK
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany,Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth SciencesLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems NeuroscienceUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
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26
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Tinnermann A, Sprenger C, Büchel C. Opioid analgesia alters corticospinal coupling along the descending pain system in healthy participants. eLife 2022; 11:74293. [PMID: 35471139 PMCID: PMC9042228 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids are potent analgesic drugs with widespread cortical, subcortical, and spinal targets. In particular, the central pain system comprising ascending and descending pain pathways has high opioid receptor densities and is thus crucial for opioid analgesia. Here, we investigated the effects of the opioid remifentanil in a large sample (n = 78) of healthy male participants using combined corticospinal functional MRI. This approach offers the possibility to measure BOLD responses simultaneously in the brain and spinal cord, allowing us to investigate the role of corticospinal coupling in opioid analgesia. Our data show that opioids altered activity in regions involved in pain processing such as somatosensory regions, including the spinal cord and pain modulation such as prefrontal regions. Moreover, coupling strength along the descending pain system, that is, between the anterior cingulate cortex, periaqueductal gray, and spinal cord, was stronger in participants who reported stronger analgesia during opioid treatment while participants that received saline showed reduced coupling when experiencing less pain. These results indicate that coupling along the descending pain pathway is a potential mechanism of opioid analgesia and can differentiate between opioid analgesia and unspecific reductions in pain such as habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Sprenger
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
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27
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Ueta K, Mizuguchi N, Sugiyama T, Isaka T, Otomo S. The Motor Engram of Functional Connectivity Generated by Acute Whole-Body Dynamic Balance Training. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2022; 54:598-608. [PMID: 34772904 PMCID: PMC8920009 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Whole-body dynamic balance is necessary for both athletic activities and activities of daily living. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute dynamic balance training on neural networks. METHODS We evaluated resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC), white matter fiber density, fiber-bundle cross-section, and gray matter volume in 28 healthy young adults (14 women) before and after 30 min of slackline training using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. RESULTS The rs-FC between the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the foot area of the primary sensorimotor (SM1) cortex increased significantly after slackline training compared with that after a control condition involving ergometer-based aerobic exercise. In addition, changes in rs-FC between the left lateral PFC and the primary sensorimotor were correlated with performance changes after training (i.e., offline process) rather than online learning. We also observed a main effect of time between the hippocampus and the cingulate cortex, including the anterior areas, and between the bilateral lateral PFC. Although we observed no structural changes, fiber density in the commissural fiber pathway before the first balance assessment was correlated with initial balance capability. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that acute whole-body dynamic balance training alters specific rs-FC, and that this change is associated with performance changes after training. In addition, rs-FC changes in cognitive regions were modulated by both acute dynamic balance training and aerobic exercise. These findings have the potential to influence various fields (e.g., sports neuroscience, neurorehabilitation) and may aid in the development of methods that can improve motor and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Ueta
- College of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN
| | - Nobuaki Mizuguchi
- Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN
| | - Takashi Sugiyama
- College of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN
| | - Tadao Isaka
- College of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN
| | - Satoshi Otomo
- College of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, JAPAN
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Khatibi A, Vahdat S, Lungu O, Finsterbusch J, Büchel C, Cohen-Adad J, Marchand-Pauvert V, Doyon J. Brain-spinal cord interaction in long-term motor sequence learning in human: An fMRI study. Neuroimage 2022; 253:119111. [PMID: 35331873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord is important for sensory guidance and execution of skilled movements. Yet its role in human motor learning is not well understood. Despite evidence revealing an active involvement of spinal circuits in the early phase of motor learning, whether long-term learning engages similar changes in spinal cord activation and functional connectivity remains unknown. Here, we investigated spinal-cerebral functional plasticity associated with learning of a specific sequence of visually-guided joystick movements (sequence task) over six days of training. On the first and last training days, we acquired high-resolution functional images of the brain and cervical cord simultaneously, while participants practiced the sequence or a random task while electromyography was recorded from wrist muscles. After six days of training, the subjects' motor performance improved in the sequence compared to the control condition. These behavioral changes were associated with decreased co-contractions and increased reciprocal activations between antagonist wrist muscles. Importantly, early learning was characterized by activation in the C8 level, whereas a more rostral activation in the C6-C7 was found during the later learning phase. Motor sequence learning was also supported by increased spinal cord functional connectivity with distinct brain networks, including the motor cortex, superior parietal lobule, and the cerebellum at the early stage, and the angular gyrus and cerebellum at a later stage of learning. Our results suggest that the early vs. late shift in spinal activation from caudal to rostral cervical segments synchronized with distinct brain networks, including parietal and cerebellar regions, is related to progressive changes reflecting the increasing fine control of wrist muscles during motor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Khatibi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), University of Birmingham, UK; Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, UK.
| | - Shahabeddin Vahdat
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of psychiatry and addictology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jurgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Mila Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Julien Doyon
- McConnell Brain Imaging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Landelle C, Lungu O, Vahdat S, Kavounoudias A, Marchand-Pauvert V, De Leener B, Doyon J. Investigating the human spinal sensorimotor pathways through functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118684. [PMID: 34732324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Most of our knowledge about the human spinal ascending (sensory) and descending (motor) pathways comes from non-invasive electrophysiological investigations. However, recent methodological advances in acquisition and analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the spinal cord, either alone or in combination with the brain, have allowed us to gain further insights into the organization of this structure. In the current review, we conducted a systematic search to produced somatotopic maps of the spinal fMRI activity observed through different somatosensory, motor and resting-state paradigms. By cross-referencing these human neuroimaging findings with knowledge acquired through neurophysiological recordings, our review demonstrates that spinal fMRI is a powerful tool for exploring, in vivo, the human spinal cord pathways. We report strong cross-validation between task-related and resting-state fMRI in accordance with well-known hemicord, postero-anterior and rostro-caudal organization of these pathways. We also highlight the specific advantages of using spinal fMRI in clinical settings to characterize better spinal-related impairments, predict disease progression, and guide the implementation of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Landelle
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Ovidiu Lungu
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Anne Kavounoudias
- CNRS, UMR7291, Laboratory of Cognitive Neurosciences, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | | | - Benjamin De Leener
- Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julien Doyon
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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30
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Zhang L, Wang L, Xia H, Tan Y, Li C, Fang C. Connectomic mapping of brain-spinal cord neural networks: future directions in assessing spinal cord injury at rest. Neurosci Res 2021; 176:9-17. [PMID: 34699861 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Following spinal cord injury (SCI), the central nervous system undergoes significant reconstruction. The dynamic change in the interaction of the brain-spinal cord axis as well as in structure-function relations plays a vital role in the determination of neurological functions, which might have important clinical implications for the treatment and its efficacy evaluation of patients with SCI. Brain connectomes based on neuroimaging data is a relatively new field of research that maps the brain's large-scale structural and functional networks at rest. Importantly, increasing evidence shows that such resting-state signals can also be seen in the spinal cord. In the present review, we focus on the reconstruction of multi-level neural circuits after SCI. We also describe how the connectome concept could further our understanding of neuroplasticity after SCI. We propose that mapping the cortical-subcortical-spinal cord networks can provide novel insights into the pathologies of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijian Zhang
- Postdoctoral Research Station of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China
| | - Luxuan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China
| | - Hechun Xia
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, China
| | - Yanli Tan
- Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
| | - Chunhui Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
| | - Chuan Fang
- Postdoctoral Research Station of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
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31
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Cohen-Adad J, Alonso-Ortiz E, Abramovic M, Arneitz C, Atcheson N, Barlow L, Barry RL, Barth M, Battiston M, Büchel C, Budde M, Callot V, Combes AJE, De Leener B, Descoteaux M, de Sousa PL, Dostál M, Doyon J, Dvorak A, Eippert F, Epperson KR, Epperson KS, Freund P, Finsterbusch J, Foias A, Fratini M, Fukunaga I, Wheeler-Kingshott CAMG, Germani G, Gilbert G, Giove F, Gros C, Grussu F, Hagiwara A, Henry PG, Horák T, Hori M, Joers J, Kamiya K, Karbasforoushan H, Keřkovský M, Khatibi A, Kim JW, Kinany N, Kitzler H, Kolind S, Kong Y, Kudlička P, Kuntke P, Kurniawan ND, Kusmia S, Labounek R, Laganà MM, Laule C, Law CS, Lenglet C, Leutritz T, Liu Y, Llufriu S, Mackey S, Martinez-Heras E, Mattera L, Nestrasil I, O'Grady KP, Papinutto N, Papp D, Pareto D, Parrish TB, Pichiecchio A, Prados F, Rovira À, Ruitenberg MJ, Samson RS, Savini G, Seif M, Seifert AC, Smith AK, Smith SA, Smith ZA, Solana E, Suzuki Y, Tackley G, Tinnermann A, Valošek J, Van De Ville D, Yiannakas MC, Weber KA, Weiskopf N, Wise RG, Wyss PO, Xu J. Generic acquisition protocol for quantitative MRI of the spinal cord. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4611-4632. [PMID: 34400839 PMCID: PMC8811488 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00588-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative spinal cord (SC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presents many challenges, including a lack of standardized imaging protocols. Here we present a prospectively harmonized quantitative MRI protocol, which we refer to as the spine generic protocol, for users of 3T MRI systems from the three main manufacturers: GE, Philips and Siemens. The protocol provides guidance for assessing SC macrostructural and microstructural integrity: T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging for SC cross-sectional area computation, multi-echo gradient echo for gray matter cross-sectional area, and magnetization transfer and diffusion weighted imaging for assessing white matter microstructure. In a companion paper from the same authors, the spine generic protocol was used to acquire data across 42 centers in 260 healthy subjects. The key details of the spine generic protocol are also available in an open-access document that can be found at https://github.com/spine-generic/protocols . The protocol will serve as a starting point for researchers and clinicians implementing new SC imaging initiatives so that, in the future, inclusion of the SC in neuroimaging protocols will be more common. The protocol could be implemented by any trained MR technician or by a researcher/clinician familiar with MRI acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Mila-Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Eva Alonso-Ortiz
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mihael Abramovic
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Carina Arneitz
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Atcheson
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura Barlow
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Robert L Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Markus Barth
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marco Battiston
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthew Budde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Virginie Callot
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France
- APHM, Hopital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Anna J E Combes
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Benjamin De Leener
- Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Centre de Recherche CHUS, CIMS, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Marek Dostál
- UHB - University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julien Doyon
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adam Dvorak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Karla R Epperson
- Richard M. Lucas Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kevin S Epperson
- Richard M. Lucas Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandru Foias
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michela Fratini
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Issei Fukunaga
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Claudia A M Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Brain MRI 3T Research Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Germani
- Brain MRI 3T Research Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Federico Giove
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- CREF - Museo storico della fisica e Centro studi e ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Charley Gros
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Francesco Grussu
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Radiomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Akifumi Hagiwara
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pierre-Gilles Henry
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Tomáš Horák
- Multimodal and functional imaging laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Masaaki Hori
- Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - James Joers
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kouhei Kamiya
- Department of Radiology, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haleh Karbasforoushan
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Miloš Keřkovský
- UHB - University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ali Khatibi
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Joo-Won Kim
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII), Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nawal Kinany
- Institute of Bioengineering/Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hagen Kitzler
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Shannon Kolind
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Petr Kudlička
- Multimodal and functional imaging laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Kuntke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Slawomir Kusmia
- CUBRIC, Cardiff University, Wales, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department, University College London, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, UK
| | - René Labounek
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Cornelia Laule
- Departments of Radiology, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Physics & Astronomy; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine S Law
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Tobias Leutritz
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yaou Liu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Tiantan Image Research Center, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Sara Llufriu
- Center of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) and Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sean Mackey
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eloy Martinez-Heras
- Center of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) and Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Loan Mattera
- Fondation Campus Biotech Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Igor Nestrasil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kristin P O'Grady
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nico Papinutto
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Papp
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Deborah Pareto
- Neuroradiology Section, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd B Parrish
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anna Pichiecchio
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Brain MRI 3T Research Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ferran Prados
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department, University College London, London, UK
- E-health Centre, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Àlex Rovira
- Neuroradiology Section, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc J Ruitenberg
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rebecca S Samson
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Brain MRI 3T Research Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maryam Seif
- Spinal Cord Injury Center Balgrist, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alan C Seifert
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII), Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex K Smith
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zachary A Smith
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Elisabeth Solana
- Center of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) and Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yuichi Suzuki
- Department of Radiology, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Valošek
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Institute of Bioengineering/Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marios C Yiannakas
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kenneth A Weber
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Richard G Wise
- CUBRIC, Cardiff University, Wales, UK
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. D'Annunzio University" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Patrik O Wyss
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Junqian Xu
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII), Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Structural and resting state functional connectivity beyond the cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118379. [PMID: 34252527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping the structural and functional connectivity of the central nervous system has become a key area within neuroimaging research. While detailed network structures across the entire brain have been probed using animal models, non-invasive neuroimaging in humans has thus far been dominated by cortical investigations. Beyond the cortex, subcortical nuclei have traditionally been less accessible due to their smaller size and greater distance from radio frequency coils. However, major neuroimaging developments now provide improved signal and the resolution required to study these structures. Here, we present an overview of the connectivity between the amygdala, brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord and the rest of the brain. While limitations to their imaging and analyses remain, we also provide some recommendations and considerations for mapping brain connectivity beyond the cortex.
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33
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Tinnermann A, Büchel C, Haaker J. Observation of others' painful heat stimulation involves responses in the spinal cord. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/14/eabe8444. [PMID: 33789899 PMCID: PMC8011973 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe8444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Observing others' aversive experiences is central to know what is dangerous for ourselves. Hence, observation often elicits behavioral and physiological responses comparable to first-hand aversive experiences and engages overlapping brain activation. While brain activation to first-hand aversive experiences relies on connections to the spinal cord, it is unresolved whether merely observing aversive stimulation also involves responses in the spinal cord. Here, we show that observation of others receiving painful heat stimulation involves neural responses in the spinal cord, located in the same cervical segment as first-hand heat pain. However, while first-hand painful experiences are coded within dorsolateral regions of the spinal cord, observation of others' painful heat stimulation involves medial regions. Dorsolateral areas that process first-hand pain exhibit negative responses when observing pain in others. Our results suggest a distinct processing between self and others' pain in the spinal cord when integrating social information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Haaker
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
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Tinnermann A, Büchel C, Cohen-Adad J. Cortico-spinal imaging to study pain. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117439. [PMID: 33039624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain has helped to reveal mechanisms of pain perception in health and disease. Recently, imaging approaches have been developed that allow recording neural activity simultaneously in the brain and in the spinal cord. These approaches offer the possibility to examine pain perception in the entire central pain system and in addition, to investigate cortico-spinal interactions during pain processing. Although cortico-spinal imaging is a promising technique, it bears challenges concerning data acquisition and data analysis strategies. In this review, we discuss studies that applied simultaneous imaging of the brain and spinal cord to explore central pain processing. Furthermore, we describe different MR-related acquisition techniques, summarize advantages and disadvantages of approaches that have been implemented so far and present software that has been specifically developed for the analysis of spinal fMRI data to address challenges of spinal data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Max Planck School of Cognition, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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