Considerations for resting state functional MRI and functional connectivity studies in rodents

Wen-Ju Pan, Jacob C. W. Billings, Joshua K. Grooms, Sadia Shakil, Shella D. Keilholz
2015 Frontiers in Neuroscience  
Resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and functional connectivity mapping have become widely used tools in the human neuroimaging community and their use is rapidly spreading into the realm of rodent research as well. One of the many attractive features of rs-fMRI is that it is readily translatable from humans to animals and back again. Changes in functional connectivity observed in human studies can be followed by more invasive animal experiments to determine the neurophysiological basis for
more » ... he alterations, while exploratory work in animal models can identify possible biomarkers for further investigation in human studies. These types of interwoven human and animal experiments have a potentially large impact on neuroscience and clinical practice. However, impediments exist to the optimal application of rs-fMRI in small animals, some similar to those encountered in humans and some quite different. In this review we identify the most prominent of these barriers, discuss differences between rs-fMRI in rodents and in humans, highlight best practices for animal studies, and review selected applications of rs-fMRI in rodents. Our goal is to facilitate the integration of human and animal work to the benefit of both fields.
doi:10.3389/fnins.2015.00269 pmid:26300718 pmcid:PMC4525377 fatcat:izgtvld2k5fwdh4jdsqy63vlsm