Methodological considerations in rat brain BOLD contrast pharmacological MRI

• Published in: Psychopharmacology Vol. 180; no. 4; pp. 687 - 704
• Main Authors: Steward, C A, Marsden, C A, Prior, M J W, Morris, P G, Shah, Y B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Springer Nature B.V 01.08.2005
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Animals; Brain - blood supply; Brain - drug effects; Brain Mapping; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Drug Administration Schedule; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - instrumentation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Monitoring, Physiologic; Oxygen - blood; Rats
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-2213-7

Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) is an increasingly popular technique that allows the non-invasive investigation of spatial and temporal changes in rat brain function in response to pharmacological stimulation in vivo. Rat brain BOLD contrast phMRI is, at present, established in few neuropharmacological laboratories, and various issues associated with the technique require attention. The present review is primarily aimed at psychopharmacologists with no previous experience of phMRI, who are interested in the practical aspects that phMRI studies entail. Experimental and analytical considerations, including anaesthesia, physiological monitoring, drug dose and delivery, scanning protocols, statistical approaches and the interpretation of phMRI data, are discussed.