Neural basis of functional ultrasound signals

Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) is a popular method for studying brain function, but it remains unclear to what degree its signals reflect neural activity on a trial-by-trial basis. Here, we answer this question with simultaneous fUSI and neural recordings with Neuropixels probes in awake mice....

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Bibliographic Details
Published inbioRxiv
Main Authors Nunez-Elizalde, Anwar O, Krumin, Michael, Charu Bai Reddy, Montaldo, Gabriel, Urban, Alan, Harris, Kenneth D, Carandini, Matteo
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 17.01.2022
Subjects
Firing rate
Neuroimaging
Probes
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasound
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Summary:Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) is a popular method for studying brain function, but it remains unclear to what degree its signals reflect neural activity on a trial-by-trial basis. Here, we answer this question with simultaneous fUSI and neural recordings with Neuropixels probes in awake mice. fUSI signals strongly correlated with the slow (<0.3 Hz) fluctuations in firing rate measured in the same location and were closely predicted by convolving the firing rate with a 2.9 s wide linear filter. This filter matched the hemodynamic response function of awake mouse and was invariant across mice, stimulus conditions, and brain regions. fUSI signals matched neural firing also spatially: recordings with two probes revealed that firing rates were as highly correlated across hemispheres as fUSI signals. We conclude that fUSI signals bear a simple linear relationship to neuronal firing and accurately reflect neural activity both in time and in space. Competing Interest Statement A.U. is the founder and a shareholder of AUTC, a company commercializing neuroimaging solutions for preclinical and clinical research.
DOI:10.1101/2021.03.31.437915