Functional Imaging of Auditory Cortex in Adult Cats using High-field fMRI |
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| Authors: | Trecia A Brown Joseph S Gati Sarah M Hughes Pam L Nixon Ravi S Menon Stephen G Lomber |
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| Institution: | 1.Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario;2.Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario;3.Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario;4.Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario;5.Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario;6.Cerebral Systems Laboratory, University of Western Ontario;7.National Centre for Audiology, University of Western Ontario |
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| Abstract: | Current knowledge of sensory processing in the mammalian auditory system is mainly derived from electrophysiological studies in a variety of animal models, including monkeys, ferrets, bats, rodents, and cats. In order to draw suitable parallels between human and animal models of auditory function, it is important to establish a bridge between human functional imaging studies and animal electrophysiological studies. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an established, minimally invasive method of measuring broad patterns of hemodynamic activity across different regions of the cerebral cortex. This technique is widely used to probe sensory function in the human brain, is a useful tool in linking studies of auditory processing in both humans and animals and has been successfully used to investigate auditory function in monkeys and rodents. The following protocol describes an experimental procedure for investigating auditory function in anesthetized adult cats by measuring stimulus-evoked hemodynamic changes in auditory cortex using fMRI. This method facilitates comparison of the hemodynamic responses across different models of auditory function thus leading to a better understanding of species-independent features of the mammalian auditory cortex. |
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| Keywords: | Neuroscience Issue 84 Central Nervous System Ear Animal Experimentation Models Animal Functional Neuroimaging Brain Mapping Nervous System Sense Organs auditory cortex BOLD signal change hemodynamic response hearing acoustic stimuli |
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