Platform for ultra-high resolution multi-modal investigations of brain function in the non-human primate at 10.5 T

项目总结

Project Summary Non-human primates offer a unique opportunity, because of their strong physiological and behavioral homologies to humans, to both advance our understanding of fundamental issues of neuroscience and test therapies and strategies with direct clinical implications for addressing a spectrum of mental health issues. A “missing link” in such efforts has been the inability to use the primary techniques of human neuroscience, including non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), on monkeys. Without such capabilities, a direct comparison of the signals we measure in humans, and those that only available more invasively, such as through electrophysiological, histo- logical, and optical methodologies, is impossible. To avoid potentially speculative modeling, the most informative multi-modal measurements require comparable spatial and temporal scales of study. Accordingly, the impor- tance of such high resolution multi-modal imaging has been recognized by the NIMH: it is a vital component of a number of current projects, including several sponsored by the BRAIN initiative. At the Center for Magnetic Reso- nance Research, we have demonstrated that a unique resource, a 10.5 Telsa MR scanner, can push MRI spatial and temporal resolution to unparalleled levels in non-human primates which are directly comparable to invasive measurements. To maximize the scientific impact of this unique resource, we seek the shared instrumentation necessary to obtain high-resolution electrophysiological and optical data from non-human primates in the 10.5 T scanner. The center has a long tradition of making its unique technical and personnel resources available to the broader community through core grants including a P41 and a P30. In this proposal, we leverage this tradition to ensure that the requested equipment supports a broad spectrum of NIMH projects aimed at understanding the signals and circuitry underlying human brain function.