Functional MRS at 7T to Study Neuronal Inhibition in Humans

描述（由申请人提供）：在工作的人脑中描述神经元放电抑制的潜在代谢/神经化学事件是一项具有挑战性的任务。质子磁共振波谱（MRS）允许在人脑代谢物浓度的非侵入性测量。然而，质子MRS的低灵敏度限制了该方法检测代谢物浓度微小变化的可靠性和准确性，特别是那些低浓度存在的代谢物，如葡萄糖、乳酸或g-氨基丁酸（GABA）。这些限制削弱了对神经元过程的有力研究，这些过程在大脑的神经化学特征中产生微妙的变化，例如神经元放电抑制。在这个项目中，我们将受益于灵敏度的提高

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The characterization of the underlying metabolic/neurochemical events of neuronal firing suppression in the working human brain is a challenging task. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows the non- invasive measurement of metabolite concentrations in the human brain. However, the low sensitivity of proton MRS can limit the reliability and accuracy of the method to detect small variations in the concentration of metabolites, especially of those present in low concentration, such as glucose, lactate or g-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These limitations impair a robust investigation of neuronal processes which produce subtle changes in the neurochemical profile of the brain, such as neuronal firing suppression. In this project we will benefit from the increased sensitivity offered by 7T scanners to enable the reliable and accurate detection of changes in the brain neurochemical profile which are critical to characterize neuronal firing suppression. By conducting studies of functional MRS at 7T, we have in the past obtained robust results of multiple metabolite changes during functional paradigms of increased neuronal activity in the primary visual cortex. These results were proven to be extremely helpful to understand brain metabolism in physiological conditions. With the present project, we will extend this technology to further address the metabolic / neurochemical substrates of neuronal inhibition. The opportunity to measure inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) neurotransmitters, as well as the fuels of the brain (mainly glucose and lactate), is critical to gain comprehensive insight into the metabolic/neurochemical correlates of inhibition. This research will provide new experimental evidence to help understand neuronal inhibition in the human brain, which is important not only for our basic understanding of overall brain function, but also for the understanding and monitoring of many brain disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.