Unlocking whole brain, layer-specific functional connectivity with 3D VAPER fMRI

通过 3D VAPER fMRI 解锁全脑、特定层的功能连接

• 批准号: 10643636
• 负责人: Yuhui Chai
• 金额: $ 7.93万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-04-01 至 2025-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10643636
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; Address; Adopted; Anatomy; Animals; Area; Behavior; Blood; Blood Volume; Brain; Clinical; Code; Data; Data Set; Development; Dimensions; Disease; Experimental Designs; Functional Imaging; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Goals; Health; Hour; Human; Image; Imaging Techniques; Investigation; Label; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Maintenance; Maps; Measurement; Measures; Methods; Microscopic; Neurosciences; Performance; Physiologic pulse; Play; Preparation; Protons; Research; Resolution; Rest; Role; Sampling; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal Transduction; Specificity; Techniques; Training; Veins; Visual; Water; analysis pipeline; blood perfusion; clinical development; connectome data; data sharing; design; experimental study; extracellular; flexibility; high resolution imaging; human imaging; imaging modality; improved; in vivo; meter; millimeter; movie; technology development; tool; user-friendly

ABSTRACT The increased availability of ultra-high field scanners provides an opportunity to perform fMRI at sub-millimeter spatial scales and enables in vivo probing of laminar function in the human brain. Investigations at this new mesoscopic spatial scale in neuroscience not only advance our understanding of the cortical micro-circuitry in vivo in health and disease, but also help bridge the gap between macroscopic (e.g., conventional fMRI, behavior) and microscopic (e.g., extracellular recordings) measures of brain function. However, despite promising potentials, critical barriers remain in achieving adequate sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, coverage at this scale. Until recently, most layer-fMRI studies have been confined to one of the primary cortices using a task design with a small brain coverage together with macro-vascular-contaminated sequence contrasts for functional measurement and defining cortical layers roughly based on distortion mis-matched anatomical reference. In this project proposal, we will develop a whole-brain layer-specific imaging sequence tool in humans, for achieving fMRI at high resolution (£800 µm isotropic), high specificity (not being spatially biased with unspecific vein signals as in BOLD), high sensitivity (robust measurement at layer-level resolution), high spatial accuracy (layer fMRI analysis in native fMRI space to avoid blurring and errors arising from registration), whole brain coverage, and eventually extending layer fMRI to more flexible connectivity-based experiment designs. We will adapt two sequence methods, one is an integrated blood volume and perfusion (VAPER) contrast method to improve layer fMRI specificity, and the other is a magnetization transfer (MT) weighted anatomical EPI imaging technique to facilitate determination of cortical depth in native fMRI space. We will improve the pulse design of the VAPER/MT preparation and incorporate them with a skipped-CAIPI 3D-EPI (segmented acquisition with CAIPIRINHA sampling) acquisition, as a new method we will call VAPER/MT-3D-EPI. We will develop the sequence and optimize its design for a whole-brain 0.8-mm isotropic imaging, and demonstrate its sensitivity and specificity through measuring layer-dependent activity. We will use this new sequence to collect a whole- brain submillimeter functional image dataset in humans at both resting state and during movie-watching, establish the layer-specific functional connectivity analysis pipeline, and investigate the involvement of different cortical layers in the maintenance of the brain networks. We will publicly share the data and analysis code to facilitate development of layer fMRI methods and demonstrate VAPER/MT-3D-EPI as a user-friendly layer fMRI tool for network neuroscience.

摘要 超高场扫描仪的增加为在亚毫米级进行功能磁共振成像提供了机会 空间尺度，并能够在体内探测人类大脑中的层状功能。在这个新的调查 神经科学中观空间尺度不仅推进了我们对大脑皮层微回路的理解， 体内的健康和疾病，而且还有助于弥合宏观之间的差距（例如，常规功能磁共振成像，行为） 和微观的（例如，细胞外记录）测量脑功能。然而，尽管有希望 尽管有潜力，但在实现这一规模的足够灵敏度、特异性、准确性和覆盖率方面仍然存在关键障碍。 直到最近，大多数分层功能磁共振成像研究都局限于使用任务设计的初级皮质之一 具有小的脑覆盖以及大血管污染的序列对比， 测量和基于失真不匹配的解剖参考粗略地定义皮质层。 在这个项目提案中，我们将开发一个全脑层特异性成像序列工具，用于人类 实现高分辨率（各向同性£800 µm）、高特异性（非特异性的空间偏差） 静脉信号，如BOLD中所示）、高灵敏度（在层级分辨率下的稳健测量）、高空间精度 （在原生fMRI空间中进行分层fMRI分析，以避免配准引起的模糊和错误），全脑 覆盖率，并最终扩展层功能磁共振成像更灵活的连接为基础的实验设计。我们将 采用两种序列方法，一种是综合血容量和灌注（VAPER）对比方法， 提高层fMRI特异性，另一种是磁化传递（MT）加权解剖EPI成像 技术，以促进确定皮质深度在本地功能磁共振成像空间。我们将改进脉冲设计， VAPER/MT准备，并将其与跳过CAIPI 3D-EPI（分段采集， CAIPIRINHA采样）采集，作为一种新的方法，我们将称为VAPER/MT-3D-EPI。我们将开发 全脑0.8 mm各向同性成像的序列和优化设计，并证明其灵敏度 和特异性。我们将用这个新的序列来收集整个- 人类在静息状态和观看电影期间的脑亚毫米功能图像数据集， 建立特定于层的功能连接分析管道，并调查不同 皮层在维持大脑网络中的作用。我们将公开分享数据和分析代码， 促进层fMRI方法的开发，并证明VAPER/MT-3D-EPI是用户友好的层fMRI 网络神经科学的工具。