Development of tools for non-invasive human spinal cord research

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Our knowledge of human spinal cord anatomy and function comes from invasive studies of anaesthetized animals, and from observations of the effects of injuries in humans, and from post-mortem studies. While these have yielded a wealth of information, there are still features that are poorly understood. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made it possible to observe human internal anatomy non-invasively, and functional MRI (fMRI) has enabled mapping of neuronal activity in response to a stimulus. Studies carried out in my lab with these methods have revealed previously unknown features of anatomy and function. For example, a link has been observed between attention to a sensation and neuronal activity in the spinal cord. We have also discovered that the motion of the spinal cord that occurs with each heart-beat decreases in amplitude lower in the cord, and the lumbar region is essentially motionless. This latter finding is the basis for the first part of this proposal.