Open AccessNoninvasive measurement of the cerebral blood flow response in human lateral geniculate nucleus with arterial spin labeling fMRI
Author(s) -
Lu Kun,
Perthen Joanna E.,
Duncan Robert O.,
Zangwill Linda M.,
Liu Thomas T.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20459
Subject(s) - lateral geniculate nucleus , cerebral blood flow , functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroscience , arterial spin labeling , magnetic resonance imaging , blood oxygen level dependent , geniculate , visual cortex , psychology , blood flow , blood oxygenation , brain mapping , nuclear magnetic resonance , medicine , cardiology , nucleus , physics , radiology
Abstract To date, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) have primarily focused on measures of the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an MRI method that can provide direct measures of functional cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes. Because CBF is a well‐defined physiological quantity that contributes to BOLD contrast, CBF measures can be used to improve the quantitative interpretation of fMRI studies. However, due in part to the low intrinsic signal‐to‐noise ratio of the ASL method, measures of functional CBF changes in the LGN are challenging and have not previously been reported. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of using ASL fMRI to measure the CBF response of the LGN to visual stimulation on a 3 T MRI system. The use of background suppression and physiological noise reduction techniques allowed reliable detection of LGN activation in all five subjects studied. The measured percent CBF response during activation ranged from 40 to 100%, assuming no interaction between the left and right LGN. Hum Brain Mapp 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.