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Methodological considerations in rat brain BOLD contrast pharmacological MRI

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Abstract

Rationale and objectives

Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) is an increasingly popular technique that allows the non-invasive investigation of spatial and temporal changes in rat brain function in response to pharmacological stimulation in vivo. Rat brain BOLD contrast phMRI is, at present, established in few neuropharmacological laboratories, and various issues associated with the technique require attention. The present review is primarily aimed at psychopharmacologists with no previous experience of phMRI, who are interested in the practical aspects that phMRI studies entail.

Results and discussion

Experimental and analytical considerations, including anaesthesia, physiological monitoring, drug dose and delivery, scanning protocols, statistical approaches and the interpretation of phMRI data, are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

C.A.S. was funded by the Medical Research Council and wishes to thank D.P. Auer for helpful discussions regarding the manuscript. All procedures at the University of Nottingham were performed with local ethical and UK Home Office approval.

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  1. Institute of Neuroscience, Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    C. A. Steward, M. J. W. Prior, P. G. Morris & Y. B. Shah

  2. Institute of Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

    C. A. Steward, C. A. Marsden & Y. B. Shah

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Steward, C.A., Marsden, C.A., Prior, M.J.W. et al. Methodological considerations in rat brain BOLD contrast pharmacological MRI. Psychopharmacology 180, 687–704 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-2213-7

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