Direct Neuronal Activity-related (DIANA) fMRI in Awake Mice

Motivation: Toi et al. reported a revolutionary approach of direct imaging of neuronal activity (DIANA) by fMRI in anesthetized mice at 9.4 T. However, anesthesia has a profound impact on the central nervous system, leading to modifications in physiological parameters. Goal(s): Our goal is to investigate Direct Neuronal Activity-related (DIANA) fMRI in awake mice. Approach: We performed the event-related cerebral functional magnetic resonance imaging and DIANA experiment in habit-trained awake mice. Results: In response to the electrical stimulation, a statistically significant increase in the DIANA signal was observed in the contralateral S1FL compared with the prestimulus signal (p < 0.005, n = 6 mice). Impact: Direct detection of neural activity allows us to better understand the rapid dynamics of neural activity, which will help improve the understanding and diagnosis of neurological diseases.