Unique spatiotemporal fMRI dynamics in the awake mouse brain.
Daniel Gutierrez-Barragan, Neha Atulkumar Singh, Filomena Grazia Alvino, Ludovico Coletta, Federico Rocchi, Elizabeth De Guzman, Alberto Galbusera, Mauro Uboldi, Stefano Panzeri, Alessandro Gozzi
Current Biology February 7, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Awake, head-fixed mice |
| Measures | resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Caps Anesthesia Brain Connectivity Connectome Consciousness Head-fixed Isoflurane Medetomidine |
| Key findings | Awake mouse rsfMRI networks are anatomically comparable to anesthetized networks but topologically configured to maximize interregional communication, departing from the axonal connectome's community structure. Awake activity shows state-dependent dominant coactivation patterns involving arousal-related forebrain nuclei, anti-coordination between visual-auditory and polymodal cortical areas, and attractor-like temporal structure. The authors suggest basal forebrain arousal systems critically shape these dynamics. |
Abstract
Human imaging studies have shown that spontaneous brain activity exhibits stereotypic spatiotemporal reorganization in awake, conscious conditions with respect to minimally conscious states. However, whether and how this phenomenon can be generalized to lower mammalian species remains unclear. Leveraging a robust protocol for resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) mapping in non-anesthetized, head-fixed mice, we investigated functional network topography and dynamic structure of spontaneous brain activity in wakeful animals. We found that rsfMRI networks in the awake state, while anatomically comparable to those observed under anesthesia, are topologically configured to maximize interregional communication, departing from the underlying community structure of the mouse axonal connectome. We further report that rsfMRI activity in wakeful animals exhibits unique spatiotemporal dynamics characterized by a state-dependent, dominant occurrence of coactivation patterns encompassing a prominent participation of arousal-related forebrain nuclei and functional anti-coordination between visual-auditory and polymodal cortical areas. We finally show that rsfMRI dynamics in awake mice exhibits a stereotypical temporal structure, in which state-dominant coactivation patterns are configured as network attractors. These findings suggest that spontaneous brain activity in awake mice is critically shaped by state-specific involvement of basal forebrain arousal systems and document that its dynamic structure recapitulates distinctive, evolutionarily relevant principles that are predictive of conscious states in higher mammalian species.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat brains also have a default mode network Rats | 2012 | Observational study | |
| Large-scale topology and the default mode network in the mouse connectome Mouse brain | 2014 | Observational study | |
| Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples Influence Selective Activation of the Default Mode Network Anesthetized monkeys | 2016 | Observational study | |
| Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats Healthy rats and a rat model of alcohol relapse | 2023 | Randomized, placebo-controlled crossover pharmaco-fMRI study | |
| Altered functional connectivity within the default mode network in two animal models with opposing episodic memories Rats (control, LPS-challenged, and footshock-exposed groups) | 2018 | Animal model study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- Distributed harmonic patterns of structure-function dependence orchestrate human consciousness. Communications Biology January 28, 2023
- A synergistic workspace for human consciousness revealed by Integrated Information Decomposition. Elife July 18, 2024
- Local orchestration of distributed functional patterns supporting loss and restoration of consciousness in the primate brain. Nature Communications March 11, 2024
- Unravelling consciousness and brain function through the lens of time, space, and information Trends in Neurosciences May 31, 2024
- Local Orchestration of Global Functional Patterns Supporting Loss and Restoration of Consciousness in the Primate Brain bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 3, 2023
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Cites 9
- Breakdown of within- and between-network Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Connectivity during Propofol-induced Loss of Consciousness Anesthesiology September 30, 2010
- Human consciousness is supported by dynamic complex patterns of brain signal coordination Science Advances February 1, 2019
- Anatomical and functional investigation of the marmoset default mode network Nature Communications April 29, 2019
- Regional, Layer, and Cell-Type-Specific Connectivity of the Mouse Default Mode Network Neuron December 1, 2020
- Temporal circuit of macroscale dynamic brain activity supports human consciousness Science Advances March 1, 2020
and 4 more in the library