Concurrent Pharmacological MRI and Electrophysiology to Investigate Neuropharmacological Modulation of Brain Function in the Rat

Christopher James Martin¹, Nicola R. Sibson¹

The aim of this work was to combine pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging with electrophysiological recording of neuronal activity such that we might improve our understanding of: (1) the neural basis of neuroimaging signals; (2) the effects of neuropharmacological manipulations on neurovascular coupling and neuroimaging signals; and (3) neuroanatomical differences in the relationship between neuronal activity and neuroimaging signals. We report data from studies in which we use the serotonin (5-HT) releasing agent fenfluramine to increase endogenous 5HT levels and investigate the effects of this modulation on both baseline and stimulus-evoked fMRI signals and neuronal activity.