Abstract #0234

In Vivo Manganese-Enhanced MRI of Conditioned Fear Response

Iris Yuwen Zhou^1,2, Abby Y. Ding^1,2, Qi Li^3,4, Frank Yik Hin Lee^1,2, Shujuan J. Fan^1,2, Kevin Chuen Wing Chan^1,2, Grainne M. McAlonan^3,4, Ed Xuekui Wu^1,2

¹Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging & Signal Processing, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, People's Republic of; ²Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, People's Republic of; ³Department of Psychiatry, the University of Hong Kong; ⁴Centre for Reproduction Growth & Development, the University of Hong Kong

Fear conditioning is a widely used procedure to study the neural basis of learning and memory. To study the neurocircuits behind this paradigm, in vivo MEMRI was employed to investigate the neural response after subjection to fear-conditioning in mice. Compared to controls, fear-conditioned animals exhibited higher Mn-uptake in amygdala, hippocampus, paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus and cingulate cortex, which are all highly-involved in the process of fear. The results provide insights to neurocircuits involved in fear-conditioning and consolidate the capability of MEMRI as an in vivo probe for mapping neural activity.