Simone Claudia Bosshard1, Florian Stuker1,
Constantin von Deuster1, Markus Rudin1,2
1Institute for Biomedical
Engineering, University & ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 2Institute
of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University Zrich, Zurich, Switzerland
To study nociceptive processing in mice, a thermal stimulation paradigm using an infrared laser source for forepaw stimulation was developed. The skin of the forepaws was heated to 45C or 46C for 60s, using a feedback system to control the temperature. The stimulation led to significant BOLD changes in the somatosensory cortex and the thalamus. For modulation, a combination of QX-314 and capsaicin was injected into the forepaws, inducing a selective nociceptor block, which led to an abolishment of the BOLD signal. Either solution applied alone did not lead to a decrease in BOLD signal changes.