Manganese Enhanced MRI Reveals Stimulus-Evoked Neuronal Activation in Aplysia Californica

Guillaume Radecki¹, Ileana Ozana Jelescu¹, Romuald Nargeot², Denis Le Bihan¹, Luisa Ciobanu¹

Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) has been successfully used to map neuronal activity in small animals. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that MEMRI can be used to label activity-dependent Mn²⁺ uptake into the nervous system of a widespread model system in neuroscience, the Aplysia californica. Specifically, we show differences in Mn²⁺ accumulation into the neurons of ganglia coming from stimulated and non-stimulated animals. Such studies have the potential to provide insight into crucial neurological processes and into how specific molecular alterations give rise to modifications of neuronal circuitries.