GSBS Student Publications

Title

Imaging cocaine-induced changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system of conscious rats

GSBS Program

Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology

Publication Date

2004-10-19

UMMS Affiliation

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Department of Psychiatry; Center for Comparative NeuroImaging

Document Type

Article

Disciplines

Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess the effects of cocaine on brain activation in fully conscious rats. Methods were developed to image cocaine-induced changes in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal without the peripheral cardiac and respiratory complications associated with psychostimulant administration. Using spin echo planar imaging (EPI), conscious rats were imaged in a 4.7 T spectrometer prior to and following the intracerebroventricular injection of cocaine (20 microg) in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (10 uL). Within 5 min of injection, there was a significant increase in BOLD signal intensity in the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, dorsal striatum and prefrontal cortex, as compared to vehicle controls. Minimal negative BOLD signal changes were observed in response to cocaine and no significant perturbations in normal cardiovascular and respiratory function. These findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of studying psychostimulant-induced brain activity using functional MRI in conscious rats.

DOI of Published Version

10.1016/j.jneumeth.2004.04.028

Source

J Neurosci Methods. 2004 Oct 30;139(2):167-76. Link to article on publisher's site

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of neuroscience methods

Related Resources

Link to article in PubMed

PubMed ID

15488229

Link to Full Text

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