Transfer functions linking neural calcium to single voxel functional ultrasound signal

Nat Commun. 2020 Jun 11;11(1):2954. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16774-9.

Abstract

Functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) is an emerging technique that detects changes of cerebral blood volume triggered by brain activation. Here, we investigate the extent to which fUS faithfully reports local neuronal activation by combining fUS and two-photon microscopy (2PM) in a co-registered single voxel brain volume. Using a machine-learning approach, we compute and validate transfer functions between dendritic calcium signals of specific neurons and vascular signals measured at both microscopic (2PM) and mesoscopic (fUS) levels. We find that transfer functions are robust across a wide range of stimulation paradigms and animals, and reveal a second vascular component of neurovascular coupling upon very strong stimulation. We propose that transfer functions can be considered as reliable quantitative reporters to follow neurovascular coupling dynamics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blotting, Western
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Ebolavirus / genetics
  • Ebolavirus / pathogenicity*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Host Microbial Interactions / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Interferons / metabolism
  • Kinetics
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Ultrasonography

Substances

  • CCDC92 protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Interferons
  • Calcium