Patrick C. Hettinger1, Rupeng Li2,
Ji-Geng Yan1, Hani S. Matloub1, Young R. Cho1,
Matthew L. Runquist2, Christopher P. Pawela1, James S.
Hyde2
1Plastic Surgery, Medical College of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States; 2Biophysics, Medical
College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
The
purpose of this study is to further define the ratunculus by observing
cortical activity using BOLD fMRI during direct stimulation of the C7 nerve
root. In this study, 7 Sprague-Dawley
rats underwent implantable electrode placement on the C7 nerve root. BOLD response to nerve stimulation was then
studied using a Bruker 9.4T MRI scanner.
C7 nerve stimulation resulted in a small amount of activation in the
S1FL region along with a large amount of activation within the M1/M2
regions. These findings are similar to
the sensory and motor distributions described in human C7 nerve root
literature.