Using In-Vivo MRI to Study Learning Induced Brain Plasticity in Adult Mice Trained on a Spatial Maze

Jurgen Germann¹, D. Vousden¹, P Steadman¹, J. Dazai¹, C. Laliberte¹, S. Spring¹, L. Cahill¹, R. M. Henkelman¹, Jason P. Lerch¹

Brain shape is influenced by experience. The time course of the changes, however, remains unknown. In our study we longitudinally imaged mice undergoing spatial navigation training. Our results show that learning is associated with definite local brain changes detectable using live-imaging. These changes, found as early as on the second day of training, occur in specific brain regions depending on the experimental setup. The time course of local remodeling varies between regions. Whole brain live MRI is capable of detecting and characterizing these brain changes and is instrumental studying local changes within the brain as a learning system.