Zeenat Atcha1, Hui Chien Tay1, Fatima Ali Nasrallah1, Huang Wei Wei1, Brian Henry2, Kai-Hsiang Chuang1
1Magnetic Resonance Imaging Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore; 2Medicine Research Centre,, MSD, Singapore, Singapore
The aim of our study was to investigate the sensitivity and distinct spatiotemporal responses of bicuculine-induced brain activity using three pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) methods: blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast, cerebral blood volume (CBV) with intravascular contrast agent, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) with arterial spin labeling (ASL). Acute administration of bicuculline produced region-specific hemodynamic responses in the S1, hippocampal, caudate putamen and thalamus regions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that temporal dynamics of CBV and BOLD signals were long lasting, whereas CBF responses were immediate. Information obtained from these complementary imaging techniques provide better insights to underpin neurovascular coupling upon a drug challenge.