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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 30, 2008, 28(5):1022-1029; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4147-07.2008

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Development/Plasticity/Repair
Early Prediction of Functional Recovery after Experimental Stroke: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Electrophysiology, and Behavioral Testing in Rats

Ralph Weber,^1,2 * Pedro Ramos-Cabrer,^1,3 * Carlos Justicia,^1,4 Dirk Wiedermann,¹ Cordula Strecker,¹ Christiane Sprenger,¹ and Mathias Hoehn¹

¹In Vivo NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany, ²Department of Neurology, University Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany, ³Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Hospital Clínico Universitario, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and ⁴Farmacologia i Toxicologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, 08036 Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Mathias Hoehn, In Vivo NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany. Email: mathias{at}nf.mpg.de

Therapeutic success of treatment of cerebral diseases must be assessed in terms of functional outcome. In experimental stroke studies, this has been limited to behavioral studies combined with morphological evaluations and single time point functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements but lacking the access to understanding underlying mechanisms for alterations in brain activation. Using a recently developed blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI protocol to study longitudinal and intraindividual profiles of functional brain activation in the somatosensory system, we have demonstrated activation reemergence in the original representation field as the basic principle of functional recovery from experimental stroke. No plastic reorganization has been observed at any time point during 7 weeks after stroke induction. Applying combined recording of fMRI and somatosensory evoked potentials, we observed a tight coupling of electrical brain activity and hemodynamic response at all times, indicating persistent preservation of neurovascular coupling. Identification of functional brain recovery mechanisms has important implications for the understanding of brain plasticity after cerebral lesions, whereas preservation of neurovascular coupling is important for the clinical translation of fMRI.

Key words: fMRI; neurovascular coupling; functional reorganization; stroke; functional recovery; ischemia

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Received July 6, 2007; revised Nov. 7, 2007; accepted Nov. 15, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Mathias Hoehn, In Vivo NMR Laboratory, Max-Planck-Institute for Neurological Research, Gleuelerstrasse 50, D-50931 Cologne, Germany. Email: mathias{at}nf.mpg.de

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