Photoacoustic Imaging of Brain Functions: Wide Filed-of-View Functional Imaging with High Spatiotemporal Resolution

Neuroimaging techniques can reveal complex brain functions associated with behaviors and emotions. However, most existing neuroimaging methods suffer from balancing tradeoffs among the temporal and spatial resolutions as well as the field of view (FOV). A high spatiotemporal resolution photoacoustic neuroimaging (PANI) technique with a wide FOV sufficient to cover the entire mouse cerebral cortex in transverse plane and measure fast neuronal dynamics is developed. Based on the experimental validations from both drug-induced epilepsy and electrical stimulation in the mouse brain, PANI features the following capabilities: i) deriving functional information from the fluctuation of total hemoglobin (HbT) to identify the neural activity and connectivity of the mouse cortex; ii) integrating with other neurological recording methods such as electroencephalograph (EEG) to investigate the neurovascular coupling; and iii) revealing the interactive connectivity between distant brain regions under different physiological conditions. The special features of PANI offer a unique window on investigating the fast neural dynamics with a wide FOV at the capillary scale.