Functional magnetic resonance imaging in rodents: an unique tool to study in vivo pharmacologic neuromodulation

• fMRI provides information on drug-induced modulation of activity of the brain.
• rsfMRI reveals drug-induced modulation of functional connectivity in brain circuits.
• Rodent rsfMRI recently showed its potential to investigate drug induced neuro-modulation.

When new compounds targeting the brain are developed, it is important to assess both the acute and chronic effects on brain functioning. This can be done non-invasively using a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This review discusses the possibilities of both stimulation-based and resting state fMRI to study pharmacological modulations of the rodent brain. Moreover, attention is given to the use of anesthetics which could importantly influence the outcome of both techniques.

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