Electrical stimulation of cortex improves corticospinal tract tracing in rat spinal cord using manganese-enhanced MRI

Following bilateral injection of manganese (Mn) into the rat's motor cortex, electrical stimulation of the cortex is shown to increase the transport, uptake and accumulation of Mn in the corticospinal tract (CST), as assessed by manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEI). T1-weighted gradient echo images were acquired in 3-D and displayed in different orientations to anatomically delineate the CST pathway from cortex to spinal cord (SC) at the thoracic level. T1-maps of the SC were produced from spin-echo based image data to demonstrate the distribution of the T1 properties of the SC tissue and to quantitatively assess the T1-change occurring in the CST due to the presence of Mn therein. Implications for improving the tract tracing ability with the proposed in vivo approach and its application to spinal cord injury (SCI) research are discussed in terms of aiding future experimental investigations of neuroplasticity following an injury.