ABC Seminar: Advancements in High-Resolution Comparative Neuroimaging - Unveiling Cortical Organization in Macaque Monkeys

Welcome to our ABC Seminars! This seminar series is open for everyone. The talk will take place in Otakaari 3, F239a Auditorio. After the talks, coffee and pulla will be served.

The event will be also streamed via Zoom at: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/67444945844

Title: Advancements in High-Resolution Comparative Neuroimaging: Unveiling Cortical Organization in Macaque Monkeys

Abstract: Macaque monkeys are an important animal model where invasive investigations can lead to a better understanding of the cortical organization of primates including humans. However, the tools and methods for noninvasive image acquisition and image data preprocessing have lagged behind those developed for humans. To resolve the structural and functional characteristics of the smaller macaque brain, high spatial, temporal, and angular resolutions combined with high signal-to-noise ratio are required to ensure good image quality. To address these challenges, we developed a macaque 24-channel receive coil for 3-T MRI with parallel imaging capabilities. This coil enables adaptation of the Human Connectome Project (HCP) image acquisition protocols to the in-vivo macaque brain. In addition, we demonstrate laminar mapping of cortical myelination using T1w/T2w-FLAIR MRI and vessel-density informed vascular mapping using ferumoxytol-weighted MRI. By conducting comparison of anatomical, vascular, diffusion, and functional MRI measures with anatomical ground-truth data, including retrograde tracer studies, myelin histology, and neuron and receptor densities, we elucidate the neuroanatomical factors underlying the observed cortical MRI measures. These methodological and conceptual advancements contribute to refining noninvasive MRI measures in humans and open avenues for investigating evolutionary and developmental aspects of the human brain through multi-modal MRI assessments.