Fine detail of neurovascular coupling revealed by spatiotemporal analysis of the hemodynamic response to single whisker stimulation in rat barrel cortex

The spatial resolution of hemodynamic-based neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging, is limited by the degree to which neurons regulate their blood supply on a fine scale. Here we investigated the spatial detail of neurovascular events with a combination of high spatiotemporal resolution two-dimensional spectroscopic optical imaging, multichannel electrode recordings and cytochrome oxidase histology in the rodent whisker barrel field. After mechanical stimulation of a single whisker, we found two spatially distinct cortical hemodynamic responses: a transient response in the upstream branches of surface arteries and a later highly localized increase in blood volume centered on the activated cortical column. Although the spatial representation of this localized response exceeded that of a single barrel, the spread of hemodynamic activity accurately reflected the neural response in neighboring columns rather than being due to a passive overspill. These data confirm hemodynamics are capable of providing accurate single-condition maps of neural activity.