Journal
NEUROSCIENTIST
Volume -, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/10738584221101827
Keywords
spinal cord; fMRI; neuroimaging; central nervous system; sensorimotor
Categories
Funding
- Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Robotics
- Bertarelli Foundation
- Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne's School of Engineering
- strategic focal area Personalized Health and Related Technologies of the ETH Domain [2017-205]
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The spinal cord, often overlooked in human neuroscience research, is now recognized as active and plastic. This review argues that fMRI can be utilized beyond the brain to unravel spinal mechanisms involved in human behaviors. It outlines strategies and applications of spinal cord fMRI, highlighting its potential to address fundamental and clinical questions.
With the brain, the spinal cord forms the central nervous system. Initially considered a passive relay between the brain and the periphery, the spinal cord is now recognized as being active and plastic. Yet, it remains largely overlooked by the human neuroscience community, in stark contrast with the wealth of research investigating the brain. In this review, we argue that fMRI, traditionally used to image cerebral function, can be extended beyond the brain to help unravel spinal mechanisms involved in human behaviors. To this end, we first outline strategies that have been proposed to tackle the challenges inherent to spinal cord fMRI. Then, we discuss how they have been utilized to provide insights into the functional organization of spinal sensorimotor circuits, highlighting their potential to address fundamental and clinical questions. By summarizing guidelines and applications of spinal cord fMRI, we hope to stimulate and support further research into this promising yet underexplored field.
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