Abstract
We describe a method and procedure that allows for the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and intrinsic optical signal imaging (IOSI) of cerebral blood flow and hemodynamics in fully awake mice. We detail the procedure of chronic cranial window preparation, the use of an air-lift mobile homecage to achieve stable optical recording in the head-restrained awake mouse, and the imaging methods to achieve multiparametric hemodynamic measurements. The results show that by using a collection of OCTA algorithms, the high-resolution cerebral vasculature can be reliably mapped at a fully awake state, including flow velocity measurements in penetrating arterioles and capillary bed. Lastly, we demonstrate how the awake imaging paradigm is used to study cortical hemodynamics in the mouse barrel cortex during whisker stimulation. The method presented here will facilitate optical recording in the awake, active mice and open the door to many projects that can bridge the hemodynamics in neurovascular units to naturalistic behavior.
Highlights
The current generation of non-invasive optical imaging tools provide unprecedented brain access for observing and monitoring dynamics of microstructure and microcirculation in the living animal at high spatial resolution
We introduce a simple apparatus of air-lifted flat-floor mobile homecage [39] to perform head-restrained awake mouse imaging on Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) platforms
All results in this figure were obtained in the awake mouse during the resting state
Summary
The current generation of non-invasive optical imaging tools provide unprecedented brain access for observing and monitoring dynamics of microstructure and microcirculation in the living animal at high spatial resolution. Optical imaging methods are growing in popularity in neuroscience for studying neurovascular function that pertains to local cerebral blood flow control at a microscopic level [1]. Optical microangiography (OMAG) [18,19] has shown the ability to probe RBC velocity in the capillary bed, important for the investigation of microcirculatory pattern adjustment to cerebral tissue oxygenation during neural activity [20]. These attempts hold promise to shed new light on neurophysiological processes that underlie brain function, memory, learning, as well as injury progression and neurodegeneration
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