In the present study, we aimed at determining the metabolic responses of the human visual cortex during the presentation of chromatic and achromatic stimuli, known to preferentially activate two separate clusters of neuronal populations (called "blobs" and "interblobs") with distinct sensitivity to color or luminance features. Since blobs and interblobs have different cytochrome-oxidase (COX) content and micro-vascularization level (i.e., different capacities for glucose oxidation), different functional metabolic responses during chromatic vs. achromatic stimuli may be expected. The stimuli were optimized to evoke a similar load of neuronal activation as measured by the bold oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast. Metabolic responses were assessed using functional 1H MRS at 7 T in 12 subjects. During both chromatic and achromatic stimuli, we observed the typical increases in glutamate and lactate concentration, and decreases in aspartate and glucose concentration, that are indicative of increased glucose oxidation. However, within the detection sensitivity limits, we did not observe any difference between metabolic responses elicited by chromatic and achromatic stimuli. We conclude that the higher energy demands of activated blobs and interblobs are supported by similar increases in oxidative metabolism despite the different capacities of these neuronal populations.

• MeSH
• barva * MeSH
• energetický metabolismus MeSH
• glukosa metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina aspartová metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina glutamová metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina mléčná metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• mozek - chemie fyziologie   MeSH
• neurony fyziologie   MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• respirační komplex IV metabolismus   MeSH
• světelná stimulace * MeSH
• zdraví dobrovolníci pro lékařské studie MeSH
• zrakové evokované potenciály MeSH
• zrakové korové centrum metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

Several laboratories have consistently reported small concentration changes in lactate, glutamate, aspartate, and glucose in the human cortex during prolonged stimuli. However, whether such changes correlate with blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) signals have not been determined. The present study aimed at characterizing the relationship between metabolite concentrations and BOLD-fMRI signals during a block-designed paradigm of visual stimulation. Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) and fMRI data were acquired from 12 volunteers. A short echo-time semi-LASER localization sequence optimized for 7 Tesla was used to achieve full signal-intensity MRS data. The group analysis confirmed that during stimulation lactate and glutamate increased by 0.26 ± 0.06 μmol/g (~30%) and 0.28 ± 0.03 μmol/g (~3%), respectively, while aspartate and glucose decreased by 0.20 ± 0.04 μmol/g (~5%) and 0.19 ± 0.03 μmol/g (~16%), respectively. The single-subject analysis revealed that BOLD-fMRI signals were positively correlated with glutamate and lactate concentration changes. The results show a linear relationship between metabolic and BOLD responses in the presence of strong excitatory sensory inputs, and support the notion that increased functional energy demands are sustained by oxidative metabolism. In addition, BOLD signals were inversely correlated with baseline γ-aminobutyric acid concentration. Finally, we discussed the critical importance of taking into account linewidth effects on metabolite quantification in fMRS paradigms.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• GABA metabolismus   MeSH
• glukosa metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina glutamová metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina mléčná metabolismus   MeSH
• kyslík krev   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• světelná stimulace * MeSH
• zrakové korové centrum fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH