Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate if functional activity with spinal cord somatosensory stimulation can be visualized using BOLD fMRI. We investigated nine healthy volunteers using a somatosensory stimulus generator. The stimuli were applied in three different runs at the first, third, and fifth finger tip of the right hand, respectively, corresponding to dermatomes c6, c7, and c8. The stimuli gave an increase of BOLD signal (activation) in three different locations of the spinal cord and brain stem. First, activations could be seen in the spinal segment corresponding to the stimulated dermatome in seven out of nine volunteers for c6 stimulation, two out of eight for c7, and three out of eight for c8. These activations were located close to the posterior margin of the spinal cord, presumably reflecting synaptic transmission to dorsal horn interneurons. Second, activation in the medulla oblongata was evident in four subjects, most likely corresponding to the location of the nucleus cuneatus. The third location of activation, which was the strongest and most reliable observed was inside the spinal cord in the c3 and c4 segments. Activation at these spinal levels was almost invariably observed independently of the dermatome stimulated (9/9 for c6, 8/8 for c7, and 7/8 for c8 stimulation). These activations may pertain to an interneuronal system at this spinal level. The results are discussed in relation to neurophysiological studies on cervical spinal interneuronal pathways in animals and humans.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alstermark B, Lundberg A (1992) The C3-C4 propriospinal system: target-reaching and food-taking. In: Jami L, Pierrot-Deseilligny E, Zytnicki D (eds) Muscle afferents and spinal control of movement. Pergamon, Oxford, pp 327–354
Alstermark B, Johannisson T, Lundberg A (1986) The inhibitory pathway from the forelimb to c3-c4 propriospinal neurones investigated with natural stimulation. Neurosci Res 3(5):451–456
Alstermark B, Isa T, Ohki Y, Saito Y (1999) Disynaptic pyramidal excitation in forelimb motoneurons mediated via C3-C4 propriospinal neurons in the Macaca Fuscata. J Neurophysiol 82(6):3580–3585
Backes WH, Mess WH, Wilmink JT (2001) Functional MR imaging of the cervical spinal cord by use of median nerve stimulation and fist clenching. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 22(10):1854–1859
Baldissera F, Hultborn H, Illert M (1981) Integration in spinal neuronal systems. In: Brooks VB (ed) Handbook of physiology, motor control. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 509–595
Chen R, Ashby P (1993) Reflex responses in upper limb muscles to cutaneous stimuli. Can J Neurol Sci 20(4):271–278
Jankowska E (1992) Interneuronal relay in spinal pathways from proprioceptors. Prog Neurobiol 38(4):335–378
Kitazawa S, Ohki Y, Sasaki M, Xi M, Hongo T (1993) Candidate premotor neurones of skin reflex pathways to T1 forelimb motoneurones of the cat. Exp Brain Res 95(2):291–307
Komisaruk BR, Mosier KM, Liu WC, Criminale C, Zaborsky L, Whipple B, Kalnin A (2002) Functional localization of brainstem and spinal cord nuclei in humans with fMRI. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 23(4):609–617
Madi S, Flanders AE, Vinitski S, Herbison GJ, Nissanov J (2001) Functional MR imaging of the human cervical spinal cord. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 22(9):1768–1774
Nielsen J, Pierrot-Deseilligny E (1991) Pattern of cutaneous inhibition of the propriospinal-like excitation to human upper limb motoneurones. J Physiol 434:169–182
Pierrot-Deseilligny E (2002) Propriospinal transmission of part of the corticospinal excitation in humans. Muscle Nerve 26(2):155–172
Schomburg ED (1990) Spinal sensorimotor systems and their supraspinal control. Neurosci Res 7(4):265–340
Stroman PW, Nance PW, Ryner LN (1999) BOLD fMRI of the human cervical spinal cord at 3 Tesla. Magn Reson Med 42(3):571–576
Stroman PW, Krause V, Malisza KL, Frankenstein UN, Tomanek B (2001) Characterization of contrast changes in functional MRI of the human spinal cord at 1.5T. Magn Reson Imaging 19(6):833–838
Stroman PW, Krause V, Malisza KL, Frankenstein UN, Tomanek B (2002) Extravascular proton-density changes as a non-BOLD component of contrast in fMRI of the human spinal cord. Magn Reson Med 48(1):122–127
Stroman PW, Krause V, Malisza KL, Frankenstein UN, Tomanek B (2002) Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the human cervical spinal cord with stimulation of different sensory dermatomes. Magn Reson Imaging 20(1):1–6
Woods R, Mazziotta JC, Mastaglia FL (1992) Automated algorithm for aligning tomographic images, II: cross-modality MRI-PET registration. J Comput Assist Tomogr 16:620–633
Yoshizawa T, Nose T, Moore GJ, Sillerud LO (1996) Functional magnetic resonance imaging of motor activation in the human cervical spinal cord. Neuroimage 4(3Pt1):174–182
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stracke, C.P., Pettersson, L.G., Schoth, F. et al. Interneuronal systems of the cervical spinal cord assessed with BOLD imaging at 1.5 T. Neuroradiology 47, 127–133 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-004-1318-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-004-1318-8