Acquiring MRI brain images in awake unrestrained sheep
Résumé
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technique that requires the participant to be completely motionless. To date, MRI in awake and unrestrained animals has only been achieved with humans and dogs. For other species, alternative techniques such as anesthesia and/or restraint have been necessary. MRI studies with sheep have only been conducted under anesthesia. This ensures the absence of movement and allows relatively long MRI experiments. However, it can be detrimental to health, disrupt neurovascular coupling and does not permit the study of higher-level cognition. Here we present a proof of concept that positive reinforcement training in sheep is sufficient to be able to acquire both T1-weighted structural and EPI functional images. These promising early results show that MRI data can be acquired with awake and unrestrained sheep. This innovative training protocol opens the door to the possibility of conducting animal welfare friendly functional MRI studies with sheep.
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