# Foundations of MRI Corticography for mesoscale organization and neuronal circuitry

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2020 · $957,032

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Functional MRI (fMRI) is performed at a macroscopic scale of 1 to 3 millimeters spatial resolution. The term
`mesoscale' has come to denote the resolution of a finer granularity of neuronal organization, to show
functional organization across the depth and along the surface of the cortex. Mesoscale fMRI representation of
neural activity, however, is not firmly established. A primary objective of this research is to evaluate fMRI's
ability to accurately differentiate neuronal activity in cortical layers and columns. This will allow studies of local
circuitry in columnar organization and layers with fiber projections to and from distant brain regions, so that
hierarchical and directional connectivity between hundreds of human brain regions may eventually be routinely
studied non-invasively in the human brain.
This project will leverage state-of-the-art MRI hardware and pulse sequences specifically designed for high-
resolution imaging of human cortex in a BRAIN Initiative project for next generation human brain imaging (NIH
R24MH106096 ”MRI Corticography” (MRCoG)). It will also use several cutting-edge neuroscience
technologies, including CLARITY, optogenetic fMRI (ofMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and
electrocorticography (ECoG), to identify and manipulate neuronal activity underlying the fMRI signal. To
determine the spatial specificity and laminar profile of BOLD activity, we will use optogenetic stimulation of
neuronal populations in different cortical layers of mouse brain while simultaneously imaging with BOLD fMRI.
Secondly, variations of vascular and neuronal density will be disambiguated from variations of co-localized
fMRI activity using CLARITY and 3D fluorescence microscopy. In humans, the microscale to mesoscale fMRI
mapping will be validated using direct electrophysiological mapping with ultra-high-density ECoG grids and
advanced computational modeling. To elucidate whole brain mesoscale circuit interactions in humans, MRCoG
will be combined with TMS to test hierarchical organization of frontal cortex and transhemispheric motor
connections. In humans, pharmacologically modulated brain circuits will be evaluated using an FDA-approved
cholinesterase inhibitor, to determine the laminar profile of mesoscale fMRI when feedforward processing is
increased.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9957124
- **Project number:** 5R01MH111444-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** David Alan Feinberg
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $957,032
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-16 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9957124

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9957124, Foundations of MRI Corticography for mesoscale organization and neuronal circuitry (5R01MH111444-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9957124. Licensed CC0.

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