Department of Nuclear Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Neurosci Res. 2011 Jun;70(2):133-43. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2010.12.017. Epub 2011 Jan 15.
Cognitive neuroscience, which studies the biological basis of mental processes, widely uses neuroimaging technologies like functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) to study the human brain. Small laboratory animals, like rodents, are commonly used in brain research and provide abundant models of human brain diseases. The development of high-resolution small-animal PET and various radiotracers together with sophisticated methods for analyzing functional brain imaging data have accelerated research on brain function and neurotransmitter release during behavioral tasks in rodents. In this review, we first summarize advances in the methodology of cognitive research brought about by the development of sophisticated methods for whole-brain imaging analysis and improvements in neuroimaging protocols. Then, we discuss basic mechanisms related to metabolic changes and the expression of neurotransmitters in various brain areas during task-induced neural activity. In particular, we discuss glucose metabolism imaging and brain receptor imaging for various receptor systems. Finally, we discuss the current status and future perspectives. Mechanisms of neurotransmitter expression will probably become an increasingly important field of study in the future, leading to more collaboration between investigators in fields such as computational and theoretical neuroscience.
认知神经科学研究心理过程的生物学基础，广泛使用神经影像学技术，如功能磁共振成像和正电子发射断层扫描（PET）来研究人脑。小型实验动物，如啮齿类动物，常用于脑研究，并提供丰富的人类脑疾病模型。高分辨率小动物 PET 和各种放射性示踪剂的发展，以及用于分析功能脑成像数据的复杂方法，加速了在啮齿类动物行为任务期间对大脑功能和神经递质释放的研究。在这篇综述中，我们首先总结了由于全脑成像分析方法的发展和神经影像学方案的改进带来的认知研究方法上的进展。然后，我们讨论了与任务诱导的神经活动过程中各种脑区代谢变化和神经递质表达相关的基本机制。特别是，我们讨论了各种受体系统的葡萄糖代谢成像和脑受体成像。最后，我们讨论了现状和未来展望。神经递质表达的机制可能成为未来一个越来越重要的研究领域，导致计算和理论神经科学等领域的研究人员之间更多的合作。
