Functional brainstem imaging of sympathetic drive using MSNA coupled fMRI and SSNA coupled fMRI at ultra-high field.

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is responsible for blood pressure control and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) for thermoregulation. This activity can be recorded through a process of microneurography. This nerve activity can be temporally coupled with fMRI to image the brainstem. With the use of ultra high field MRI we are able to image the subcortical and cortical regions responsible for these sympathetic nervous system processes. Brainstem imaging using this technique for the first time at high field, has identified with high specificity the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) when using MSNA coupled fMRI.