Mathematical Modeling of fMRI BOLD responses related Nitric Oxide Production-Consumption and in the Cerebellum Granule Layer

Abstract Brain imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have allowed to study changes in neural circuit activity and behavioral functioning. Nitric Oxide (NO) production, consumption and diffusion define changes in neurovascular coupling (NVC) relating synapses and neural activity to blood flow. In this paper, using mathematical models, we reconstruct NO production and consumption correlated to cerebellum granule neuron activity considering combinations of release probabilities to generate Blood Oxygen-Level Dependent (BOLD) signals can be attributed. Mathematical models explore the relationship between production and consumption of NO to neural activity that may be associated to reconstructed BOLD response. This modeling allows connecting changes in single neurons to circuit behaviors going through multiple levels and can be used to validate network function in detailed large-scale models.