PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a novel MR method that addresses some of the most eminent technical challenges of current BOLD-based fMRI in terms of 1) acoustic noise and 2) geometric distortions and signal dropouts. METHODS: A BOLD-sensitive fMRI pulse sequence was designed that first generates T2-weighted magnetization (using a T2 preparation module) and subsequently undergoes three-dimensional (3D) radial encoding using a rotating ultrafast imaging sequence (RUFIS). The method was tested on healthy volunteers at 3T with motor, visual, and auditory tasks, and compared relative to standard gradient and spin echo planar imaging (EPI) methods. RESULTS: In combination with parallel imaging the method achieves efficient and robust 3D whole brain coverage (3 mm isotropic resolution in 2.65 s scan time). Compared with standard EPI-based fMRI, the method demonstrated 1) T2-weighted imaging clean of geometrical distortions and signal dropout, 2) an acoustic noise reduction of ∼40 dB(A), and 3) a consistent BOLD response that is less sensitive (∼1.3% BOLD change) but spatially more specific. CONCLUSION: T2-prepared RUFIS provides quiet and distortion-free whole brain BOLD fMRI with minimal demands on the gradient performance. In particular, auditory fMRI and/or studies involving brain regions near air-tissue interfaces are expected to greatly benefit from the proposed method, especially if performed at ultrahigh field strengths.
PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a novel MR method that addresses some of the most eminent technical challenges of current BOLD-based fMRI in terms of 1) acoustic noise and 2) geometric distortions and signal dropouts. METHODS: A BOLD-sensitive fMRI pulse sequence was designed that first generates T2-weighted magnetization (using a T2 preparation module) and subsequently undergoes three-dimensional (3D) radial encoding using a rotating ultrafast imaging sequence (RUFIS). The method was tested on healthy volunteers at 3T with motor, visual, and auditory tasks, and compared relative to standard gradient and spin echo planar imaging (EPI) methods. RESULTS: In combination with parallel imaging the method achieves efficient and robust 3D whole brain coverage (3 mm isotropic resolution in 2.65 s scan time). Compared with standard EPI-based fMRI, the method demonstrated 1) T2-weighted imaging clean of geometrical distortions and signal dropout, 2) an acoustic noise reduction of ∼40 dB(A), and 3) a consistent BOLD response that is less sensitive (∼1.3% BOLD change) but spatially more specific. CONCLUSION: T2-prepared RUFIS provides quiet and distortion-free whole brain BOLD fMRI with minimal demands on the gradient performance. In particular, auditory fMRI and/or studies involving brain regions near air-tissue interfaces are expected to greatly benefit from the proposed method, especially if performed at ultrahigh field strengths.
Authors: Emil Ljungberg; Tobias C Wood; Ana Beatriz Solana; Steven C R Williams; Gareth J Barker; Florian Wiesinger Journal: Magn Reson Med Date: 2022-04-05 Impact factor: 3.737
Authors: Nikou L Damestani; Owen O'Daly; Ana Beatriz Solana; Florian Wiesinger; David J Lythgoe; Simon Hill; Alfonso de Lara Rubio; Elena Makovac; Steven C R Williams; Fernando Zelaya Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2021-03-17 Impact factor: 5.399
Authors: Andreas B Schmidt; Stephan Berner; Moritz Braig; Mirko Zimmermann; Jürgen Hennig; Dominik von Elverfeldt; Jan-Bernd Hövener Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-07-12 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: L J Gabard-Durnam; J O'Muircheartaigh; H Dirks; D C Dean; N Tottenham; S Deoni Journal: Dev Cogn Neurosci Date: 2018-07-21 Impact factor: 6.464