title: Event-related fMRI contrast when using constant interstimulus interval: theory and experiment.
abstract: Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (ER-fMRI) involves the mapping of averaged hemodynamic changes resulting from repeated, brief (<3 sec) brain activation episodes. In this paper, two issues regarding constant-interstimulus interval ER-fMRI were addressed. First, the optimal interstimulus interval (ISI), given a stimulus duration (SD), was determined. Second, the statistical power of ER-fMRI relative to that of a blocked-design paradigm was determined. Experimentally, it was found that with a 2-sec SD, the optimal ISI is 12 to 14 sec. Theoretically, the optimal repetition interval (T(opt) = ISI + SD) is 12 to 14 sec for stimuli of 2 sec or less. For longer stimuli, T(opt) is 8 + 2 x SD. At the optimal ISI for SD = 2 sec, the experimentally determined functional contrast of ER-fMRI was only -35% lower than that of blocked-design fMRI. Simulations that assumed a linear system demonstrated an event-related functional contrast that was -65% lower than that of the blocked design. These differences between simulated and experimental contrast suggest that the ER-fMRI amplitude is greater than that predicted by a linear shift-invariant system.
authors.affiliation: Biophysics Research Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. bandettini@nih.gov
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bandettini
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology