Application of sensitivity-encoded echo-planar imaging for blood oxygen level-dependent functional brain imaging.
The benefits of sensitivity-encoded (SENSE) echo-planar imaging (EPI) for functional MRI (fMRI) based on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast were quantitatively investigated at 1.5 T. For experiments with 3.4 x 3.4 x 4.0 mm(3) resolution, SENSE allowed the single-shot EPI image acquisition duration to be shortened from 24.1 to 12.4 ms, resulting in a reduced sensitivity to geometric distortions and T(*)(2) blurring. Finger-tapping fMRI experiments, performed on eight normal volunteers, showed an overall 18% loss in t-score in the activated area, which was substantially smaller than expected based on the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and g-factor, but similar to the loss predicted by a model that takes physiologic noise into account.
de Zwart
Jacco A
JA
Advanced MRI, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1065, USA. Jacco.deZwart@nih.gov
van Gelderen
Peter
P
Kellman
Peter
P
Duyn
Jeff H
JH
D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D010100:Oxygen