title: Visual stimulus presentation using fiber optics in the MRI scanner.
abstract: Imaging the neural basis of visuomotor actions using fMRI is a topic of increasing interest in the field of cognitive neuroscience. One challenge is to present realistic three-dimensional (3-D) stimuli in the subject's peripersonal space inside the MRI scanner. The stimulus generating apparatus must be compatible with strong magnetic fields and must not interfere with image acquisition. Virtual 3-D stimuli can be generated with a stereo image pair projected onto screens or via binocular goggles. Here, we describe designs and implementations for automatically presenting physical 3-D stimuli (point-light targets) in peripersonal and near-face space using fiber optics in the MRI scanner. The feasibility of fiber-optic based displays was demonstrated in two experiments. The first presented a point-light array along a slanted surface near the body, and the second presented multiple point-light targets around the face. Stimuli were presented using phase-encoded paradigms in both experiments. The results suggest that fiber-optic based displays can be a complementary approach for visual stimulus presentation in the MRI scanner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0515, USA. rshuang@sccn.ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Ruey-Song
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Martin I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Sereno
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005145:Face / Q000502:physiology; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055100:Optical Fibers; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology; D012984:Software; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology