title: Boosting BOLD fMRI by K-space density weighted echo planar imaging.
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a powerful and influential method to non-invasively study neuronal brain activity. For this purpose, the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effect is most widely used. T2* weighted echo planar imaging (EPI) is BOLD sensitive and the prevailing fMRI acquisition technique. Here, we present an alternative to its standard Cartesian recordings, i.e. k-space density weighted EPI, which is expected to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in fMRI data. Based on in vitro and in vivo pilot measurements, we show that fMRI by k-space density weighted EPI is feasible and that this new acquisition technique in fact boosted spatial and temporal SNR as well as the detection of local fMRI activations. Spatial resolution, spatial response function and echo time were identical for density weighted and conventional Cartesian EPI. The signal-to-noise ratio gain of density weighting can improve activation detection and has the potential to further increase the sensitivity of fMRI investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Clinic, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeller
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutberlet
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Dietbert
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köstler
authors.forename: Andreas J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bartsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
references.citation: Lancet. 1986 Feb 8;1(8476):307-10
references.pmid: 2868172
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2002 Jun;47(6):1202-10
references.pmid: 12111967
references.citation: J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2010 Sep;30(9):1551-7
references.pmid: 20571517
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2008 Oct;60(4):895-907
references.pmid: 18816810
references.citation: PLoS One. 2010 Dec 20;5(12):e15710
references.pmid: 21187930
references.citation: IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 1991;10(3):473-8
references.pmid: 18222850
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2003 Dec;50(6):1266-75
references.pmid: 14648575
references.citation: J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 1992 Nov;12(6):900-18
references.pmid: 1400644
references.citation: Hum Brain Mapp. 2002 Nov;17(3):143-55
references.pmid: 12391568
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Sep 12;103(37):13848-53
references.pmid: 16945915
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2004;23 Suppl 1:S208-19
references.pmid: 15501092
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Mar;45(1 Suppl):S173-86
references.pmid: 19059349
references.citation: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2013 Apr;37(4):965-73
references.pmid: 23325699
references.citation: Neuroimage. 1999 Feb;9(2):195-207
references.pmid: 9931269
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2005 May 15;26(1):243-50
references.pmid: 15862224
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2002 Jan;15(1):120-35
references.pmid: 11771980
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2003 Jun;49(6):1019-27
references.pmid: 12768579
references.citation: Med Phys. 1987 Jul-Aug;14(4):640-5
references.pmid: 3627004
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 1995 Jul;34(1):65-73
references.pmid: 7674900
references.citation: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2006 Jun;23(6):921-32
references.pmid: 16649199
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2005 May;53(5):1046-54
references.pmid: 15844094
references.citation: Magn Reson Imaging. 2010 Apr;28(3):341-50
references.pmid: 20096527
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2001 May;13(5):903-19
references.pmid: 11304086
references.citation: Brain. 1997 Jan;120 ( Pt 1):141-57
references.pmid: 9055804
references.citation: IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2001 Jun;20(6):535-9
references.pmid: 11437113
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2006 Aug 15;32(2):551-7
references.pmid: 16815038
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2014 Mar;71(3):1117-22
references.pmid: 23554070
references.citation: Neuroimage. 1999 Feb;9(2):179-94
references.pmid: 9931268
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2012 May;67(5):1210-24
references.pmid: 21858868
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 16;98(2):676-82
references.pmid: 11209064
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2001 Dec;14(6):1370-86
references.pmid: 11707093
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2001 Oct;46(4):723-34
references.pmid: 11590649
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2005 May 29;360(1457):1001-13
references.pmid: 16087444
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 1990 Nov;16(2):192-225
references.pmid: 2266841
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2002 Oct;17(2):825-41
references.pmid: 12377157
references.citation: Neuroimage. 1995 Sep;2(3):173-81
references.pmid: 9343600
references.citation: MAGMA. 2007 Feb;20(1):19-25
references.pmid: 17237943
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 1997 May;37(5):785-92
references.pmid: 9126954
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Oct 15;48(1):150-65
references.pmid: 19481163
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Oct 15;48(1):63-72
references.pmid: 19573611
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Dec;87(24):9868-72
references.pmid: 2124706
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2003 Oct;20(2):1052-63
references.pmid: 14568475
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2002 Jul;48(1):1-5
references.pmid: 12111925
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2001 Oct;46(4):631-7
references.pmid: 11590638
references.citation: Hum Brain Mapp. 2002 Jan;15(1):1-25
references.pmid: 11747097
references.citation: Magn Reson Med. 2001 May;45(5):930-3
references.pmid: 11323822
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2007 Jan 15;34(2):565-74
references.pmid: 17126038