title: Whole brain, high resolution multiband spin-echo EPI fMRI at 7 T: a comparison with gradient-echo EPI using a color-word Stroop task.
abstract: A whole brain, multiband spin-echo (SE) echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence employing a high spatial (1.5 mm isotropic) and temporal (TR of 2 s) resolution was implemented at 7 T. Its overall performance (tSNR, sensitivity and CNR) was assessed and compared to a geometrically matched gradient-echo (GE) EPI multiband sequence (TR of 1.4 s) using a color-word Stroop task. PINS RF pulses were used for refocusing to reduce RF amplitude requirements and SAR, summed and phase-optimized standard pulses were used for excitation enabling a transverse or oblique slice orientation. The distortions were minimized with the use of parallel imaging in the phase encoding direction and a post-acquisition distortion correction. In general, GE-EPI shows higher efficiency and higher CNR in most brain areas except in some parts of the visual cortex and superior frontal pole at both the group and individual-subject levels. Gradient-echo EPI was able to detect robust activation near the air/tissue interfaces such as the orbito-frontal and subcortical regions due to reduced intra-voxel dephasing because of the thin slices used and high in-plane resolution.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: rasim.boyacioglu@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Rasim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boyacioğlu
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nils C J
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe Zollverein, Leitstand Kokerei Zollverein, Arendahls Wiese 199, D-45141 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Koopmans
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe Zollverein, Leitstand Kokerei Zollverein, Arendahls Wiese 199, D-45141 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Trigon 204, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe Zollverein, Leitstand Kokerei Zollverein, Arendahls Wiese 199, D-45141 Essen, Germany; MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, NL-7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Norris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: BOLD; CNR; Orbito-frontal; PINS; Physiological noise; Sensitivity