title: Comparing functional MRI protocols for small, iron-rich basal ganglia nuclei such as the subthalamic nucleus at 7 T and 3 T.
abstract: The basal ganglia (BG) form a network of subcortical nuclei. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the BG could provide insight in its functioning and the underlying mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). However, fMRI of the BG with high specificity is challenging, because the nuclei are small and variable in their anatomical location. High resolution fMRI at field strengths of 7 Tesla (T) could help resolve these challenges to some extent. A set of MR protocols was developed for functional imaging of the BG nuclei at 3 T and 7 T. The protocols were validated using a stop-signal reaction task (Logan et al. []: J Exp Psychol: Human Percept Perform 10:276-291). Compared with sub-millimeter 7 T fMRI protocols aimed at cortex, a reduction of echo time and spatial resolution was strictly necessary to obtain robust Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) sensitivity in the BG. An fMRI protocol at 3 T with identical resolution to the 7 T showed no robust BOLD sensitivity in any of the BG nuclei. The results suggest that the subthalamic nucleus, as well as the substantia nigra, red nucleus, and the internal and external parts of the globus pallidus show increased activation in failed stop trials compared with successful stop and go trials. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3226-3248, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1988-5091
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Hollander
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Max C
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9703-9125
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Keuken
authors.affiliation: Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wietske
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van der Zwaag
authors.affiliation: University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Brain & Cognition Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Psychology, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Birte U
authors.initials: BU
authors.lastname: Forstmann
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trampel
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007501:Iron; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: basal ganglia; functional neuroimaging; stop-signal reaction task; subthalamic nucleus; ultra-high field MRI