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High resolution SE-fMRI in humans at 3 and 7 T using a motor task

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Abstract

Object

The sensitivity of spin echo (SE) experiments to blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast was explored in a study of the same six subjects carried out at 3 and 7 T.

Materials and methods

Multi-slice, single shot, spin echo, echo planar images with a voxel size of 1 ×  1 ×  3 mm3 were acquired at three different echo times, during execution of a simple motor task.

Results

Significant activation was observed at all echo times at both field strengths. Analysis of the fractional signal change as a function of echo time indicated that the change in relaxation rate, ΔR 2, at 7 T was 0.51 ± 0.14 s −, which was 1.3 times larger than the value found at 3 T. Measurements of the percentage signal change on activation and temporal signal to noise ratio showed that there was an increase in the BOLD contrast to noise ratio (CNR) at 7 versus 3 T by a factor of 1.9. There was no overlap of areas of significant activation in the SE data acquired at either field strength with the site of large veins.

Conclusion

SE-BOLD CNR in motor cortex was found to increase significantly at 7 T compared with 3 T.

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Abbreviations

BOLD:

Blood oxygenation level dependent

CBV:

Regional blood volume

CBF:

Cerebral blood flow

CMRO2 :

Cerebral metabolic consumption rate

CNR:

Contrast-to-noise ratio

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

EPI:

Echo planar imaging

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

FOV:

Field of view

GM:

Grey matter

GE:

Gradient echo

SE:

Spin echo

ROI:

Region of interest

OVS:

Outer volume suppression

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    Andreas Schäfer, Wietske van der Zwaag, Susan T. Francis, Kay E. Head, Penny A. Gowland & Richard W. Bowtell

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  1. Andreas Schäfer
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  2. Wietske van der Zwaag
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  3. Susan T. Francis
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  4. Kay E. Head
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  5. Penny A. Gowland
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  6. Richard W. Bowtell
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Correspondence to Richard W. Bowtell.

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Schäfer, A., van der Zwaag, W., Francis, S.T. et al. High resolution SE-fMRI in humans at 3 and 7 T using a motor task. Magn Reson Mater Phy 21, 113 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-007-0099-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-007-0099-6

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