Multiecho coarse voxel acquisition for neurofeedback fMRI

Constrained source space imaging: application to fast, region-based functional MRI

A new technique called constrained source space imaging is introduced that holds promise for ultrafast acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging data. A sparse set of arbitrarily positioned, coarse voxels is first localized using radiofrequency selective excitation, from which magnetization signals are separated using only the spatial sensitivities of multichannel receiver coils, without the need for k-space encoding using imaging gradients. This method permits very fast acquisitions of targeted magnetization without complex or time-consuming image reconstruction techniques. Furthermore, because the data acquisition is performed without imaging gradients, T2* decays can be densely sampled and processed for contrast enhancement to improve functional magnetic resonance imaging data quality. Here, the constrained source space imaging technique is validated in proof-of-concept form, for a simple functional magnetic resonance imaging motor task using a prototype dual-band stimulated echo acquisition mode excitation to image four voxels at TR = 250 ms. Results demonstrate good voxel signal separation and good characterization of hemodynamic responses in primary motor cortices (M1) and supplementary motor areas through T2* fitting of the measured signals. With further refinement, the constrained source space imaging method has potential utility in a priori ROI-based functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments with TR values under 100 ms. Rapid, multivoxel measurements of other sources of MR signal contrast are also possible.

BOLD contrast and noise characteristics of densely sampled multi-echo fMRI data

Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be enhanced using multi-echo imaging and postprocessing techniques that combine the echoes in weighted summation. Here, existing echo-weighting methods are reassessed in the context of an explicit physiological noise model, and a new method is introduced: weights that scale linearly with echo time. Additionally, a method using data-driven weights defined using principal component analysis (PCA) is included for comparison. Differences in BOLD contrast enhancement between methods were compared analytically where possible, and using Monte Carlo simulations for different noise conditions and different combinations of acquisition parameters. The comparisons were also validated through densely sampled (256-echo) multi-echo fMRI experimental data acquired at 1.5T and 3.0T. Results indicated that the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the studied weighting methods have a strong dependence on the physiological noise, echo spacing and the width of the sampling window. With low noise correlations between echoes, contrast gain for all weighting methods was shown to have a square root dependence on the echo sampling density, and in typical experimental noise conditions, increasing the sampling window beyond 3·T2* produced marginal additional benefit. Simulations and experiments also emphasized that noise correlations between echoes are likely the main factor limiting the potential CNR gains achievable by densely sampled multi-echo fMRI.

Real-time fMRI: a tool for local brain regulation

Real-time fMRI permits simultaneous measurement and observation of brain activity during an ongoing task. One of the most challenging applications of real-time fMRI in neuroscientific and clinical research is the possibility of acquiring volitional control of localized brain activity using real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback protocols. Real-time fMRI allows the experimenter to noninvasively manipulate brain activity as an independent variable to observe the effects on behavior. Real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies demonstrated that learned control of the local brain activity leads to specific changes in behavior. Here, the authors describe the implementation and application of real-time fMRI with particular emphasis on the self-regulation of local brain activity and the investigation of brain-function relationships. Real-time fMRI represents a promising new approach to cognitive neuroscience that could complement traditional neuroimaging techniques by providing more causal insights into the functional role of circumscribed brain regions in behavior.