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Jin C, Zhao H, Li H, Chen P, Tian C, Li X, Wang M, Liu C, Sun Q, Zheng J, Li B, Zhou X, Salvi R, Yang J. Auditory Effects of Acoustic Noise From 3-T Brain MRI in Neonates With Hearing Protection. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024. [PMID: 38777575 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.29450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonates with immature auditory function (eg, weak/absent middle ear muscle reflex) could conceivably be vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss; however, it is unclear if neonates show evidence of hearing loss following MRI acoustic noise exposure. PURPOSE To explore the auditory effects of MRI acoustic noise in neonates. STUDY TYPE Prospective. SUBJECTS Two independent cohorts of neonates (N = 19 and N = 18; mean gestational-age, 38.75 ± 2.18 and 39.01 ± 1.83 weeks). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence, T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence, single-shot echo-planar imaging-based diffusion-tensor imaging, single-shot echo-planar imaging-based diffusion-kurtosis imaging and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence at 3.0 T. ASSESSMENT All neonates wore ear protection during scan protocols lasted ~40 minutes. Equivalent sound pressure levels (SPLs) were measured for both cohorts. In cohort1, left- and right-ear auditory brainstem response (ABR) was measured before (baseline) and after (follow-up) MRI, included assessment of ABR threshold, wave I, III and V latencies and interpeak interval to determine the functional status of auditory nerve and brainstem. In cohort2, baseline and follow-up left- and right-ear distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) amplitudes were assessed at 1.2 to 7.0 kHz to determine cochlear function. STATISTICAL TEST Wilcoxon signed-rank or paired t-tests with Bonferroni's correction were used to compare the differences between baseline and follow-up ABR and DPOAE measures. RESULTS Equivalent SPLs ranged from 103.5 to 113.6 dBA. No significant differences between baseline and follow-up were detected in left- or right-ear ABR measures (P > 0.999, Bonferroni corrected) in cohort1, or in DPOAE levels at 1.2 to 7.0 kHz in cohort2 (all P > 0.999 Bonferroni corrected except for left-ear levels at 3.5 and 7.0 kHz with corrected P = 0.138 and P = 0.533). DATA CONCLUSION A single 40-minute 3-T MRI with equivalent SPLs of 103.5-113.6 dBA did not result in significant transient disruption of auditory function, as measured by ABR and DPOAE, in neonates with adequate hearing protection. EVIDENCE LEVEL 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY Stage 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Jin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huifang Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huan Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peiyao Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cong Tian
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xianjun Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qinli Sun
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Baiya Li
- Department of Head-Neck-Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xihui Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Richard Salvi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Computational Imaging and Medical Intelligence, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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Geal-Dor M, Sohmer H. Soft Tissue Conduction Activates the Auditory Pathway in the Brain. Audiol Res 2024; 14:196-203. [PMID: 38391775 PMCID: PMC10886245 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres14010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue conduction is a mode of hearing which differs from air and bone conduction since the soft tissues of the body convey the audio-frequency vibrations to the ear. It is elicited by inducing soft tissue vibrations with an external vibrator applied to sites on the body or by intrinsic vibrations resulting from vocalization or the heartbeat. However, the same external vibrator applied to the skin sites also excites cutaneous mechanoreceptors, and attempts have been made to assist patients with hearing loss by audio-tactile substitution. The present study was conducted to assess the contribution of the auditory nerve and brainstem pathways to soft tissue conduction hearing. The study involved 20 normal hearing students, equipped with ear plugs to reduce the possibility of their response to air-conducted sounds produced by the external vibrator. Pure tone audiograms and speech reception (recognition) thresholds were determined in response to the delivery of the stimuli by a clinical bone vibrator applied to the cheek, neck and shoulder. Pure tone and speech recognition thresholds were obtained; the participants were able to repeat the words they heard by soft tissue conduction, confirming that the auditory pathways in the brain had been stimulated, with minimal involvement of the somatosensory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Geal-Dor
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91200, Israel
- Department of Communication Disorders, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem 91200, Israel
| | - Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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Shimokura R, Nishimura T, Hosoi H. Cartilage Conduction Sounds in Cases of Wearing Different Transducers on a Head and Torso Simulator with a Manipulated Ear Pinna Simulator. Audiol Res 2023; 13:898-909. [PMID: 37987336 PMCID: PMC10660534 DOI: 10.3390/audiolres13060078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cartilage conduction is known widely as a third hearing transmission mechanism after the air and bone conduction methods, and transducers dedicated to the production of cartilage conduction sounds have been developed by several Japanese companies. To estimate the acoustic performance of the five cartilage conduction transducers selected for this study, both airborne sounds and cartilage conduction sounds were measured. Airborne sounds can be measured using a commercial condenser microphone; however, cartilage conduction sounds are impossible to measure using a conventional head and torso simulator (HATS), because the standard-issue ear pinna simulator cannot reproduce cartilage conduction sounds with the same spectral characteristics as the corresponding sounds measured in humans. Therefore, this study replaced the standard-issue simulator with a developed pinna simulator that can produce similar spectral characteristics to those of humans. The HATS manipulated in this manner realized results demonstrating that transducers that fitted the entrance to the external auditory canal more densely could produce greater cartilage conduction sounds. Among the five transducers under test, the ring-shaped device, which was not much larger than the entrance to the canal, satisfied the spectral requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Shimokura
- Department of Systems Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, D436, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka 560-8531, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Nishimura
- Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan;
| | - Hiroshi Hosoi
- President and Medicine-Based Town Institute, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan;
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Weichenberger M, Bug MU, Brühl R, Ittermann B, Koch C, Kühn S. Air-conducted ultrasound below the hearing threshold elicits functional changes in the cognitive control network. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277727. [PMID: 36512612 PMCID: PMC9747049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Air-conducted ultrasound (> 17.8 kHz; US) is produced by an increasing number of technical devices in our daily environment. While several studies indicate that exposure to US in public spaces can lead to subjective symptoms such as 'annoyance' or 'difficulties in concentration', the effects of US on brain activity are poorly understood. In the present study, individual hearing thresholds (HT) for sounds in the US frequency spectrum were assessed in 21 normal-hearing participants. The effects of US were then investigated by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). 15 of these participants underwent three resting-state acquisitions, two with a 21.5 kHz tone presented monaurally at 5 dB above (ATC) and 10 dB below (BTC) the HT and one without auditory stimulation (NTC), as well as three runs of an n-back working memory task involving similar stimulus conditions (n-ATC, n-BTC, n-NTC). Comparing data gathered during n-NTC vs. fixation, we found that task performance was associated with the recruitment of regions within the cognitive control network, including prefrontal and parietal areas as well as the cerebellum. Direct contrasts of the two stimulus conditions (n-ATC & n-BTC) vs. n-NTC showed no significant differences in brain activity, irrespective of whether a whole-brain or a region of interest approach with primary auditory cortex as the seed was used. Likewise, no differences were found when the resting-state runs were compared. However, contrast analysis (n-BTC vs. n-ATC) revealed a strong activation in bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, triangular part) only when US was presented below the HT (p < 0.001, cluster > 30). In addition, IFG activation was also associated with faster reaction times during n-BTC (p = 0.033) as well as with verbal reports obtained after resting-state, i.e., the more unpleasant sound was perceived during BTC vs. ATC, the higher activation in bilateral IFG was and vice versa (p = 0.003). While this study provides no evidence for activation of primary auditory cortex in response to audible US (even though participants heard the sounds), it indicates that US can lead to changes in the cognitive control network and affect cognitive performance only when presented below the HT. Activation of bilateral IFG could reflect an increase in cognitive demand when focusing on task performance in the presence of slightly unpleasant and/or distracting US that may not be fully controllable by attentional mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Weichenberger
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Marion U. Bug
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Koch
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany
- University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
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Ugarteburu M, Withnell RH, Cardoso L, Carriero A, Richter CP. Mammalian middle ear mechanics: A review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:983510. [PMID: 36299283 PMCID: PMC9589510 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.983510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The middle ear is part of the ear in all terrestrial vertebrates. It provides an interface between two media, air and fluid. How does it work? In mammals, the middle ear is traditionally described as increasing gain due to Helmholtz’s hydraulic analogy and the lever action of the malleus-incus complex: in effect, an impedance transformer. The conical shape of the eardrum and a frequency-dependent synovial joint function for the ossicles suggest a greater complexity of function than the traditional view. Here we review acoustico-mechanical measurements of middle ear function and the development of middle ear models based on these measurements. We observe that an impedance-matching mechanism (reducing reflection) rather than an impedance transformer (providing gain) best explains experimental findings. We conclude by considering some outstanding questions about middle ear function, recognizing that we are still learning how the middle ear works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maialen Ugarteburu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert H. Withnell
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Luis Cardoso
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alessandra Carriero
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Alessandra Carriero, ; Claus-Peter Richter,
| | - Claus-Peter Richter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- The Hugh Knowles Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Alessandra Carriero, ; Claus-Peter Richter,
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Hendrix CL, Thomason ME. A survey of protocols from 54 infant and toddler neuroimaging research labs. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101060. [PMID: 35033971 PMCID: PMC8762357 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Infant and toddler MRI enables unprecedented insight into the developing brain. However, consensus about optimal data collection practices is lacking, which slows growth of the field and impedes replication efforts. The goal of this study was to collect systematic data across a large number of infant/toddler research laboratories to better understand preferred practices. Survey data addressed MRI acquisition strategies, scan success rates, visit preparations, scanning protocols, accommodations for families, study design, and policies regarding incidental findings. Respondents had on average 8 years' experience in early life neuroimaging and represented more than fifty research laboratories. Areas of consensus across labs included higher success rates among newborns compared to older infants or toddlers, high rates of data loss across age groups, endorsement of multiple layers of hearing protection, and age-specific scan preparation and participant accommodation. Researchers remain divided on decisions in longitudinal study design and practices regarding incidental findings. This study summarizes practices honed over years of work by a large collection of scientists, which may serve as an important resource for those new to the field. The ability to reference data about best practices facilitates future harmonization, data sharing, and reproducibility, all of which advance this important frontier in developmental science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hendrix
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Moriah E Thomason
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Population Health, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Korom M, Camacho MC, Filippi CA, Licandro R, Moore LA, Dufford A, Zöllei L, Graham AM, Spann M, Howell B, Shultz S, Scheinost D. Dear reviewers: Responses to common reviewer critiques about infant neuroimaging studies. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 53:101055. [PMID: 34974250 PMCID: PMC8733260 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of adult neuroimaging relies on well-established principles in research design, imaging sequences, processing pipelines, as well as safety and data collection protocols. The field of infant magnetic resonance imaging, by comparison, is a young field with tremendous scientific potential but continuously evolving standards. The present article aims to initiate a constructive dialog between researchers who grapple with the challenges and inherent limitations of a nascent field and reviewers who evaluate their work. We address 20 questions that researchers commonly receive from research ethics boards, grant, and manuscript reviewers related to infant neuroimaging data collection, safety protocols, study planning, imaging sequences, decisions related to software and hardware, and data processing and sharing, while acknowledging both the accomplishments of the field and areas of much needed future advancements. This article reflects the cumulative knowledge of experts in the FIT’NG community and can act as a resource for both researchers and reviewers alike seeking a deeper understanding of the standards and tradeoffs involved in infant neuroimaging. The field of infant MRI is young with evolving standards. We address 20 questions that researchers commonly receive reviewers. These come from research ethics boards, grant, and manuscript reviewers. This article reflects the cumulative knowledge of experts in the FIT’NG community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - M Catalina Camacho
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (Neurosciences), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Courtney A Filippi
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roxane Licandro
- Institute of Visual Computing and Human-Centered Technology, Computer Vision Lab, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria; Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Computational Imaging Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucille A Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Alexander Dufford
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alice M Graham
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Marisa Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brittany Howell
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | | | - Sarah Shultz
- Division of Autism & Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Manes JL, Herschel E, Aveni K, Tjaden K, Parrish T, Simuni T, Corcos DM, Roberts AC. The effects of a simulated fMRI environment on voice intensity in individuals with Parkinson's disease hypophonia and older healthy adults. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2021; 94:106149. [PMID: 34543846 PMCID: PMC8627501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has promise for understanding neural mechanisms of neurogenic speech and voice disorders. However, performing vocal tasks within the fMRI environment may not always be analogous to performance outside of the scanner. Using a mock MRI scanner, this study examines the effects of a simulated scanning environment on vowel intensity in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and hypophonia and older healthy control (OHC) participants. METHOD Thirty participants (15 PD, 15 OHC) performed a sustained /ɑ/ vowel production task in three conditions: 1) Upright, 2) Mock Scanner + No Noise, and 3) Mock Scanner + MRI noise. We used a linear mixed-effects (multi-level) model to evaluate the contributions of group and recording environment to vowel intensity. A second linear mixed-effects model was also used to evaluate the contributions of PD medication state (On vs. Off) to voice intensity. RESULTS Vowel intensity was significantly lower for PD compared to the OHC group. The intensity of vowels produced in the Upright condition was significantly lower compared to the Mock Scanner + No Noise condition, while vowel intensity in the Mock Scanner + MRI Noise condition was significantly higher compared to the Mock Scanner + No Noise condition. A group by condition interaction also indicated that the addition of scanner noise had a greater impact on the PD group. A second analysis conducted within the PD group showed no effects of medication state on vowel intensity. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that performance on voice production tasks is altered for PD and OHC groups when translated into the fMRI environment, even in the absence of acoustic scanner noise. For fMRI studies of voice in PD hypophonia, careful thought should be given to how the presence of acoustic noise may differentially affect PD and OHC, for both group and task comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Manes
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA.
| | - Ellen Herschel
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Katharine Aveni
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Kris Tjaden
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Todd Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Tanya Simuni
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Daniel M Corcos
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Angela C Roberts
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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Geal-Dor M, Chordekar S, Adelman C, Kaufmann-Yehezkely M, Sohmer H. Audiogram in Response to Stimulation Delivered to Fluid Applied to the External Meatus. J Audiol Otol 2020; 24:79-84. [PMID: 32050749 PMCID: PMC7141993 DOI: 10.7874/jao.2019.00388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Hearing can be elicited in response to vibratory stimuli delivered to fluid in the external auditory meatus. To obtain a complete audiogram in subjects with normal hearing in response to pure tone vibratory stimuli delivered to fluid applied to the external meatus. Subjects and Methods Pure tone vibratory stimuli in the audiometric range from 0.25 to 6.0 kHz were delivered to fluid applied to the external meatus of eight participants with normal hearing (15 dB or better) using a rod attached to a standard clinical bone vibrator. The fluid thresholds obtained were compared to the air conduction (AC), bone conduction (BC; mastoid), and soft tissue conduction (STC; neck) thresholds in the same subjects. Results Fluid stimulation thresholds were obtained at every frequency in each subject. The fluid and STC (neck) audiograms sloped down at higher frequencies, while the AC and BC audiograms were flat. It is likely that the fluid stimulation audiograms did not involve AC mechanisms or even, possibly, osseous BC mechanisms. Conclusions The thresholds elicited in response to the fluid in the meatus likely reflect a form of STC and may result from excitation of the inner ear by the vibrations induced in the fluid. The sloping fluid audiograms may reflect transmission pathways that are less effective at higher frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Geal-Dor
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Communication Disorders, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Chordekar
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Cahtia Adelman
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Communication Disorders, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Kaufmann-Yehezkely
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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Minami SB, Oishi N, Watabe T, Wasano K, Ogawa K. Age-related change of auditory functional connectivity in Human Connectome Project data and tinnitus patients. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol 2020; 5:132-136. [PMID: 32128439 PMCID: PMC7042643 DOI: 10.1002/lio2.338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We reported that tinnitus patients showed reduced levels of auditory functional connectivity (FC) in comparison with normal hearing control subjects, and that we succeeded in objective diagnosis of tinnitus with 86% sensitivity and 74% specificity by focusing only on auditory-related FC. However, the age-related change of auditory FC is not clarified. In this study, we examine age-related change of the auditory FC using the database of Human Connectome Project (HCP) and compared with our database of tinnitus patients. METHOD From the HCP database HCP Lifespan Pilot project, we studied five age groups, 8 to 9 years old, 14 to 15, 25 to 35, 45 to 55, and 65 to 75. We also applied our tinnitus patients' resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) database, which is divided into three generations; 20 to 40 years old, 40 to 60, and 60 to 80 to compare with the HCP database. The resting state fMRI analyses were performed using the CONN toolbox version 18. As auditory-related regions, Heschl's gyrus, planum temporale, planum polare, operculum, insular cortex, and superior temporal gyrus were set as the regions of interest from our previous reports. RESULT Auditory FC is strongest among adolescents and reduces with age. But the auditory FC of tinnitus patients were significantly less than those of HCP data in each generation. CONCLUSION Although auditory FC decreases with age, tinnitus patients have less auditory FC compared with age-matched controls. The age-matched cutoff values are necessary for an objective diagnosis of tinnitus with resting state fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujiro B. Minami
- National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical CenterNational Institute of Sensory OrgansMeguro CityTokyoJapan
- Department of OtolaryngologyNational Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical CenterMeguro CityTokyoJapan
| | - Naoki Oishi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryKeio University, School of MedicineShinjuku CityTokyoJapan
| | - Takahisa Watabe
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryKeio University, School of MedicineShinjuku CityTokyoJapan
| | - Koichiro Wasano
- National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical CenterNational Institute of Sensory OrgansMeguro CityTokyoJapan
- Department of OtolaryngologyNational Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical CenterMeguro CityTokyoJapan
| | - Kaoru Ogawa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryKeio University, School of MedicineShinjuku CityTokyoJapan
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11
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Sohmer H. Soft tissue conduction is the third mode of auditory stimulation. Auris Nasus Larynx 2019; 47:168-169. [PMID: 31610907 DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, POB 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
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12
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Devantier L, Hansen AK, Mølby-Henriksen JJ, Christensen CB, Pedersen M, Hansen KV, Magnusson M, Ovesen T, Borghammer P. Positron emission tomography visualized stimulation of the vestibular organ is localized in Heschl's gyrus. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:185-193. [PMID: 31520516 PMCID: PMC7268041 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of a human primary vestibular cortex is still debated. Current knowledge mainly derives from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) acquisitions during artificial vestibular stimulation. This may be problematic as artificial vestibular stimulation entails coactivation of other sensory receptors. The use of fMRI is challenging as the strong magnetic field and loud noise during MRI may both stimulate the vestibular organ. This study aimed to characterize the cortical activity during natural stimulation of the human vestibular organ. Two fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET scans were obtained after natural vestibular stimulation in a self-propelled chair. Two types of stimuli were applied: (a) rotation (horizontal semicircular canal) and (b) linear sideways movement (utriculus). A comparable baseline FDG-PET scan was obtained after sitting motion-less in the chair. In both stimulation paradigms, significantly increased FDG uptake was measured bilaterally in the medial part of Heschl's gyrus, with some overlap into the posterior insula. This is the first neuroimaging study to visualize cortical processing of natural vestibular stimuli. FDG uptake was demonstrated in the medial-most part of Heschl's gyrus, normally associated with the primary auditory cortex. This anatomical localization seems plausible, considering that the labyrinth contains both the vestibular organ and the cochlea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Devantier
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Holstebro, Denmark
| | - Allan K Hansen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Kim V Hansen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Måns Magnusson
- Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Therese Ovesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Holstebro, Denmark
| | - Per Borghammer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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13
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Yehezkely MK, Grinblat G, Dor MG, Chordekar S, Perez R, Adelman C, Sohmer H. Implications for Bone Conduction Mechanisms from Thresholds of Post Radical Mastoidectomy and Subtotal Petrosectomy Patients. J Int Adv Otol 2019; 15:8-11. [PMID: 31058593 DOI: 10.5152/iao.2019.6268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess bone conduction (BC) thresholds following radical mastoidectomy and subtotal petrosectomy, in which the tympanic membrane and the ossicular chain, responsible for osseous BC mechanisms, are surgically removed. The removal of the tympanic membrane and the ossicular chain would reduce the contributions to BC threshold of the following four osseous BC mechanisms: the occlusion effect of the external ear, middle ear ossicular chain inertia, inner ear fluid inertia, and distortion (compression-expansion) of the walls of the inner ear. MATERIALS AND METHODS BC thresholds were determined in 64 patients who underwent radical mastoidectomy and in 248 patients who underwent subtotal petrosectomy. RESULTS BC thresholds were normal (≤15 dB HL, i.e., better) in 19 (30%) radical mastoidectomy patients and in 19 (8%) subtotal petrosectomy patients at each of the frequencies assessed (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kHz). CONCLUSION Normal BC thresholds seen in many patients following mastoidectomy and petrosectomy may be induced by a non-osseous mechanism, and the onset ("threshold") of the classical osseous BC mechanisms may be somewhat higher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Kaufmann Yehezkely
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Golda Grinblat
- Department of Otology and Skull Base Surgery, Gruppo Otologico, Piacenza, Rome, Italy
| | - Miriam Geal Dor
- Speech and Hearing Center, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Chordekar
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronen Perez
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Cahtia Adelman
- Speech and Hearing Center, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
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Abstract
Soft tissue conduction (STC) is a recently explored mode of auditory stimulation, complementing air (AC) and bone (BC) conduction stimulation. STC can be defined as the hearing induced when vibratory stimuli reach skin and soft tissue sites not directly overlying skull bone such as the head, neck, thorax, and body. Examples of STC include the delivery of vibrations to the skin of parts of the body by a clinical bone vibrator, hearing underwater sounds and free field air sounds, while AC hearing is attenuated by earplugs. The vibrations induced in the soft tissues are apparently transmitted along soft tissues, reaching, and exciting the ear. Further research is required to determine whether the mechanism of the final stage of STC hearing involves the excitation of the ear by eliciting inner ear fluid pressures that activate the hair cells directly, by the induction of skull bone vibrations, or by a combination of both mechanisms, depending on the magnitude of each mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haim Sohmer
- 1 Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Institute for Medical Research - Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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15
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Stump R, Dobrev I, Krayenbühl N, Probst R, Röösli C. In-vivo assessment of osseous versus non-osseous transmission pathways of vibratory stimuli applied to the bone and the dura in humans. Hear Res 2018; 370:40-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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16
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A Structure Design Method for Reduction of MRI Acoustic Noise. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2017; 2017:6253428. [PMID: 29234459 PMCID: PMC5695079 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6253428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The acoustic problem of the split gradient coil is one challenge in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Linear Accelerator (MRI-LINAC) system. In this paper, we aimed to develop a scheme to reduce the acoustic noise of the split gradient coil. First, a split gradient assembly with an asymmetric configuration was designed to avoid vibration in same resonant modes for the two assembly cylinders. Next, the outer ends of the split main magnet were constructed using horn structures, which can distribute the acoustic field away from patient region. Finally, a finite element method (FEM) was used to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the above acoustic noise reduction scheme. Simulation results found that the noise could be maximally reduced by 6.9 dB and 5.6 dB inside and outside the central gap of the split MRI system, respectively, by increasing the length of one gradient assembly cylinder by 20 cm. The optimized horn length was observed to be 55 cm, which could reduce noise by up to 7.4 dB and 5.4 dB inside and outside the central gap, respectively. The proposed design could effectively reduce the acoustic noise without any influence on the application of other noise reduction methods.
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17
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Chordekar S, Adelman C, Sohmer H, Kishon-Rabin L. Soft tissue conduction as a possible contributor to the limited attenuation provided by hearing protection devices. Noise Health 2016; 18:274-279. [PMID: 27762257 PMCID: PMC5187656 DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.192476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Damage to the auditory system by loud sounds can be avoided by hearing protection devices (HPDs) such as earmuffs, earplugs, or both for maximum attenuation. However, the attenuation can be limited by air conduction (AC) leakage around the earplugs and earmuffs by the occlusion effect (OE) and by skull vibrations initiating bone conduction (BC). AIMS To assess maximum attenuation by HPDs and possible flanking pathways to the inner ear. SUBJECTS AND METHODS AC attenuation and resulting thresholds were assessed using the real ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) procedure on 15 normal-hearing participants in four free-field conditions: (a) unprotected ears, (b) ears covered with earmuffs, (c) ears blocked with deeply inserted customized earplugs, and (d) ears blocked with both earplugs and earmuffs. BC thresholds were assessed with and without earplugs to assess the OE. RESULTS Addition of earmuffs to earplugs did not cause significantly greater attenuation than earplugs alone, confirming minimal AC leakage through the external meatus and the absence of the OE. Maximum REATs ranged between 40 and 46 dB, leading to thresholds of 46-54 dB HL. Furthermore, calculation of the acoustic impedance mismatch between air and bone predicted at least 60 dB attenuation of BC. CONCLUSION Results do not support the notion that skull vibrations (BC) contributed to the limited attenuation provided by traditional HPDs. An alternative explanation, supported by experimental evidence, suggests transmission of sound to inner ear via non-osseous pathways such as skin, soft tissues, and fluid. Because the acoustic impedance mismatch between air and soft tissues is smaller than that between air and bone, air-borne sounds would be transmitted to soft tissues more effectively than to bone, and therefore less attenuation is expected through soft tissue sound conduction. This can contribute to the limited attenuation provided by traditional HPDs. The present study has practical implications for hearing conservation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Chordekar
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Cahtia Adelman
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hebrew University School of Medicine - Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem; Department of Communication Disorders, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Institute for Medical Research - Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Liat Kishon-Rabin
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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18
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Bartsch A, Specht K. Detection of the Scanner's Genuine Gradient Noise by Functional Echo Planar Imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/197140090301600572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - K. Specht
- fMRI-Section, Division of Neuroradiology, Medical Center Bonn, Bonn; Germany
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19
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Wang Y, Liu F, Li Y, Tang F, Crozier S. Asymmetric gradient coil design for use in a short, open bore magnetic resonance imaging scanner. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2016; 269:203-212. [PMID: 27372211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2016.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A conventional cylindrical whole-body MRI scanner has a long bore that may cause claustrophobia for some patients in addition to being inconvenient for healthcare workers accessing the patient. A short-bore scanner usually offers a small sized imaging area, which is impractical for imaging some body parts, such as the torso. This work proposes a novel asymmetric gradient coil design that offers a full-sized imaging area close to one end of the coil. In the new design, the primary and shielding coils are connected at one end whilst separated at the other, allowing the installation of the cooling system and shim trays. The proposed coils have a larger wire gap, higher efficiency, lower inductance, less resistance and a higher figure of merit than the non-connected coils. This half-connected coil structure not only improves the coils' electromagnetic performance, but also slightly attenuates acoustic radiation at most frequencies when compared to a non-connected gradient coil. It is also quieter in some frequency bands than a conventional symmetric gradient coil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohui Wang
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Yu Li
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fangfang Tang
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Stuart Crozier
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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20
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Ranaweera RD, Kwon M, Hu S, Tamer GG, Luh WM, Talavage TM. Temporal pattern of acoustic imaging noise asymmetrically modulates activation in the auditory cortex. Hear Res 2015; 331:57-68. [PMID: 26519093 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the hemisphere-specific effects of the temporal pattern of imaging related acoustic noise on auditory cortex activation. Hemodynamic responses (HDRs) to five temporal patterns of imaging noise corresponding to noise generated by unique combinations of imaging volume and effective repetition time (TR), were obtained using a stroboscopic event-related paradigm with extra-long (≥27.5 s) TR to minimize inter-acquisition effects. In addition to confirmation that fMRI responses in auditory cortex do not behave in a linear manner, temporal patterns of imaging noise were found to modulate both the shape and spatial extent of hemodynamic responses, with classically non-auditory areas exhibiting responses to longer duration noise conditions. Hemispheric analysis revealed the right primary auditory cortex to be more sensitive than the left to the presence of imaging related acoustic noise. Right primary auditory cortex responses were significantly larger during all the conditions. This asymmetry of response to imaging related acoustic noise could lead to different baseline activation levels during acquisition schemes using short TR, inducing an observed asymmetry in the responses to an intended acoustic stimulus through limitations of dynamic range, rather than due to differences in neuronal processing of the stimulus. These results emphasize the importance of accounting for the temporal pattern of the acoustic noise when comparing findings across different fMRI studies, especially those involving acoustic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwan D Ranaweera
- Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Minseok Kwon
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Shuowen Hu
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Gregory G Tamer
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Wen-Ming Luh
- Cornell MRI Facility, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Thomas M Talavage
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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21
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Adelman C, Kaufmann Yehezkely M, Chordekar S, Sohmer H. Relation between Body Structure and Hearing during Soft Tissue Auditory Stimulation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:172026. [PMID: 25961002 PMCID: PMC4415504 DOI: 10.1155/2015/172026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hearing is elicited by applying the clinical bone vibrator to soft tissue sites on the head, neck, and thorax. Two mapping experiments were conducted in normal hearing subjects differing in body build: determination of the lowest soft tissue stimulation site at which a 60 dB SL tone at 2.0 kHz was effective in eliciting auditory sensation and assessment of actual thresholds along the midline of the head, neck, and back. In males, a lower site for hearing on the back was strongly correlated with a leaner body build. A correlation was not found in females. In both groups, thresholds on the head were lower, and they were higher on the back, with a transition along the neck. This relation between the soft tissue stimulation site and hearing sensation is likely due to the different distribution of soft tissues in various parts of the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cahtia Adelman
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, P.O. Box 12000, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Communication Disorders, Hadassah Academic College, 37 Hanevi'im Street, P.O. Box 1114, 91010 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Kaufmann Yehezkely
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, P.O. Box 12000, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Chordekar
- Speech & Hearing Center, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center, P.O. Box 12000, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Haim Sohmer
- Department of Medical Neurobiology (Physiology), Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
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22
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3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging noise in standard head and neck sequence does not cause temporary threshold shift in high frequency. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 272:3109-13. [DOI: 10.1007/s00405-014-3232-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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23
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Peelle JE. Methodological challenges and solutions in auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:253. [PMID: 25191218 PMCID: PMC4139601 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies involve substantial acoustic noise. This review covers the difficulties posed by such noise for auditory neuroscience, as well as a number of possible solutions that have emerged. Acoustic noise can affect the processing of auditory stimuli by making them inaudible or unintelligible, and can result in reduced sensitivity to auditory activation in auditory cortex. Equally importantly, acoustic noise may also lead to increased listening effort, meaning that even when auditory stimuli are perceived, neural processing may differ from when the same stimuli are presented in quiet. These and other challenges have motivated a number of approaches for collecting auditory fMRI data. Although using a continuous echoplanar imaging (EPI) sequence provides high quality imaging data, these data may also be contaminated by background acoustic noise. Traditional sparse imaging has the advantage of avoiding acoustic noise during stimulus presentation, but at a cost of reduced temporal resolution. Recently, three classes of techniques have been developed to circumvent these limitations. The first is Interleaved Silent Steady State (ISSS) imaging, a variation of sparse imaging that involves collecting multiple volumes following a silent period while maintaining steady-state longitudinal magnetization. The second involves active noise control to limit the impact of acoustic scanner noise. Finally, novel MRI sequences that reduce the amount of acoustic noise produced during fMRI make the use of continuous scanning a more practical option. Together these advances provide unprecedented opportunities for researchers to collect high-quality data of hemodynamic responses to auditory stimuli using fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan E Peelle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO, USA
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24
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Langers DRM, Sanchez-Panchuelo RM, Francis ST, Krumbholz K, Hall DA. Neuroimaging paradigms for tonotopic mapping (II): the influence of acquisition protocol. Neuroimage 2014; 100:663-75. [PMID: 25067814 PMCID: PMC5546393 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies on the tonotopic organisation of auditory cortex in humans have employed a wide range of neuroimaging protocols to assess cortical frequency tuning. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we made a systematic comparison between acquisition protocols with variable levels of interference from acoustic scanner noise. Using sweep stimuli to evoke travelling waves of activation, we measured sound-evoked response signals using sparse, clustered, and continuous imaging protocols that were characterised by inter-scan intervals of 8.8, 2.2, or 0.0 s, respectively. With regard to sensitivity to sound-evoked activation, the sparse and clustered protocols performed similarly, and both detected more activation than the continuous method. Qualitatively, tonotopic maps in activated areas proved highly similar, in the sense that the overall pattern of tonotopic gradients was reproducible across all three protocols. However, quantitatively, we observed substantial reductions in response amplitudes to moderately low stimulus frequencies that coincided with regions of strong energy in the scanner noise spectrum for the clustered and continuous protocols compared to the sparse protocol. At the same time, extreme frequencies became over-represented for these two protocols, and high best frequencies became relatively more abundant. Our results indicate that although all three scanning protocols are suitable to determine the layout of tonotopic fields, an exact quantitative assessment of the representation of various sound frequencies is substantially confounded by the presence of scanner noise. In addition, we noticed anomalous signal dynamics in response to our travelling wave paradigm that suggest that the assessment of frequency-dependent tuning is non-trivially influenced by time-dependent (hemo)dynamics when using sweep stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave R M Langers
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Rosa M Sanchez-Panchuelo
- Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Susan T Francis
- Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Deborah A Hall
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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25
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Talavage TM, Gonzalez-Castillo J, Scott SK. Auditory neuroimaging with fMRI and PET. Hear Res 2013; 307:4-15. [PMID: 24076424 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
For much of the past 30 years, investigations of auditory perception and language have been enhanced or even driven by the use of functional neuroimaging techniques that specialize in localization of central responses. Beginning with investigations using positron emission tomography (PET) and gradually shifting primarily to usage of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), auditory neuroimaging has greatly advanced our understanding of the organization and response properties of brain regions critical to the perception of and communication with the acoustic world in which we live. As the complexity of the questions being addressed has increased, the techniques, experiments and analyses applied have also become more nuanced and specialized. A brief review of the history of these investigations sets the stage for an overview and analysis of how these neuroimaging modalities are becoming ever more effective tools for understanding the auditory brain. We conclude with a brief discussion of open methodological issues as well as potential clinical applications for auditory neuroimaging. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human Auditory Neuroimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Talavage
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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26
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Perrachione TK, Ghosh SS. Optimized design and analysis of sparse-sampling FMRI experiments. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:55. [PMID: 23616742 PMCID: PMC3629333 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sparse-sampling is an important methodological advance in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in which silent delays are introduced between MR volume acquisitions, allowing for the presentation of auditory stimuli without contamination by acoustic scanner noise and for overt vocal responses without motion-induced artifacts in the functional time series. As such, the sparse-sampling technique has become a mainstay of principled fMRI research into the cognitive and systems neuroscience of speech, language, hearing, and music. Despite being in use for over a decade, there has been little systematic investigation of the acquisition parameters, experimental design considerations, and statistical analysis approaches that bear on the results and interpretation of sparse-sampling fMRI experiments. In this report, we examined how design and analysis choices related to the duration of repetition time (TR) delay (an acquisition parameter), stimulation rate (an experimental design parameter), and model basis function (an analysis parameter) act independently and interactively to affect the neural activation profiles observed in fMRI. First, we conducted a series of computational simulations to explore the parameter space of sparse design and analysis with respect to these variables; second, we validated the results of these simulations in a series of sparse-sampling fMRI experiments. Overall, these experiments suggest the employment of three methodological approaches that can, in many situations, substantially improve the detection of neurophysiological response in sparse fMRI: (1) Sparse analyses should utilize a physiologically informed model that incorporates hemodynamic response convolution to reduce model error. (2) The design of sparse fMRI experiments should maintain a high rate of stimulus presentation to maximize effect size. (3) TR delays of short to intermediate length can be used between acquisitions of sparse-sampled functional image volumes to increase the number of samples and improve statistical power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler K Perrachione
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA ; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
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27
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Lee J, Holte J, Ritenour ER. A real-time data acquisition and control of gradient coil noise for fMRI identification of hearing disorder in children with history of ear infection. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2013; 3:28-42. [PMID: 23482910 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4292.2013.02.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Early ear infection and trauma, from birth to age 12 are known to have a significant effect on sensory and cognitive development. This effect can be demonstrated through the fMRI study of children who have a history of ear infection compared to a control group. A second research question is the extent to which brain plasticity at an early age can reduce the impact of infection on hearing and cognitive development. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) provides a mapping of brain activity in cognitive and sensory regions by recording the oxygenation state of the local cerebral blood flow. The gradient coils of fMRI scanners generate intense acoustic noise (GCN) - to which the subject is in close proximity - in the range of 90 to 140 db SPL during the imaging process. Clearly this noise will impress its signature on low level brain response patterns. An Active Noise Canceller (ANC) system can suppress the effect of GCN on the subject's perception of a phonetic stimulus at the phoneme, word or phrase level. Due to a superimposition of the frequency and time domain components of the test signal and GCN for MR test, the ANC filtering system performs its function in real time - we must capture the brain's response to the test signal AFTER the noise has been removed. This goal is achieved through the application of field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology of NI LabVIEW. The presentation (in the noisy fMRI environment) of test words and phrases to hearing impaired children can identify sources of distortion to their perceptual processes associated with GCN. Once this distortion has been identified, learning strategies may be introduced to replace the hearing function distorted by early infection as well as the short term effect of GCN. The study of speech cognition without the confounding effect of GCN and with the varying level of GCN for a repeated test signal at later age can be allowed to a measure of recovery through brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeseung Lee
- Dept of Biophysical Science and Medical Physics, University of Minnesota, USA
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Zapp J, Schmitter S, Schad LR. Sinusoidal echo-planar imaging with parallel acquisition technique for reduced acoustic noise in auditory fMRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 2012; 36:581-8. [PMID: 22585371 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.23699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To extend the parameter restrictions of a silent echo-planar imaging (sEPI) sequence using sinusoidal readout (RO) gradients, in particular with increased spatial resolution. The sound pressure level (SPL) of the most feasible configurations is compared to conventional EPI having trapezoidal RO gradients. MATERIALS AND METHODS We enhanced the sEPI sequence by integrating a parallel acquisition technique (PAT) on a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The SPL was measured for matrix sizes of 64 × 64 and 128 × 128 pixels, without and with PAT (R = 2). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was examined for both sinusoidal and trapezoidal RO gradients. RESULTS Compared to EPI PAT, the SPL could be reduced by up to 11.1 dB and 5.1 dB for matrix sizes of 64 × 64 and 128 × 128 pixels, respectively. The SNR of sinusoidal RO gradients is lower by a factor of 0.96 on average compared to trapezoidal RO gradients. CONCLUSION The sEPI PAT sequence allows for 1) increased resolution, 2) expanded RO frequency range toward lower frequencies, which is in general beneficial for SPL, or 3) shortened TE, TR, and RO train length. At the same time, it generates lower SPL compared to conventional EPI for a wide range of RO frequencies while having the same imaging parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jascha Zapp
- Computer Assisted Clinical Medicine, Heidelberg University, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, Mannheim, Germany.
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Li M, Rudd B, Lim TC, Lee JH. In situ active control of noise in a 4 T MRI scanner. J Magn Reson Imaging 2011; 34:662-9. [PMID: 21751284 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed active noise control (ANC) system for the reduction of the acoustic noise emission generated by a 4 T MRI scanner during operation and to assess the feasibility of developing an ANC device that can be deployed in situ. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three typical scanning sequences, EPI (echo planar imaging), GEMS (gradient echo multislice), and MDEFT (modified driven equilibrium Fourier transform), were used for evaluating the performance of the ANC system, which was composed of a magnetic compatible headset and a multiple reference feedforward filtered-x least mean square controller. RESULTS The greatest reduction, about 55 dB, was achieved at the harmonic at a frequency of 1.3 kHz in the GEMS case. Approximately 21 dB and 30 dBA overall reduction was achieved for GEMS noise across the entire audible frequency range. For the MDEFT sequence, the control system achieved 14 dB and 14 dBA overall reduction in the audible frequency range, while 13 dB and 14 dBA reduction was obtained for the EPI case. CONCLUSION The result is highly encouraging because it shows great potential for treating magnetic resonance imaging noise with an ANC application during real-time scanning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingfeng Li
- School of Dynamic Systems, Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Olulade O, Hu S, Gonzalez-Castillo J, Tamer G, Luh WM, Ulmer J, Talavage T. Assessment of temporal state-dependent interactions between auditory fMRI responses to desired and undesired acoustic sources. Hear Res 2011; 277:67-77. [PMID: 21426929 PMCID: PMC3137738 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2011.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2010] [Revised: 03/06/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A confounding factor in auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments is the presence of the acoustic noise inherently associated with the echo planar imaging acquisition technique. Previous studies have demonstrated that this noise can induce unwanted neuronal responses that can mask stimulus-induced responses. Similarly, activation accumulated over multiple stimuli has been demonstrated to elevate the baseline, thus reducing the dynamic range available for subsequent responses. To best evaluate responses to auditory stimuli, it is necessary to account for the presence of all recent acoustic stimulation, beginning with an understanding of the attenuating effects brought about by interaction between and among induced unwanted neuronal responses, and responses to desired auditory stimuli. This study focuses on the characterization of the duration of this temporal memory and qualitative assessment of the associated response attenuation. Two experimental parameters--inter-stimulus interval (ISI) and repetition time (TR)--were varied during an fMRI experiment in which participants were asked to passively attend to an auditory stimulus. Results present evidence of a state-dependent interaction between induced responses. As expected, attenuating effects of these interactions become less significant as TR and ISI increase and in contrast to previous work, persist up to 18s after a stimulus presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. Olulade
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - S. Hu
- U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD, USA
| | - J. Gonzalez-Castillo
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - G.G Tamer
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - W-M Luh
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - J.L. Ulmer
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - T.M. Talavage
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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Gutschalk A, Hämäläinen MS, Melcher JR. BOLD responses in human auditory cortex are more closely related to transient MEG responses than to sustained ones. J Neurophysiol 2010; 103:2015-26. [PMID: 20107131 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01005.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood oxygen level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals are both coupled to postsynaptic potentials, although their relationship is incompletely understood. Here, the wide range of BOLD-fMRI and MEG responses produced by auditory cortex was exploited to better understand the BOLD-fMRI/MEG relationship. Measurements of BOLD and MEG responses were made in the same subjects using the same stimuli for both modalities. The stimuli, 24-s sequences of click trains, had duty cycles of 2.5, 25, 72, and 100%. For the 2.5% sequence, the BOLD response was elevated throughout the sequence, whereas for 100%, it peaked after sequence onset and offset and showed a diminished elevation in between. On the finer timescale of MEG, responses at 2.5% consisted of a complex of transients, including N(1)m, to each click train of the sequence, whereas for 100% the only transients occurred at sequence onset and offset between which there was a sustained elevation in the MEG signal (a sustained field). A model that separately estimated the contributions of transient and sustained MEG signals to the BOLD response best fit BOLD measurements when the transient contribution was weighted 8- to 10-fold more than the sustained one. The findings suggest that BOLD responses in the auditory cortex are tightly coupled to the neural activity underlying transient, not sustained, MEG signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Gutschalk
- Department of Neurology, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Modeling hemodynamic responses in auditory cortex at 1.5 T using variable duration imaging acoustic noise. Neuroimage 2009; 49:3027-38. [PMID: 19948232 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.11.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 11/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A confound for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), especially for auditory studies, is the presence of imaging acoustic noise generated mainly as a byproduct of rapid gradient switching during volume acquisition and, to a lesser extent, the radiofrequency transmit. This work utilized a novel pulse sequence to present actual imaging acoustic noise for characterization of the induced hemodynamic responses and assessment of linearity in the primary auditory cortex with respect to noise duration. Results show that responses to brief duration (46 ms) imaging acoustic noise is highly nonlinear while responses to longer duration (>1 s) imaging acoustic noise becomes approximately linear, with the right primary auditory cortex exhibiting a higher degree of nonlinearity than the left for the investigated noise durations. This study also assessed the spatial extent of activation induced by imaging acoustic noise, showing that the use of modeled responses (specific to imaging acoustic noise) as the reference waveform revealed additional activations in the auditory cortex not observed with a canonical gamma variate reference waveform, suggesting an improvement in detection sensitivity for imaging acoustic noise-induced activity. Longer duration (1.5 s) imaging acoustic noise was observed to induce activity that expanded outwards from Heschl's gyrus to cover the superior temporal gyrus as well as parts of the middle temporal gyrus and insula, potentially affecting higher level acoustic processing.
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Melcher JR, Levine RA, Bergevin C, Norris B. The auditory midbrain of people with tinnitus: abnormal sound-evoked activity revisited. Hear Res 2009; 257:63-74. [PMID: 19699287 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2009.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2009] [Revised: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 08/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sound-evoked fMRI activation of the inferior colliculi (IC) was compared between tinnitus and non-tinnitus subjects matched in threshold (normal), age, depression, and anxiety. Subjects were stimulated with broadband sound in an "on/off" fMRI paradigm with and without on-going sound from the scanner coolant pump. (1) With pump sounds off, the tinnitus group showed greater stimulus-evoked activation of the IC than the non-tinnitus group, suggesting abnormal gain within the auditory pathway of tinnitus subjects. (2) Having pump sounds on reduced activation in the tinnitus, but not the non-tinnitus group. This result suggests response saturation in tinnitus subjects, possibly occurring because abnormal gain increased response amplitude to an upper limit. (3) In contrast to Melcher et al. (2000), the ratio of activation between right and left IC did not differ significantly between tinnitus and non-tinnitus subjects or in a manner dependent on tinnitus laterality. However, new data from subjects imaged previously by Melcher et al. suggest a possible tinnitus subgroup with abnormally asymmetric function of the IC. The present and previous data together suggest elevated responses to sound in the IC are common among those with tinnitus and normal thresholds, while abnormally asymmetric activation is not, even among those with lateralized tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Melcher
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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35
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Tamer GG, Luh WM, Talavage TM. Characterizing response to elemental unit of acoustic imaging noise: an FMRI study. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2009; 56:1919-28. [PMID: 19304477 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2009.2016573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic imaging noise produced during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies can hinder auditory fMRI research analysis by altering the properties of the acquired time-series data. Acoustic imaging noise can be especially confounding when estimating the time course of the hemodynamic response (HDR) in auditory event-related fMRI (fMRI) experiments. This study is motivated by the desire to establish a baseline function that can serve not only as a comparison to other quantities of acoustic imaging noise for determining how detrimental is one's experimental noise, but also as a foundation for a model that compensates for the response to acoustic imaging noise. Therefore, the amplitude and spatial extent of the HDR to the elemental unit of acoustic imaging noise (i.e., a single ping) associated with echoplanar acquisition were characterized and modeled. Results from this fMRI study at 1.5 T indicate that the group-averaged HDR in left and right auditory cortex to acoustic imaging noise (duration of 46 ms) has an estimated peak magnitude of 0.29% (right) to 0.48% (left) signal change from baseline, peaks between 3 and 5 s after stimulus presentation, and returns to baseline and remains within the noise range approximately 8 s after stimulus presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Tamer
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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36
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Hall DA, Chambers J, Akeroyd MA, Foster JR, Coxon R, Palmer AR. Acoustic, psychophysical, and neuroimaging measurements of the effectiveness of active cancellation during auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2009; 125:347-359. [PMID: 19173422 DOI: 10.1121/1.3021437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is one of the principal neuroimaging techniques for studying human audition, but it generates an intense background sound which hinders listening performance and confounds measures of the auditory response. This paper reports the perceptual effects of an active noise control (ANC) system that operates in the electromagnetically hostile and physically compact neuroimaging environment to provide significant noise reduction, without interfering with image quality. Cancellation was first evaluated at 600 Hz, corresponding to the dominant peak in the power spectrum of the background sound and at which cancellation is maximally effective. Microphone measurements at the ear demonstrated 35 dB of acoustic attenuation [from 93 to 58 dB sound pressure level (SPL)], while masked detection thresholds improved by 20 dB (from 74 to 54 dB SPL). Considerable perceptual benefits were also obtained across other frequencies, including those corresponding to dips in the spectrum of the background sound. Cancellation also improved the statistical detection of sound-related cortical activation, especially for sounds presented at low intensities. These results confirm that ANC offers substantial benefits for fMRI research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Hall
- MRC Institute of Hearing Research, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
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Schmitter S, Diesch E, Amann M, Kroll A, Moayer M, Schad LR. Silent echo-planar imaging for auditory FMRI. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2008; 21:317-25. [PMID: 18716815 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-008-0132-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2008] [Revised: 07/21/2008] [Accepted: 07/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The effect of the acoustic scanner noise produced by gradient coil switching on the auditory evoked BOLD signal represents a well-known problem in auditory functional MRI (FMRI). In this paper, a new low-noise echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence is presented that is optimized for auditory FMRI measurements. METHODS The sequence produces a narrow-band acoustic frequency spectrum by using a sinusoidal readout echo train and a constant phase encoding gradient. This narrow band is adapted to the frequency response function of the MR scanner by varying the switching frequency of the sinusoidal readout gradient. RESULTS Compared to a manufacturer-provided standard EPI sequence, the acoustic noise reduction amounts to up to 20 dBA. Using a simple block design paradigm contrasting presentation of a pure tone during ON blocks and "silence" (absence of the tone) during OFF blocks, the new low-noise sequence was evaluated and compared to the standard EPI sequence. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) resulted in higher levels of significance of auditory activation for the low-noise sequence. DISCUSSION These findings strongly suggest that the low-noise sequence may generate enhanced BOLD contrasts compared to the standard EPI sequences commonly used in FMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Schmitter
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Nam EC, Kim SS, Lee KU, Kim SS. Development of sound measurement systems for auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging. Magn Reson Imaging 2008; 26:715-20. [PMID: 18440748 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2008.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2007] [Revised: 01/23/2008] [Accepted: 01/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Auditory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) requires quantification of sound stimuli in the magnetic environment and adequate isolation of background noise. We report the development of two novel sound measurement systems that accurately measure the sound intensity inside the ear, which can simultaneously provide the similar or greater amount of scanner- noise protection than ear-muffs. First, we placed a 2.6 x 2.6-mm microphone in an insert phone that was connected to a headphone [microphone-integrated, foam-tipped insert-phone with a headphone (MIHP)]. This attenuated scanner noise by 37.8+/-4.6 dB, a level better than the reference amount obtained using earmuffs. The nonmetallic optical microphone was integrated with a headphone [optical microphone in a headphone (OMHP)] and it effectively detected the change of sound intensity caused by variable compression on the cushions of the headphone. Wearing the OMHP reduced the noise by 28.5+/-5.9 dB and did not affect echoplanar magnetic resonance images. We also performed an auditory fMRI study using the MIHP system and presented increase in the auditory cortical activation following 10-dB increment in the intensity of sound stimulation. These two newly developed sound measurement systems successfully achieved the accurate quantification of sound stimuli with maintaining the similar level of noise protection of wearing earmuffs in the auditory fMRI experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eui-Cheol Nam
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Kangwon National University, College of Medicine, Chunchon, Kangwon 200-701, South Korea.
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39
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Li M, Lim TC, Lee JH. Simulation study on active noise control for a 4-T MRI scanner. Magn Reson Imaging 2007; 26:393-400. [PMID: 18060719 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2007.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2007] [Revised: 07/26/2007] [Accepted: 08/08/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to study computationally the possibility of the application of a hybrid active noise control technique for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acoustic noise reduction. A hybrid control system combined with both feedforward and feedback loops embedded is proposed for potential application on active MRI noise reduction. A set of computational simulation studies were performed. Sets of MRI acoustic noise emissions measured at the patient's left ear location were recorded and used in the simulation study. By comparing three different control systems, namely, the feedback, the feedforward and the hybrid control, our results revealed that the hybrid control system is the most effective. The hybrid control system achieved approximately a 20-dB reduction at the principal frequency component. We concluded that the proposed hybrid active control scheme could have a potential application for MRI scanner noise reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingfeng Li
- Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Nuclear Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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Tamer G, Talavage TM, Luh WM, Ulmer JL. Characterizing the amplitude and spatial extent of the cortical response in auditory cortex to acoustic scanner noise generated during echo-planar image acquisition in functional magnetic resonance imaging. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS : ... ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2007; 2004:1899-902. [PMID: 17272083 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2004.1403563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Acoustic scanner noise produced during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (ER-fMRI) studies can hinder auditory fMRI research analysis by altering the properties of the acquired time-series data. Given the desire to obtain the most accurate results possible using ER-fMRI experiments, this study seeks to characterize the amplitude and spatial extent of the auditory fMRI cortical response, in isolation, generated by the acoustic scanner noise associated with echo-planar acquisition. Results from this study indicate that the pure cortical response is non-trivial, is comparable to a standard hemodynamic response function, and should be accounted for in analysis using ER-fMRI models.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Tamer
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Healy EW, Moser DC, Morrow-Odom KL, Hall DA, Fridriksson J. Speech perception in MRI scanner noise by persons with aphasia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2007; 50:323-34. [PMID: 17463232 DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2007/023)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine reductions in performance on auditory tasks by aphasic and neurologically intact individuals as a result of concomitant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner noise. METHOD Four tasks together forming a continuum of linguistic complexity were developed. They included complex-tone pitch discrimination, same-different discrimination of minimal pair syllables, lexical decision, and sentence plausibility. Each task was performed by persons with aphasia (PWA) and by controls. The stimuli were presented in silence and also in the noise recorded from within the bore of a 3 Tesla MRI scanner at 3 signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. RESULTS Across the 4 tasks, the PWA scored lower than the controls, and performance fell as a function of decreased S/N. However, the rate at which performance fell was not different across the 2 listener groups in any task. CONCLUSIONS Depending on the relative levels of the signals and noise, the intense noise accompanying MRI scanning has the potential to severely disrupt performance. However, PWA are no more susceptible to the disruptive influence of this noise than are unimpaired individuals usually employed as controls. Thus, functional MRI data from aphasic and control individuals may be interpreted without complications associated with large interactions between scanner noise and performance reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric W Healy
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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Reinfeldt S, Stenfelt S, Good T, Håkansson B. Examination of bone-conducted transmission from sound field excitation measured by thresholds, ear-canal sound pressure, and skull vibrations. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2007; 121:1576-87. [PMID: 17407895 DOI: 10.1121/1.2434762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Bone conduction (BC) relative to air conduction (AC) sound field sensitivity is here defined as the perceived difference between a sound field transmitted to the ear by BC and by AC. Previous investigations of BC-AC sound field sensitivity have used different estimation methods and report estimates that vary by up to 20 dB at some frequencies. In this study, the BC-AC sound field sensitivity was investigated by hearing threshold shifts, ear canal sound pressure measurements, and skull bone vibrations measured with an accelerometer. The vibration measurement produced valid estimates at 400 Hz and below, the threshold shifts produced valid estimates at 500 Hz and above, while the ear canal sound pressure measurements were found erroneous for estimating the BC-AC sound field sensitivity. The BC-AC sound field sensitivity is proposed, by combining the present result with others, as frequency independent at 50 to 60 dB at frequencies up to 900 Hz. At higher frequencies, it is frequency dependent with minima of 40 to 50 dB at 2 and 8 kHz, and a maximum of 50 to 60 dB at 4 kHz. The BC-AC sound field sensitivity is the theoretical limit of maximum attenuation achievable with ordinary hearing protection devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Reinfeldt
- Department of Signals and Systems, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
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Bartsch AJ, Homola G, Thesen S, Sahmer P, Keim R, Beckmann CF, Biller A, Knaus C, Bendszus M. Scanning for the scanner: FMRI of audition by read-out omissions from echo-planar imaging. Neuroimage 2007; 35:234-43. [PMID: 17188900 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2006] [Revised: 10/21/2006] [Accepted: 11/15/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Tamer G, Talavage TM, Ulmer JL. Characterizing the attenuation and/or saturation effect of the acoustic scanner noise in auditory event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS : ... ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2007; 2004:1868-71. [PMID: 17272075 DOI: 10.1109/iembs.2004.1403555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging when presenting auditory stimuli and/or investigating auditory cortex and related areas is hindered by inherent acoustic scanner noise (ASN), which can alter the properties of the acquired time-series data. Therefore, it is necessary to account for ASN in the analysis, and one step towards this goal is to characterize the attenuation and/or saturation effect of the hemodynamic response due to ASN. Towards this end, this study examined how the effect of ASN is dependent on repetition time (TR) and the inter-stimulus interval (ISI), two experimental parameters that affect the acoustic signal-to-noise ratio of the experimental paradigm. Results indicate that a decrease in TR (e.g., 6 s to 1.5 s) results in an increase in saturation and an attenuation of the estimated hemodynamic response peak with respect to the baseline signal level. There was no statistical difference in peak response between the two ISI values used, 12 s and 18 s.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Tamer
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Wilson EC, Melcher JR, Micheyl C, Gutschalk A, Oxenham AJ. Cortical FMRI activation to sequences of tones alternating in frequency: relationship to perceived rate and streaming. J Neurophysiol 2007; 97:2230-8. [PMID: 17202231 PMCID: PMC2042037 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00788.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human listeners were functionally imaged while reporting their perception of sequences of alternating-frequency tone bursts separated by 0, 1/8, 1, or 20 semitones. Our goal was to determine whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation of auditory cortex changes with frequency separation in a manner predictable from the perceived rate of the stimulus. At the null and small separations, the tones were generally heard as a single stream with a perceived rate equal to the physical tone presentation rate. fMRI activation in auditory cortex was appreciably phasic, showing prominent peaks at the sequence onset and offset. At larger-frequency separations, the higher- and lower-frequency tones perceptually separated into two streams, each with a rate equal to half the overall tone presentation rate. Under those conditions, fMRI activation in auditory cortex was more sustained throughout the sequence duration and was larger in magnitude and extent. Phasic to sustained changes in fMRI activation with changes in frequency separation and perceived rate are comparable to, and consistent with, those produced by changes in the physical rate of a sequence and are far greater than the effects produced by changing other physical stimulus variables, such as sound level or bandwidth. We suggest that the neural activity underlying the changes in fMRI activation with frequency separation contribute to the coding of the co-occurring changes in perceived rate and perceptual organization of the sound sequences into auditory streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Courtenay Wilson
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Novitski N, Maess B, Tervaniemi M. Frequency specific impairment of automatic pitch change detection by fMRI acoustic noise: an MEG study. J Neurosci Methods 2006; 155:149-59. [PMID: 16530843 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2006.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2005] [Accepted: 01/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The loud acoustic noise produced by the magnetic resonance scanner is a major source of interference in auditory fMRI research. Whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to investigate the interaction between the frequency range of auditory stimulation and fMRI acoustic noise. Pure tones and 3-harmonic complexes varying between 240 and 1240 Hz in frequency were presented while participants attended to a silent subtitled film. Continuous fMRI acoustic noise was presented during half of the blocks. The activity in six regions of interest was analyzed in 100-200 and 200-300 ms time windows to evaluate the magnetic counterparts of the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a brain responses. The results suggested that fMRI noise significantly reduced the amplitude of these responses. The effect of the noise on the automatic processing of the tones was more prominent for the tones with frequencies higher than 500 Hz. It is recommended that in the MMN protocols using continuous fMRI acquisition the sound stimuli should be spectrally separated from the fMRI scanner noise spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Novitski
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki Brain Research Center, Finland.
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More SR, Lim TC, Li M, Holland CK, Boyce SE, Lee JH. Acoustic noise characteristics of a 4 Telsa MRI scanner. J Magn Reson Imaging 2006; 23:388-97. [PMID: 16463341 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To quantify the acoustic noise characteristics of a 4 Tesla MRI scanner, and determine the effects of structural acoustics and gradient pulse excitations on the sound field so that feasible noise control measures can be developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Acoustic noise emissions were measured in the ear and mouth locations of a typical adult. The sound pressure measurements were acquired simultaneously with the electrical current signals of the gradient pulses. Two forms of gradient waveforms (impulsive and operating pulses) were studied. RESULTS The sound pressure levels (SPLs) emitted by the MRI scanner operating in echo-planar imaging (EPI) mode were in the range of 120-130 decibels. Three types of sound pressure responses were observed in the EPI sequences: 1) harmonic, 2) nonharmonic, and 3) broadband. The frequency-encoding gradient pulses were the most dominant and produced generally odd-number harmonics and nonharmonics. The phase-encoding gradient pulses generated mostly even-number harmonics, and the slice-selection gradient pulses produced primarily a broadband spectrum. CONCLUSION The operating condition acoustic spectrum can be predicted from the magnet-structural acoustic transfer functions, which are independent of imaging sequences. This finding is encouraging because it shows that it is possible to treat such noises with an active noise control application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashikant R More
- Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Nuclear Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
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Sigalovsky IS, Melcher JR. Effects of sound level on fMRI activation in human brainstem, thalamic and cortical centers. Hear Res 2006; 215:67-76. [PMID: 16644153 PMCID: PMC1794213 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2006.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2005] [Revised: 02/27/2006] [Accepted: 03/07/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The dependence of fMRI activation on sound level was examined throughout the auditory pathway of normal human listeners using continuous broadband noise, a stimulus widely used in neuroscientific investigations of auditory processing, but largely neglected in neuro-imaging. Several specialized techniques were combined here for the first time to enhance detection of brainstem activation, mitigate scanner noise, and recover temporal resolution lost by the mitigation technique. The main finding was increased activation with increasing level in cochlear nucleus, superior olive, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body and auditory cortical areas. We suggest that these increases reflect monotonically increasing activity in a preponderance of individual auditory neurons responsive to broadband noise. While the time-course of activation changed with level, the change was subtle and only significant in a part of the cortex. To our knowledge, these are the first fMRI data showing the effects of sound level in subcortical centers or for a non-tonal, non-speech stimulus at any stage of the pathway. The present results add to the body of parametric data in normal human listeners and are fundamental to the design of any fMRI experiment employing continuous noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Sigalovsky
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Boyle Y, Bentley DE, Watson A, Jones AKP. Acoustic noise in functional magnetic resonance imaging reduces pain unpleasantness ratings. Neuroimage 2006; 31:1278-83. [PMID: 16517183 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2005] [Revised: 12/20/2005] [Accepted: 01/27/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly used in cognitive studies. Unfortunately, the scanner produces acoustic noise during the image acquisition process. Interference from acoustic noise is known to affect auditory, visual and motor processing, raising the possibility that acoustic interference may also modulate processing of other sensory modalities such as pain. With the increasing use of fMRI in the investigation of the mechanisms of pain perception, particularly in relation to attention, this issue has become highly relevant. Pain is a complex experience, composed of sensory-discriminative, affective-motivational and cognitive-evaluative components. The aim of this experiment was to assess the effect of MRI scanner noise, compared to white noise, on the affective (unpleasantness) and the sensory-discriminative (localisation) components of pain. Painful radiant heat from a CO(2) laser was delivered to the skin of the right forearm in 24 healthy volunteers. The volunteers attended to either pain location or pain unpleasantness during three conditions: i) no noise, ii) exposure to MRI scanner noise (85 dB) or iii) exposure to white noise (85 dB). Both MRI scanner noise and white noise significantly reduced unpleasantness ratings (from 5.1 +/- 1.6 in the control condition to 4.7 +/- 1.5 (P = 0.002) and 4.6 +/- 1.6 (P < 0.001) with scanner and white noise respectively), whereas the ability to localise pain was not significantly affected (from 85.4 +/- 9.2% correct in the control condition to 83.1 +/- 10.3% (P = 0.06) and 83.9 +/- 9.5% (P = 0.27) with MRI scanner and white noise respectively). This phenomenon should be taken into account in the design of fMRI studies into human pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Boyle
- Human Pain Research Group, University of Manchester Rheumatic Diseases Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford M6 8HD, UK.
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Hawley ML, Melcher JR, Fullerton BC. Effects of sound bandwidth on fMRI activation in human auditory brainstem nuclei. Hear Res 2006; 204:101-10. [PMID: 15925195 PMCID: PMC1855158 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2005.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2004] [Accepted: 01/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Few neuro-imaging studies of the auditory system have examined the dependence of brain activation on sound bandwidth, a fundamental stimulus parameter, and none have examined bandwidth dependencies in the brainstem. The present study examined the effect of bandwidth on human brainstem activation using fMRI, an indicator of population neural activity. The studied stimuli (broadband, two-, one-, and third-octave continuous noise) activated three brainstem centers: cochlear nucleus, superior olivary complex, and inferior colliculus. Activation could be confidently attributed to these nuclei because it was appropriately punctate (given the small size of the imaged nuclei) and appropriately located (as determined from histological atlases). Activation in all three imaged centers increased monotonically with increasing bandwidth when either stimulus spectrum level or energy was held constant. Supplementary experiments indicated that the measured bandwidth dependencies were not contaminated by the extraneous sounds produced by the scanner. Increases in fMRI activation with increasing bandwidth would be expected from populations of neurons having a single best frequency and only excitatory responses to sound, but not necessarily from lower auditory system neurons with their often more complex responses. Our results provide basic information for designing auditory neuro-imaging studies that need to control for, or manipulate sound bandwidth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L Hawley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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