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Towards functional spin-echo BOLD line-scanning in humans at 7T

Research group Dumoulin
Publication year 2023
Published in Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology, and Medicine
Authors Luisa Raimondo, Jurjen Heij, Tomas Knapen, Serge O. Dumoulin, W. Van der Zwaag, Jeroen C. W. Siero

OBJECTIVE: Neurons cluster into sub-millimeter spatial structures and neural activity occurs at millisecond resolutions; hence, ultimately, high spatial and high temporal resolutions are required for functional MRI. In this work, we implemented a spin-echo line-scanning (SELINE) sequence to use in high spatial and temporal resolution fMRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A line is formed by simply rotating the spin-echo refocusing gradient to a plane perpendicular to the excited slice and by removing the phase-encoding gradient. This technique promises a combination of high spatial and temporal resolution (250 μm, 500 ms) and microvascular specificity of functional responses. We compared SELINE data to a corresponding gradient-echo version (GELINE).

RESULTS: We demonstrate that SELINE showed much-improved line selection (i.e. a sharper line profile) compared to GELINE, albeit at the cost of a significant drop in functional sensitivity.

DISCUSSION: This low functional sensitivity needs to be addressed before SELINE can be applied for neuroscientific purposes.

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