Interleaved EPI Based fMRI Improved by Multiplexed Sensitivity Encoding (MUSE) and Simultaneous Multi-Band Imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive and powerful imaging tool for detecting brain activities. The majority of fMRI studies are performed with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) due to its high temporal resolution. Recent studies have demonstrated that, by increasing the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one Vol. 9; no. 12; p. e116378
Main Authors: Chang, Hing-Chiu, Gaur, Pooja, Chou, Ying-hui, Chu, Mei-Lan, Chen, Nan-kuei
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Public Library of Science 30.12.2014
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:
Algorithms
Aliasing
Biology and Life Sciences
Brain
Brain - physiology
Brain mapping
Brain Mapping - methods
Coding
Echo-Planar Imaging - methods
Field of view
Fourier transforms
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Humans
Image Enhancement - methods
Imaging systems
Magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance imaging
Medical imaging
Medicine and Health Sciences
Multiplexing
Neural networks
Neuroimaging
NMR
Noise
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Oxygenation
Point spread functions
Post-production processing
Research and Analysis Methods
Sensitivity
Sensitivity and Specificity
Shot
Spatial discrimination
Spatial resolution
System effectiveness
Temporal resolution
ISSN:1932-6203, 1932-6203
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive and powerful imaging tool for detecting brain activities. The majority of fMRI studies are performed with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) due to its high temporal resolution. Recent studies have demonstrated that, by increasing the spatial-resolution of fMRI, previously unidentified neuronal networks can be measured. However, it is challenging to improve the spatial resolution of conventional single-shot EPI based fMRI. Although multi-shot interleaved EPI is superior to single-shot EPI in terms of the improved spatial-resolution, reduced geometric distortions, and sharper point spread function (PSF), interleaved EPI based fMRI has two main limitations: 1) the imaging throughput is lower in interleaved EPI; 2) the magnitude and phase signal variations among EPI segments (due to physiological noise, subject motion, and B0 drift) are translated to significant in-plane aliasing artifact across the field of view (FOV). Here we report a method that integrates multiple approaches to address the technical limitations of interleaved EPI-based fMRI. Firstly, the multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE) post-processing algorithm is used to suppress in-plane aliasing artifacts resulting from time-domain signal instabilities during dynamic scans. Secondly, a simultaneous multi-band interleaved EPI pulse sequence, with a controlled aliasing scheme incorporated, is implemented to increase the imaging throughput. Thirdly, the MUSE algorithm is then generalized to accommodate fMRI data obtained with our multi-band interleaved EPI pulse sequence, suppressing both in-plane and through-plane aliasing artifacts. The blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal detectability and the scan throughput can be significantly improved for interleaved EPI-based fMRI. Our human fMRI data obtained from 3 Tesla systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed methods. It is expected that future fMRI studies requiring high spatial-resolvability and fidelity will largely benefit from the reported techniques.
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Conceived and designed the experiments: HCC PG YHC NKC. Performed the experiments: HCC PG MLC NKC. Analyzed the data: HCC PG YHC MLC NKC. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: HCC YHC MLC NKC. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: HCC PG YHC MLC NKC.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0116378