Fast Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fast fMRI): uses MRI to measure nerve or brain activity directly
Uses MRI to detect the electromagnetic field that is generated by ionic currents (action potential)
11. 21/08/2015
Volunteer studies
Reference Control Experiments.
• Each subject was tested with a control scan without stimulation prior to
the stimulation experiments.
• The control experiments showed spectral peaks due to heart beat and
respiration only.
• No specific frequency responses were recorded at the stimulation
frequency from the median nerve, somatosensory cortex or visual cortex
in the control experiments.
Figures for fast fMRI Fourier transform of MR time series of the median nerve, the motosensory and the
visual cortex at rest state (control experiments)
12. 21/08/2015
• ROI’s were selected in the median nerve
and in muscle tissue, Figs 2 and 3.
• Fig 4. shows a typical response at 2.8
Hz recorded from the ROI in the median nerve
(blue) but not from muscle tissue (red).
1- Responses in the Median Nerve
Median nerve
1 MR image shows an axial slice position in the
sagittal plane scout image
2 Anatomy MR Image 3 GE-EPI magnitude image in axial plane
during the ROI stimulated at 2.8Hz, with Z=2.5
A.U
f (Hz)
4 FT of MR time series 2.8Hz
Stimulation
frequency
13. 21/08/2015
3- Possible fast fMRI responses in the visual cortex
1 MR image shows an axial slice position in the
sagittal plane scout image
2 Functional overlay on MR Image ,
with Z=2.5
3 GE-EPI magnitude image in axial plane
showing the ROI stimulated at 2.8Hz
4 FTof MR time series 2.8Hz
•Fig. 2 shows a typical response on the overlay image from an
acquisition calculated with a Z score = 2.5.
•A typical ROI selected in the visual cortex is shown in Figure
3.
•Fig. 4 shows a Fourier transform of the MR time series
illustrating the frequency spectrum from the ROI in the visual
cortex during visual stimulation at 2.8Hz which correlates with
the task stimulation frequency.
14. 21/08/2015
2- mapping of motor sensory cortex function
1 MR image shows an axial slice position in the
sagittal plane scout image
2 Function overlay MR Image, with Z=2.5 3 GE-EPI magnitude image in axial plane
during the ROI stimulated at 2.7Hz.
A.U
f (Hz)
4 FT of MR time series 2.7Hz
•Figure 2 shows a Z map (Z>2.5) overlaid on the EPI
image showing response in the motor-sensory area.
•This location was selected in the motor cortex as shown
in the ROI in figure 3 using the axial plane for
acquisition.
•Figure 4 shows the spectral response from the motor-
sensory area at 2.7 Hz with SNR>3:1. and the heartbeat
at approximately 1.1 Hz.
Stimulation
frequency
15. 21/08/2015
Conclusions
• Evidence of fast fMRI responses in the median nerve, the
somatosensory and visual cortices during ROI area stimulation by TENS
and strobe light were observed at high stimulation frequencies > 2.5 Hz.
• Similar responses were observed at the applied stimulation frequencies
with SNR>3:1 in volunteers for the median nerve, the somatosensory
and visual cortices respectively.
• Fast fMRI did appear to detect weak response to the stimulated
frequencies and seeks to improve the spatial and temporal accuracy in
detecting neuronal function compared to conventional BOLD fMRI.
16. 21/08/2015
Acknowledgements
I gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of the
Human Capacity Development Program in
Kurdistan Regional Government.
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude and regards to
Professor Martyn Paley/ Academic Radiology/ Department of
Cardiovascular Science for his exemplary guidance, monitoring
and constant encouragement throughout the course of this
study
Prof. Martyn Paley
Thank you very much to the
volunteers who participated in the
experiments we have carried out
under ethical permission from the
University.