Elizabeth Ann Stringer1, Robert M. Friedman2, J Chris Gatenby1, Li Min Chen1, John C. Gore1
1Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; 2Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
Ultra-high field fMRI provides greater sensitivity and increases spatial resolution, resulting in finer scale activity maps than at lower fields. Here, we test the feasibility of 7T fMRI to visualize millimeter resolution somatotopic maps in neighboring regions, Brodmann Areas 3b and 1, within the primary somatosensory cortex. Images were acquired using a 7T Philips Achieva scanner while innocuous air puffs were delivered to alternating digits. Repeated trials within single subjects showed reproducible topological activations within areas 3b and 1 of the primary somatosensory cortex. The data support findings from nonhuman primate studies.