Steven Patterson1,2, Steven Donald Beyea1,3, Chris Van Bowen1,3
1NRC Institute for Biodiagnostics, Halifax, NS, Canada; 2Physics, Dalhousie University, Halifax , NS, Canada; 3Physics, Biomedical Engineering, and Radiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate phase cycled pass band SSFP (pbSSFP) fMRI acquisitions. Functional contrast development and transient time reduction were explored for different catalyzation trains and inter-acquisition time delays to permit signal recovery. Functional contrast is reduced in phase cycled acquisitions but steadily increases during the data acquisition window, reaching 2/3 of that achieved in full steady state for a 2.5 s volume time acquisition. The diffusion contribution to contrast develops early in the RF train suggesting phase cycled pbSSFP fMRI acquisitions provide equal or better neurovascular coupling than observed in the fully developed steady state.