Abstract #3619

Balanced Steady State Free Precession fMRI using Intravascular Susceptibility Contrast Agent

Iris Yuwen Zhou^1,2, Matthew M. Cheung^1,2, Kevin C. Chan^1,2, Condon Lau^1,2, Ed X. Wu^1,2

¹Laboratory of Biomedical & Signal Processing, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, People's Republic of; ²Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, People's Republic of

The major challenges in EPI-fMRI are the image distortions and constraint in spatial resolution, thus limiting accurate and high resolution mapping of brain functions especially in small animals at high fields. To overcome these limitations and also to achieve high CNR and robust signal changes, we investigated the feasibility of fMRI using bSSFP together with intravascular susceptibility contrast agent MION in rodent brains. We also compared with the conventional SE-EPI and GE-EPI based fMRI. The results demonstrated that bSSFP in combination with intravascular contrast agent provides a robust CBV based fMRI approach. Such brain functional mapping is distortion free and can be of high resolution, and it is particularly suited for high field fMRI study of animal models.