In the past years, functional MRI studies in rodents have become more frequent. The signal losses in gradient-echo EPI due to the increased sensitivity to magnetic susceptibility differences at higher magnetic field, however, make fMRI studies of deep brain structures difficult. Here we propose the use of Poloxamer, a non-toxic amphiphilic triblock copolymer well known for its thermo-reversible properties and pharmaceutical application to fill up the air cavities in the rodent middle and external ear canals. This practical method considerably increases geometric fidelity of the functional images, opening up the possibility to longitudinally investigate rodent’s deep brain networks.
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