Review
Neurosciences
Laurentius Huber (Renzo), Emily S. Finn, Yuhui Chai, Rainer Goebel, Ruediger Stirnberg, Tony Stoecker, Sean Marrett, Kamil Uludag, Seong-Gi Kim, SoHyun Han, Peter A. Bandettini, Benedikt A. Poser
Summary: Recent advances in fMRI technology have enabled researchers to study information processing in the cortical layers more effectively, particularly in terms of connectivity. However, layer-fMRI still faces challenges that require more flexible and precise methods to address. This article describes newly developed acquisition methodologies that can provide more comprehensive data for investigating brain network connections.
PROGRESS IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Sangcheon Choi, Hang Zeng, Yi Chen, Filip Sobczak, Chunqi Qian, Xin Yu
Summary: This study developed a multislice line-scanning fMRI method to investigate laminar-specific information flow across cortical regions in different brain states. The findings revealed the presence of trial-specific intra- and inter-laminar functional connectivity in both evoked and resting conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Valeria Oliva, Rob Gregory, Wendy-Elizabeth Davies, Lee Harrison, Rosalyn Moran, Anthony E. Pickering, Jonathan C. W. Brooks
Summary: Pain can be alleviated by shifting attention elsewhere, and the brainstem regions including locus coeruleus, rostral ventromedial medulla, and periaqueductal grey are involved in attentional analgesia. Functional interactions between these regions and the cortex modulate nociceptive input to reduce pain, particularly in situations requiring conflicting attentional demands.
Article
Neurosciences
Yuhui Chai, Linqing Li, Yicun Wang, Laurentius Huber, Benedikt A. Poser, Jeff Duyn, Peter A. Bandettini
Summary: This study introduces a new method to generate anatomical images using magnetization transfer weighted imaging technique to support research on laminar function in the human brain. By incorporating fMRI acquisition techniques, the feasibility of this method was demonstrated on ultra-high field scanners with tissue contrast similar to that obtained with state-of-art anatomical references based on MP2RAGE.
Article
Neurosciences
Rene Scheeringa, Mathilde Bonnefond, Tim van Mourik, Ole Jensen, David G. Norris, Peter J. Koopmans
Summary: We analyzed EEG and fMRI data and found that beta and alpha oscillations are related to laminar-specific fMRI connectivity, while gamma oscillations are not. The decrease in beta power is associated with an increase in deep-to-deep layer coupling between brain regions and an increase in deep/middle-to-superficial layer connectivity within brain regions. On the other hand, the decrease in alpha power is related to reduced connectivity between deep and superficial layers within brain regions. These findings suggest that different frequency bands are involved in different feedback-related neural processes in laminar-specific fMRI-based connectivity.
Article
Neurosciences
Fuyixue Wang, Zijing Dong, Lawrence L. Wald, Jonathan R. Polimeni, Kawin Setsompop
Summary: The study extended a distortion/blurring-free multi-shot EPI technique to cortical-depth dependent SE-fMRI to improve neuronal specificity while limiting T-2' contamination, demonstrating the robustness of the proposed technique for high specificity SE-BOLD fMRI.
Article
Neurosciences
Min-Jun Han, Chan-Ung Park, Sangyun Kang, Byounghoon Kim, Aki Nikolaidis, Michael P. Milham, Seok Jun Hong, Seong-Gi Kim, Eunha Baeg
Summary: Advances in functional MRI have improved our understanding of the striatal system in humans and non-human primates, but its circuit level functional anatomy remains poorly understood. By combining microstimulation and whole-brain fMRI mapping in NHPs, this study revealed the complex functional circuit of the striatum and showed consistent embedding profiles of the striatal system across the whole brain.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claire H. C. Chang, Samuel A. Nastase, Uri Hasson
Summary: When listening to spoken narratives, the brain integrates information over multiple timescales and relies on hierarchically organized areas to process naturalistic narratives. This study used functional MRI to estimate the response lags between functional networks during narrative comprehension and found a fixed temporal sequence of lags, starting in early auditory areas and followed by language areas, attention network, and default mode network. The researchers also built a computational model to explain the neural dynamics underlying the construction of nested narrative features.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Brynja Gunnarsdottir, Valerio Zerbi, Clare Kelly
Summary: The hippocampus plays a crucial role in our sense of self and our place in the world. Through gradient analysis on resting state fMRI data, we found two major functional connectivity gradients in the hippocampus. One showed a sharp discontinuity, while the other was more continuous. The dorsal region was more strongly connected to areas involved in spatial navigation, while the ventral region was more strongly connected to areas involved in emotion. Gene co-expression gradients, however, showed a more segregated and discrete organization.
Article
Neurosciences
Ally Dworetsky, Benjamin A. Seitzman, Babatunde Adeyemo, Maital Neta, Rebecca S. Coalson, Steven E. Petersen, Caterina Gratton
Summary: Recent studies have focused on individual differences in the functional network organization of the human brain and have utilized this information to probabilistically map common functional systems for improved group analyses. While these functional systems exhibit core regions, they vary in their higher-variability components and demonstrate good replication across datasets.
Article
Anesthesiology
Astrid Mayr, Pauline Jahn, Bettina Deak, Anne Stankewitz, Vasudev Devulapally, Viktor Witkovsky, Olaf Dietrich, Enrico Schulz
Summary: This study investigated the cortical connectivity and its relationship with fluctuating endogenous pain in chronic pain patients. The results showed that periods of high pain were associated with low cortical connectivity. The change of pain intensity in chronic back pain was related to connections in specific brain regions, while the change of pain intensity direction in chronic migraine was reflected by decreased connectivity between certain brain regions.
Article
Neurosciences
Jesse C. DeSimone, Elizabeth M. Davenport, Jillian Urban, Yin Xi, James M. Holcomb, Mireille E. Kelley, Christopher T. Whitlow, Alexander K. Powers, Joel D. Stitzel, Joseph A. Maldjian
Summary: The study demonstrated that repetitive subconcussive head impacts in youth football players can lead to network-level functional connectivity abnormalities, with the number of subconcussive RHIs proving to be a key factor influencing these abnormalities.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jiajia Yang, Laurentius Huber, Yinghua Yu, Peter A. Bandettini
Summary: Laboratory animal research has provided valuable knowledge about the function of cortical circuits at the laminar level, which, when combined with fMRI and neural models, offers new opportunities for insights. Recent human studies have demonstrated the importance of high-resolution fMRI in studying laminar-specific activity in the human brain. Advancements in laminar fMRI are opening up new possibilities for studying questions in basic cognitive neuroscience.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Leonie Borne, Ye Tian, Michelle K. Lupton, Johan N. van der Meer, Jayson Jeganathan, Bryan Paton, Nikitas Koussis, Christine C. Guo, Gail A. Robinson, Jurgen Fripp, Andrew Zalesky, Michael Breakspear
Summary: The functional organization of the hippocampus changes smoothly along connectivity gradients and abruptly at inter-areal boundaries, similar to the cortex. This organization allows for flexible integration of hippocampal gradients into cortical networks. By studying fMRI data, researchers found that the functional connectivity gradients of the hippocampus map onto connectivity gradients in the default mode network. The presence of familiar cues accentuates a stepwise transition across the boundary from the anterior to the posterior hippocampus, which is shifted in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease.
Article
Neurosciences
Erica L. Busch, Lukas Slipski, Feilong Ma, J. Swaroop Guntupalli, Matteo Visconti di Oleggio Castello, Jeremy F. Huckins, Samuel A. Nastase, M. Ida Gobbini, Tor D. Wager, James V. Haxby
Summary: The study introduces a new hyperalignment algorithm, hybrid hyperalignment, which aligns response-based and connectivity-based information better than traditional methods. By projecting individuals' brain data into a common model space, this algorithm captures shared functional profiles across individuals.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Linqing Li, Christine Law, Sean Marrett, Yuhui Chai, Laurentius Huber, Peter Jezzard, Peter Bandettini
Summary: This study explores the effects of using DANTE pulses in conjunction with BOLD fMRI at 3 T, showing that DANTE pulses can suppress inflow effects and draining vein effects. By using a DANTE-prepared dual-echo EPI sequence, quantitative measurements of microvascular CBV changes in response to visual stimulation were obtained.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Denizhan Kurban, Dimo Ivanov, Sriranga Kashyap, Laurentius Huber, Gilad Liberman, Benedikt A. Poser
Summary: ASL technique for measuring CBF in fMRI has higher specificity but faces challenges such as low SNR and limited coverage/resolution. Recent advancements in ultra-high field strengths aim to address SNR issues, and a dual-echo spiral ASL sequence may offer a promising alternative for concurrent acquisition of CBF and BOLD contrasts with optimal TE, providing robust activations maps.
Article
Clinical Neurology
R. H. G. J. van Lanen, C. J. Wiggins, A. J. Colon, W. H. Backes, J. F. A. Jansen, D. Uher, G. S. Drenthen, A. Roebroeck, D. Ivanov, B. A. Poser, M. C. Hoeberigs, S. M. J. van Kuijk, G. Hoogland, K. Rijkers, G. L. Wagner, J. Beckervordersandforth, D. Delev, H. Clusmann, S. Wolking, S. Klinkenberg, R. P. W. Rouhl, P. A. M. Hofman, O. E. M. G. Schijns
Summary: The EpiUltraStudy protocol aims to increase the detection rate of structural lesions and functional brain aberrances in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy using ultra-high field MRI. The study will also examine whether enhanced lesion detection and tailored surgical resection lead to higher rates of seizure freedom post-surgery.
Article
Neurosciences
Zahra Fazal, Daniel E. P. Gomez, Alberto Llera, Jose P. R. F. Marques, Thomas Beck, Benedikt A. Poser, David G. Norris
Summary: A comparison was made between a multiband echo-planar imaging (MBEPI) sequence and a multiband multiecho (MBME) EPI protocol to investigate differences in sensitivity for task fMRI. The results showed that MBME exhibited higher sensitivity than MBEPI in motor, subcortical, and medial frontal cortices at the group level.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Zhifeng Chen, Congyu Liao, Xiaozhi Cao, Benedikt A. Poser, Zhongbiao Xu, Wei-Ching Lo, Manyi Wen, Jaejin Cho, Qiyuan Tian, Yaohui Wang, Yanqiu Feng, Ling Xia, Wufan Chen, Feng Liu, Berkin Bilgic
Summary: This study aims to develop a new distortion-free 3D-EPI acquisition and image reconstruction technique for fast and robust, high-resolution, whole-brain imaging as well as quantitative T-2(& lowast;) mapping. The proposed technique enables rapid 3D distortion-free high-resolution imaging and T(2)(& lowast;)mapping.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Alessandra Pizzuti, Laurentius (Renzo) Huber, Omer Faruk Gulban, Amaia Benitez-Andonegui, Judith Peters, Rainer Goebel
Summary: Researchers have used ultra-high field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the microscopic features of direction-selective neurons in the motion sensitive area of the human brain. They have found that blood volume-sensitive fMRI can be used to detect the columnar organization of this brain area at a larger scale. This study provides new insights and possibilities for understanding the mesoscopic functional organization of the human brain.
Article
Neurosciences
Nikos Priovoulos, Icaro Agenor Ferreira de Oliveira, Benedikt A. Poser, David G. Norris, Wietske van Der Zwaag
Summary: Researchers have developed a modified BOLD fMRI technique called Arterial Blood Contrast, which selectively reduces venous and tissue signal and increases cerebral blood volume weighting. This technique can modulate spatial specificity and eliminate pial-surface bias, making it valuable for in-vivo neuroscience research.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lonike K. Faes, Federico De Martino, Laurentius (Renzo) Huber
Summary: The development of ultra high field fMRI signal readout strategies has made it possible to image the human brain in vivo and non-invasively at higher spatial resolutions. The vascular space occupancy (VASO) sequence is a popular method for detecting laminar microvasculature changes with minimal interference. However, VASO has not been applied to the technically challenging auditory cortex. In this study, we describe the challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in developing a VASO protocol for auditory neuroscientific applications, providing preliminary results of laminar responses to sounds and tonotopy mapping in the auditory cortex as proof of concept for future investigations.
Article
Neurosciences
Joshua B. Teves, Javier Gonzalez-Castillo, Micah Holness, Megan Spurney, Peter A. Bandettini, Daniel A. Handwerker
Summary: Designing and executing a good QC process is crucial for robust and reproducible science. As fMRI research trends towards larger sample sizes and automated processing, it is important to not overlook information about data acquisition and quality. This article provides an introduction to researchers who are familiar with fMRI but lack hands-on QC training, explaining the importance of good QC processes and demonstrating key steps using AFNI software and an openly shared dataset.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Paul A. Taylor, Richard C. Reynolds, Vince Calhoun, Javier Gonzalez-Castillo, Daniel A. Handwerker, Peter A. Bandettini, Amanda F. Mejia, Gang Chen
Summary: Neuroimaging studies often display only a small fraction of the collected data, which hides important information and leads to issues of selection bias and irreproducibility. Instead, it is suggested to highlight as many results as possible through visualization to improve scientific communication and understanding.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Maria Guidi, Giovanni Giulietti, Emma Biondetti, Richard Wise, Federico Giove
Summary: Neurovascular alterations play a key role in many brain diseases and can be effectively observed and measured using MRI techniques. The current MRI sequences provide reliable markers for vascular dysfunction, but further research is needed to observe vascular changes at a finer scale.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Dimo Ivanov, Federico De Martino, Elia Formisano, Francisco J. Fritz, Rainer Goebel, Laurentius Huber, Sriranga Kashyap, Valentin G. Kemper, Denizhan Kurban, Alard Roebroeck, Shubharthi Sengupta, Bettina Sorger, Desmond H. Y. Tse, Kamil Uludag, Christopher J. Wiggins, Benedikt A. Poser
Summary: This article reviews the 9.4 T work done in Maastricht, including functional and anatomical imaging experiments. By utilizing specific techniques and optimized coils, the researchers were able to obtain high-quality imaging results and highlight the technical challenges and practical issues associated with ultra-high field MRI.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
