Robert L. Barry1,2, J Christopher Gatenby1,2,
Allen T. Newton1,2, Stephen C. Strother3,4, John C.
Gore1,2
1Vanderbilt University Institute of
Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 2Department
of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN,
United States; 3Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest, Toronto,
ON, Canada; 4Department of Medical Biophysics, University of
Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Although
2D single-shot EPI is common in BOLD fMRI, recent studies have suggested that
3D multi-shot sequences such as PRESTO-SENSE may offer superior BOLD CNR
through improved temporal efficiency.
A four-way comparison was performed between 2D and 3D acquisition
sequences at two voxel resolutions (1.19x1.19x2 mm3 and
2.19x2.19x2 mm3) at 7T. The
quality of fMRI data was evaluated via independent and unbiased metrics of
prediction and reproducibility using NPAIRS.
Results suggest that EPI provides higher prediction and
reproducibility for this study. Future
work will investigate within-subject optimization, and further compare EPI
with PRESTO-SENSE for an fMRI study requiring whole-brain coverage.