Abstract #1070

Embleton K, Lambon Ralph M, Parker G

We present a protocol for combined distortion corrected diffusion-weighted (DW) echo planar imaging (EPI) and spin-echo (SE)-EPI fMRI based on the dual k-space traversal technique that relies on obtaining two images with opposite direction distortion. Novel features include a registration algorithm to ensure image pairs are aligned in the frequency-encode direction, an algorithm for reducing correction artefacts due to large signal voids in DW images and a distortion corrected fMRI protocol optimized for minimum repetition time. Results indicate that SE-EPI fMRI at 3T is sensitive enough to detect activation in the temporal and frontal lobes from a word categorisation task.