Abstract #2814

Schad L, Amann M, Schmitter S

As the acoustic MR scanner noise often amounts up to 110 dBA, auditory fMRI signals are often deteriorated. In this work, the scanner's acoustic response function is examined and a silent EPI sequence is developed. The timing of the gradient switching is adapted to the response function. This reduces the acoustic noise by more than 50% compared to a conventional EPI sequence with the same imaging parameters.The silent sequence, which is applied in an auditory fMRI experiment, shows significant activation of the primary auditory cortex and the left middle frontal gyrus.