Abstract #2816

Huang T, Chung H, Wu M, Wu P

Blood Oxygenation Sensitive Steady-state (BOSS) fMRI is a new method for obtaining functional contrast without showing distortions from image warping or signal dropout. In this study, we show that the BOSS functional sensitivity could be further increased by acquiring imaging data in the transient state, as evidenced from both simulations and experimental results. The results suggest that parallel imaging techniques could thus be combined with BOSS to increase transient-state BOSS contrast and speed up acquisition without substantial signal loss. High-resolution BOSS imaging experiments from checkerboard visual stimulations verified the advantages of parallel BOSS imaging.