Separation and Reproducibility of Touch Activations in Areas 3b and 1 Within the Primary Somatosensory Cortex by High Resolution FMRI at 7T

Elizabeth Ann Stringer¹, Robert M. Friedman², J Chris Gatenby¹, Li Min Chen¹, John C. Gore¹

Ultra-high field fMRI provides greater sensitivity and increases spatial resolution, resulting in finer scale activity maps than at lower fields. Here, we test the feasibility of 7T fMRI to visualize millimeter resolution somatotopic maps in neighboring regions, Brodmann Areas 3b and 1, within the primary somatosensory cortex. Images were acquired using a 7T Philips Achieva scanner while innocuous air puffs were delivered to alternating digits. Repeated trials within single subjects showed reproducible topological activations within areas 3b and 1 of the primary somatosensory cortex. The data support findings from nonhuman primate studies.