Christopher W. Weitekamp1, Jianli Wang1,
Paul J. Eslinger2,3, Jeffrey Vesek1, Xiaoyu Sun1,
James R. Connor4, Qing X. Yang1,4, Jianzhong Yin1,
Martin A. Lindquist5
1Radiology, Penn State University
College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States; 2Neurology, Penn
State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States; 3Neural
& Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine,
Hershey, PA, United States; 4Neurosurgery, Penn State University
College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States; 5Statistics,
Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
This
study examined the dynamic nonlinear BOLD response pattern in the primary
olfactory cortex (POC) and associated brain structures during an olfactory
fMRI paradigm. An intricate
relationship among perception threshold, sensitivity, and habituation of the
human olfactory system challenges the fundamental assumption of linearity in
BOLD response. The goal of this study
was to emphasize an unconventional nonlinear model of BOLD response through
the use of olfactory fMRI and to suggest that such dynamic characteristics
may extend to other neuronal systems with a feedback mechanism, profoundly
impacting fMRI data acquisition/analysis and its clinical applications.
Keywords