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Abstract #2503

Designing a 3T functional sodium MRI (fNaI) experiment with visual stimuli

Samuel Rot1, Bhavana Solanky1,2, and Claudia Angela Michela Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott1,3,4
1NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, United Kingdom, 2Quantitative Imaging Group, Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, UCL, London, United Kingdom, 3Department of Brain & Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, 4Digital Neuroscience Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy

Synopsis

Keywords: Non-Proton, Non-Proton

Motivation: Conventional fMRI techniques measure the haemodynamic response to brain function, suffering from indirectness and physiological confounders; a more direct MR measurement of neuronal activity is needed.

Goal(s): To investigate whether functional sodium MRI (fNaI) can measure brain function with visual stimulation at 3T, and to inform future experiments.

Approach: 5 subjects underwent fNaI with a checkerboard reversal, utilising a Seiffert spiral sequence, acquiring one volume in 23s.

Results: Signal changes were reported at p<0.005, with diverse clustering both at group and subject-level. The experiment was SNR limited, and we recommend state-of-the-art hardware, as well as randomised task design, for future successful fNaI studies.

Impact: Functional sodium MRI (fNaI) promises a more direct measurement of neuronal activity. Clusters of signal changes with visual stimuli are reported at a relaxed statistical threshold. We suggest fNaI would benefit greatly from higher SNR at ultrahigh field strengths.

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Keywords