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Improvement of Auditory Stimulation in Event-Related fMRI by
Insertion of Silent Intervals.
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| | Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele, Gurvan Le Clec'H, Lucie Hertz-Pannier, Catherine Chiron, Jean-Baptiste Poline, Stanislas Dehaene and Denis Le Bihan |
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Abstract:
unctional MRI (fMRI) studies of the brain are mostly
conducted with the use of Echo Planar Imaging (EPI). This
technique, however, produces a high level of acoustic noise which
may hamper comprehension of auditory stimuli. This interference
effect between the MRI scanner noise and the auditory stimuli is
even worse with event-related fMRI (RE-fMRI) paradigms where
acquisition rates are very high. A technique is introduced which
allows the insertion of weakly noisy intervals without perturbing
steady-state in spin excitation. Phantom studies validated this
approach. fMRI experiments conducted in volunteers showed a
significant improvement in auditory stimuli comprehension.
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