A Statistical fMRI Model for Differential T₂* Contrast Incorporating T₁ and T₂* of Gray Matter

Authors

M. Muge Karaman, Marquette UniversityFollow
Iain P. Bruce, Marquette UniversityFollow
Daniel B. Rowe, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

19 p.

Publication Date

1-2014

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Source ISSN

0730-725X

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2013.09.001

Abstract

Relaxation parameter estimation and brain activation detection are two main areas of study in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Relaxation parameters can be used to distinguish voxels containing different types of tissue whereas activation determines voxels that are associated with neuronal activity. In fMRI, the standard practice has been to discard the first scans to avoid magnetic saturation effects. However, these first images have important information on the MR relaxivities for the type of tissue contained in voxels, which could provide pathological tissue discrimination. It is also well-known that the voxels located in gray matter (GM) contain neurons that are to be active while the subject is performing a task. As such, GM MR relaxivities can be incorporated into a statistical model in order to better detect brain activation. Moreover, although the MR magnetization physically depends on tissue and imaging parameters in a nonlinear fashion, a linear model is what is conventionally used in fMRI activation studies. In this study, we develop a statistical fMRI model for Differential T₂^⁎ ConTrast Incorporating T₁ and T₂^⁎ of GM, so-called DeTeCT-ING Model, that considers the physical magnetization equation to model MR magnetization; uses complex-valued time courses to estimate T₁ and T₂^⁎ for each voxel; then incorporates gray matter MR relaxivities into the statistical model in order to better detect brain activation, all from a single pulse sequence by utilizing the first scans.

Comments

Accepted version. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Vol. 32, No. 1 (January 2014): 9-27. DOI. © Elsevier. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Karaman, M. Muge; Bruce, Iain P.; and Rowe, Daniel B., "A Statistical fMRI Model for Differential T₂* Contrast Incorporating T₁ and T₂* of Gray Matter" (2014). Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications. 204.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/mscs_fac/204