Concurrent fMRI and intrinsic optical imaging spectroscopy with high resolution at ultra high field (14.1T)

A setup for concurrent functional MRI and intrinsic optical imaging spectroscopy inside a 14.1 T animal scanner was developed, based on a magnetic field proof camera and optics. fMRI and optical imaging were simultaneously performed on rats with electrical forepaw stimulation, resulting in excellent signals for both BOLD and optical reflectance in two wavelengths (red and green). Only minor interactions between both modalities were observed. The combination of these two techniques can be used to investigate the origins of the BOLD effect and to open up novel ways of exploring brain function