Human functional imaging at 9.4 T: Spin echo and gradient echo EPI

Functional images with a finger tapping task were acquired using spin echo and gradient echo EPI sequences at 9.4 T with isotropic resolution of 1 mm. Resulting activation was registered onto high-resolution anatomic images. A mask of veins was identified; activated voxels were divided into ‘venous’ and ‘non-venous’, and averaged over subjects, voxels, and blocks. Activation levels were 6.1 ± 5.4 in non-venous and 9.1 ± 5.7 in venous locations. Time courses for the spin echo EPI are very similar and show an activation level of 3.9 ± 7.2 outside and 4.2 ± 7.0 inside veins