Poster No:
2069
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Yun-Chieh Wang1, Siao-Jhen Wu2, Chun-Ming Chen3, Jeng-Ren Duann1
Institutions:
1National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, 2National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Hsinchu, 3China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
First Author:
Yun-Chieh Wang
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Co-Author(s):
Siao-Jhen Wu
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Hsinchu, Hsinchu
Jeng-Ren Duann
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Introduction:
Over the past few decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely utilized to explore the cognitive functions of the human brain. Most of these studies have primarily focused on the cerebrum rather than the cerebellum. Recently, an increasing number of studies have shown that the cerebellum plays a crucial role in various aspects of cognitive processing, contributing to the fluidity and precision of mental processes. However, limited spatial resolution in 3T MRI has posed a significant challenge in cerebellar research. To address this issue, we used a multi-band MR pulse sequence, which achieves simultaneous multiple-slice acquisition by emitting several RF frequencies at the same time, thereby maximizing the utilization of limited MRI hardware resources to accelerate the image acquisition. In this study, we aimed to investigate the functional activations in the cerebellum using a left/right alternating movement task performed by both hand and foot at the spatial resolution of 1.66 x 1.66 x 2.5mm3.
Methods:
We recruited twenty eight healthy volunteers, aged 18 to 60, who participated in finger tapping and foot pedaling tasks. During fMRI scanning, participants were instructed to push buttons using their left and right index fingers, as well as pedal using their feet, following the indicators flashing left and right alternately at 1 and 2 Hz within a 14-second interval. The scanning was performed in a 3.0T MR scanner (Discovery 750w, GE, Milwaukee, USA) with a 48-channel phase-array head coil in the Medical Imaging Division, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. We used a multiple-slice acquisition technique to improve the spatial resolution of the fMRI images (1.66x1.66x2.5 mm3 compared to the typical 3x3x3 mm3 or 4x4x4 mm3 in regular fMRI) within 2-s TR. We used SPM12 for regular preprocessing, including slice-timing, realignment, spatial normalization, and spatial smoothing. For regression analysis, we further used MarsBaR to identify specific regions of interest (ROIs) surviving the group analysis for finger tapping and foot pedaling tasks. Each ROI was defined by a 5x5x5 mm3 cube surrounding the selected ROIs. Mean beta values within these ROIs for each participant were then computed for subsequent regression analysis against reaction times. Due to the large amount of missing trials in the foot pedaling performance, we had to incorporate different statistical analysis strategies, including both block-design and event-related protocols, to analysis the fMRI data.
Results:
The results showed that Event-related data analysis approaches exhibited a higher statistical significance compared to block-related one. Our results identified specific brain regions for finger tapping, encompassing right M1, left M1, cerebellar anterior lobe, and cerebellar posterior lobe, as well as for foot pedaling, involving cerebellar vermis and M1. ROI analysis further revealed a negative correlation between participants' hand/foot movement reaction times and effect sizes, indicating significantly stronger BOLD signals with shorter reaction times.
Conclusions:
These results indicated that multi-band MR imaging technology may provide the spatial resolution necessary to elucidate the functional activations in the cerebellum with a 3T MRI. This project was supported in part by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (NSTC110-2511-H-A49 -012 -MY3 and NSTC110-2221-E-A49 -038).
Motor Behavior:
Motor Planning and Execution 1
Visuo-Motor Functions
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
BOLD fMRI 2
Keywords:
Cerebellum
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Motor
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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