We are scanning with a 3T Philips Achieve X-Series scanner at NeuRA Imaging Centre
We have several current projects ranging from Visual Perception, Decision Making to Working Memory.

High resolution fMRI
We employ cutting edge high resolution protocols resolving 1.2x1.2x1.2 mm. This resolution is critically important since partial voluming is a major confounder commonly ignored in fMRI. The blood oxygen level dependent changes measured by fMRI, typically occur in the thin (roughly 2.5 mm thick) sheet of gray matter. This sheet of gray matter is deeply folded. Cortical locations that are far apart in the 2-dimensional sheet of gray matter are often extremely close in 3-dimensional space. Large fMRI voxels (3 mm +) will sample and confuse signals from two rather distant parts of the cortical surface (partial voluming), when they are adjacent to each other due to cortical folding. To address this shortcoming, we have developed and employed high resolution protocols covering occipital cortex for functional imaging. Retinotopic mapping allows to test and validate the benefits of these high resolution protocols, demonstrating high resolution is not only feasible but highly recommendable for everyday imaging using clinical 3T scanners.

The image shows the result of a retinotopic mapping experiment at two different resolutions. Only
significantly active voxels are coloured. Colours indicate different positions in the receptive field (not significance). This image shows that using high resolution protocols results in very localised fMRI activity.

Retinotopic mapping

We routinely use retinotopic mapping techniques for method research or as a tool for investigating the visual system.