Investigating the feasibility of functional MRI using GRE EPI on a high performance 0.5 T Scanner

fMRI is typically not performed at field strengths < 1.5T due to low magnetic susceptibility contrast and inadequate gradient performance. Leveraging the high-performance gradient set of a head-only 0.5T MRI, the feasibility of motor task based fMRI was evaluated using a 4mm isotropic GRE-EPI acquisition. Activated regions within the PMC were consistent with expected behaviour. Furthermore, a significant change in signal during activation of 1.8+/-0.4% was measured within an ROI of activated voxels. These results suggest that motor task based BOLD fMRI is possible at 0.5T.