Three-dimensional MR-encephalography: Fast volumetric brain imaging using rosette trajectories

MR-Encephalography (MREG) is a technique that allows real time observation of functional changes in the brain that appears within 100 msec. The high sampling rate is achieved at the cost of some spatial resolution. The article describes a novel imaging method for fast three-dimensional-MR-encephalography whole brain coverage based on rosette trajectories and the use of multiple small receiver coils. The technique allows the observation of changes in brain physiology at very high temporal resolution. A highly undersampled three-dimensional rosette trajectory is chosen, to perform single shot acquisition of k-space data within 23 msec. By using a 32-channel head coil array and regularized nonuniform Fourier transformation reconstruction, the spatial resolution is sufficient to detect even subtle centers of activation (e.g. human MT+). The method was applied to visual block design paradigms and compared with echo planar imaging-based functional MRI. As a proof-of-principle of the method's ability to detect local differences in the hemodynamic response functions, the analyzed MR-encephalography data revealed a spatially dependent delay of the arrival of the blood oxygenation level dependent response within the visual cortex.