Quantum-Sensing MRI for Non-Invasive Detection of Neuronal Firing in Human Brain: Initial Demonstration via Finger-Tapping Task

Neuronal firing is the electrophysiological basis of brain function. BOLD-based functional MRI indirectly detects neuronal activity through an uncertain neuro-hemodynamic mechanism and is also limited to the detection of slow neuronal activity such as postsynaptic potentials due to its relatively low temporal resolution. Recent efforts have improved temporal resolution to milliseconds or even sub-milliseconds, under the assumption that neuronal activity is exactly repeatable in time, though unlikely to be practical. Here we demonstrate the potential of quantum-sensing MRI to directly detect neuronal firing using a finger-tapping task.