What does this research mean for the field?

The SORDINO fMRI technique outperforms conventional GRE-EPI and ZTE methods by providing silent, sensitive, specific, and artifact-resistant brain-wide activity mapping in awake, behaving mice. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To develop and validate SORDINO, an optimized zero echo time fMRI method designed to eliminate acoustic noise, motion artifacts, and magnetic-field distortions during awake animal imaging.

September 10, 2026Nature NeuroscienceOpen Access

SORDINO: silent, sensitive, specific and artifact-resistant fMRI in awake, behaving mice

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Authors

MMMartin MacKinnon SSSheng Song TCTzu-Hao Harry Chao

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Overview

Preclinical study demonstrates silent and artifact-resistant zero echo time fMRI in awake behaving mice, highlighting enhanced functional connectivity mapping without motion or acoustic interference.

Key Points

To develop and validate SORDINO, an optimized zero echo time fMRI method designed to eliminate acoustic noise, motion artifacts, and magnetic-field distortions during awake animal imaging.
Engineered SORDINO to sample data during gradient direction changes at an ultra-low slew rate using steady-state on-the-ramp detection of induction decay with oversampling.
Benchmarked image quality and artifact resistance at 9.4 T against conventional gradient-recalled-echo echo-planar imaging and standard zero echo time sequences.
Evaluated brain-wide functional activation and functional connectivity mapping in awake, behaving mice performing skilled motor behavior and social interactions.
SORDINO achieved completely silent operation while outperforming standard echo-planar imaging and zero echo time methods in sensitivity, specificity, and motion-artifact resistance.
Identified functional T1-based contrast mechanisms that operate distinctly from blood-oxygenation-level-dependent signaling and generalize to zero echo time fMRI modalities.
Mapped comprehensive whole-brain neural activity and functional networks during unconstrained mouse motor and social behaviors without stress- or motion-induced data degradation.

Cite This Study

MacKinnon et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27a0b58559d80afc72abe https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02424-8

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September 10, 2026Nature NeuroscienceOpen Access

SORDINO: silent, sensitive, specific and artifact-resistant fMRI in awake, behaving mice

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

MMMartin MacKinnon SSSheng Song TCTzu-Hao Harry Chao

Discussion

Member takes

Overview

Preclinical study demonstrates silent and artifact-resistant zero echo time fMRI in awake behaving mice, highlighting enhanced functional connectivity mapping without motion or acoustic interference.

Key Points

To develop and validate SORDINO, an optimized zero echo time fMRI method designed to eliminate acoustic noise, motion artifacts, and magnetic-field distortions during awake animal imaging.
Engineered SORDINO to sample data during gradient direction changes at an ultra-low slew rate using steady-state on-the-ramp detection of induction decay with oversampling.
Benchmarked image quality and artifact resistance at 9.4 T against conventional gradient-recalled-echo echo-planar imaging and standard zero echo time sequences.
Evaluated brain-wide functional activation and functional connectivity mapping in awake, behaving mice performing skilled motor behavior and social interactions.
SORDINO achieved completely silent operation while outperforming standard echo-planar imaging and zero echo time methods in sensitivity, specificity, and motion-artifact resistance.
Identified functional T1-based contrast mechanisms that operate distinctly from blood-oxygenation-level-dependent signaling and generalize to zero echo time fMRI modalities.
Mapped comprehensive whole-brain neural activity and functional networks during unconstrained mouse motor and social behaviors without stress- or motion-induced data degradation.

Cite This Study

MacKinnon et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27a0b58559d80afc72abe https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02424-8

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