{"doi":"10.1101/2022.07.26.501554","title":"Evaluating the capabilities and challenges of layer-fMRI VASO at 3T","abstract":"Abstract Sub-millimeter functional imaging has the potential to capture cortical layer-specific functional information flow within and across brain systems. Recent sequence advancements of fMRI signal readout and contrast generations resulted in wide adaptation of layer-fMRI protocols across the global ultra-high-field (UHF) neuroimaging community. However, most layer-fMRI applications are confined to one of ≈100 privileged UHF imaging centers, and sequence contrasts with unwanted sensitivity to large draining veins. In this work, we propose the application of vein-signal free vascular space occupancy (VASO) layerfMRI sequences at widely accessible 3T scanners. Specifically, we implement, characterize, and apply a cerebral blood volume (CBV)-sensitive VASO fMRI at a 3T scanner setup, as it is typically used in the majority of cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuroscience fMRI studies. We find that the longer , and stronger relative T 1 contrast at 3T can account for some of the lower z-magnetization in the inversion-recovery VASO sequence compared to 7T and 9.4T. In the main series of experiments (N=16), we test the utility of this setup for motor tasks and find that-while being limited by thermal noise-3T layer-fMRI VASO is feasible within conventional scan durations. In a series of auxiliary studies, we furthermore explore the generalizability of the developed layer-fMRI protocols for a larger range of study designs including: visual stimulation, whole brain movie watching paradigms, and cognitive tasks with weaker effect sizes. We hope that the developed imaging protocols will help to increase accessibility of vein-signal free layer-fMRI imaging tools to a wider community of neuroimaging centers. Graphical abstract","journal":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","year":2022,"id":299379,"datarank":0.0,"base_score":0.0,"endowment":0.0,"self_citation_contribution":0.0,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.0,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":4,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":0.9482,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":true,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":"2022-01-01","fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":989214,"name":"Lisa Kronbichler","orcid":"0000-0003-1659-706X","position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":259537,"name":"Rüdiger Stirnberg","orcid":"0000-0001-7021-1063","position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":772526,"name":"Philipp Ehses","orcid":"0000-0002-5839-6525","position":3,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":261318,"name":"Tony Stöcker","orcid":null,"position":4,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":252233,"name":"Sara Fernández‐Cabello","orcid":"0000-0002-2589-8449","position":5,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":259541,"name":"Benedikt A. Poser","orcid":"0000-0001-8190-4367","position":6,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":35599,"name":"Martin Kronbichler","orcid":"0000-0003-2240-2812","position":7,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":259534,"name":"Laurentius Huber","orcid":"0000-0002-3291-2202","position":0,"is_corresponding":true}],"reference_count":64,"raw_metadata":null,"created_at":"2026-07-19T00:31:44.904250Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}