Development of the optimized approaches to functional magnetic resonance imaging studies(fMRI) in human occipito-temporal cortex

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Visual functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) experiments are commonly conducted with gradient echo echo-planar imaging(GE-EPI), which yields strong responses in the posterior occipito-temporo cortex but suffers from prominent signal loss on the inferior surfaces and anterior poles of the temporal lobes. The aim of the present study was to optimize fMRI of the human occipito-temporal cortex by minimizing signal loss and distortions while maintaining sufficient functional sensitivity and imaging speed. The developed multi-shot spin echo echo-planar imaging(SE-EPI) provided undistorted functional images with a good coverage of the occipital-temporo cortex. When applied to the study of visual processing in the cortex, SE-EPI detected patches of category-specific responses in areas around the ear canal where GE-EPI, suffering form almost complete signal loss, detected no responses. Furthermore, the minimal spatial distortions facilitate precise matching of function and anatomy. The results should thus help reveal a complete image of how faces and objects are represented in the occipito-temporal cortex.