FMRI ABILITY TO MAP COLUMNAR STRUCTURES IN HUMANS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. During the past 4 years, we have challenged the limits of BOLD fMRI to the level of sub-millimeter structures (i.e. cortical columns) in humans and laminar specificity in the animal model. We have established that SE BOLD technique at high fields is more suitable for mapping columnar structures. Our strategy of employing high-field SE BOLD contrast has allowed us to explore, in addition to ODCs, orientation columns in the human brain, which were previously unmapped. Here, we will develop new capabilities for larger volume coverage for high-resolution fMRI acquisitions in humans as well as continued application and development of a high resolution animal fMRI model.