Leveraging ASL Perfusion to Unravel Neural Activation in the Olfactory Bulb: A Proof of Concept

Motivation: The olfactory bulbs (OBs) play a key role in the detection and processing of olfactory information. However, research on human OB function has been limited due to their challenging location for conventional T2*-weighted BOLD fMRI. Goal(s): To explore ASL as an alternative to BOLD for OB functional MRI. Approach: We utilized ASL with a 16-shot Stack-of-Spirals 3D TSE readout to obtain short-TE functional imaging. We quantified blood flow and subsequently assessed neural activation in the OB using a blocked design olfactory paradigm. Results: This study quantifies OB blood flow for the first time and demonstrates neural activation in the OB during odor delivery. Impact: This work highlights ASL's potential for fMRI, especially in challenging areas with high susceptibility and low signal-to-noise ratio, making it a viable option for studying olfactory-related regions where BOLD fMRI faces difficulties.