Acquisition and characterisation of sub-millimetre resolution GE-BOLD laminar fMRI data at 3T and 7 T

Motivation: To explore the potential of layer-specific imaging of the brain at standard clinical field (3T) and ultra-high field strengths (7T)Goal(s): To assess the feasibility of sub-millimetre BOLD fMRI at 3T compared to 7T and characterise activation maps and laminar profilesApproach: 12 healthy participants scanned using product 2D-EPI at four resolutions on both 3T and 7T scanners. Data were meticulously processed using ANTs and AFNI following NORDIC-PCA denoising. Results: We demonstrate that sub-millimetre GE-BOLD fMRI at 3T is feasible using a standard fMRI sequence, has sufficient tSNR and reliable BOLD activation maps. Impact: Our work broadens accessibility to high-resolution fMRI at 3T. Thus, encouraging new directions in neuroimaging and enabling a deeper understanding of human brain function in health and disease, impacting not only neuroscientists but also the broader scientific and medical communities.