Evaluation of diffusion functional magnetic resonance imaging for spatial specificity of brain activation in response to visual stimulation

Motivation: Addressing the uncertainty of dfMRI's spatial specificity compared to BOLD-fMRI, considering the influence of perfusion and potential for more localized brain activation mapping. Goal(s): To evaluate whether six-directional MPG dfMRI enhances the localization of brain activity in response to visual stimulation versus standard BOLD-fMRI. Approach: Employed high-resolution 7T MRI with dfMRI and BOLD protocols, analyzing data with advanced pre-processing and statistical methods to compare spatial activation patterns. Results: dfMRI demonstrated more confined activation regions, especially at higher b-values, suggesting improved spatial specificity, although complete isolation from BOLD-fMRI's T2* changes remains challenging. Impact: Enhanced dfMRI specificity could refine our understanding of neural activity patterns, crucial for advancing cognitive neuroscience and developing targeted brain-based interventions.