SNAKE-fMRI: A modular fMRI simulator from the space-time domain to k-space data and back

Motivation: fMRI is a powerful tool for neuroimaging, but its optimization in vivo is complicated due to limited reproducibility. Simulation setup can help, but current solutions lack flexibility, control, or efficiency. Goal(s): Develop a versatile and efficient fMRI simulator generating realistic fMRI data under various conditions: SNR levels, acceleration factors, spatiotemporal resolutions, noise, and artifact sources. Approach: We propose SNAKE-fMRI, a modular, open-source fMRI simulator that operates from image to k-space and vice-versa. It can generate 3D+time k-space and images, mimicking the entire fMRI acquisition process, with potential k-t accelerations. Results: We showcase the use of SNAKE-fMRI on a non-Cartesian k-t accelerated scenario. Impact: With SNAKE-fMRI as an open-source, versatile, and efficient fMRI simulator, researchers can generate realistic fMRI data under a controlled and fully reproducible setup, enabling new advancements in fMRI acquisition and reconstruction methods.