Olfactory Tract BOLD fMRI using Echo Planar Time Resolved Imaging

Motivation: The use of fMRI for assessing olfactory function has been a significant challenge due to the increased blurring and geometric distortion caused by field inhomogeneity and T2* decay. Goal(s): We aim to minimize distortion and motion related artifacts that corrupt olfactory tract fMRI scans by utilizing an EPTI acquisition. Approach: We will acquire activation results using both EPTI and EPI for olfactory tract regions that suffer greatly from signal dropout and distortion for N=6 healthy, volunteers. Impact: Olfactory dysfunction is an early indicator of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.1-4 In this work, we utilize an acquisition technique designed to minimize fMRI artifacts to accurately assess olfactory function potentially allowing for earlier diagnosis.