Motion- and field-robust ultra-high-resolution whole-brain imaging enabled by servo navigation

Synopsis Motivation Even subtle involuntary motion can degrade image quality in ultra-high-resolution imaging due to long acquisition times. Goal To reduce motion and dynamic field induced artifacts in ultra-high-resolution T2*-weighted imaging (0.25 mm³) using servo navigators for prospective correction at 7T. Approach Servo navigators were integrated into a segmented 3D-EPI sequence to correct motion and field variations. Involuntary motion experiments were conducted, and minimum intensity projections were used to assess the effect of prospective correction on fine details in brain anatomy. Results Servo navigators can provide motion and field estimates with sufficiently high precision and successfully mitigate artifacts in ultra-high-resolution MRI, enabling the investigation of submillimeter brain structures.