Journal Article

DZNE-2026-00980

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Human fMRI at 11.7T: Assessing feasibility, stability, and reliability on the Iseult scanner.

Obriot, J. ; Amor, Z. ; Serger, M.DZNE* ; Stirnberg, R.DZNE* ; Ehses, P.DZNE* ; Riedel, M. ; Stöcker, T.DZNE* ; Prüssmann, K. P. ; Gunamony, S. ; Chu, S. ; Amadon, A. ; Vignaud, A. ; Gras, V. ; Meyniel, F. ; Mauconduit, F. ; Le Ster, C. ; Boulant, N.

2026
MIT Press Cambridge, MA

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1162/IMAG.a.1362

Abstract: Ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) promises major gains in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) sensitivity but introduces severe challenges such as RF field inhomogeneity, B 0 field inhomogeneity, motion and vibration-induced field variations. We report the first whole-brain resting-state and task-based fMRI experiments at 11.7T. A 3D-EPI sequence was optimized using tailored parallel-transmit RF pulses, gradient reshaping to suppress vibration-induced B 0 fluctuations, and prospective motion correction using servo navigation combined with retrospective phase equalization (PEERS). Four participants were scanned at 11.7T with whole-brain 1.2 mm isotropic resolution with servo navigation and PEERS that considerably reduced residual motion and increased temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The Default Mode Network in resting state could be detected and a physiological-noise-dominated regime was identified. Four additional but different participants were scanned at 7T for tSNR comparison and validation of the protocol, data quality, and processing pipeline. Task-based fMRI likewise was conducted at 11.7T and yielded robust, spatially specific activations across motor, visual, mathematical, and language networks, again with improved sensitivity and cleaner BOLD responses when using servo navigation and PEERS. These results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of whole-brain human fMRI at 11.7T and constitute a first-quality control milestone to further increase resolution at that field strength.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging: methods (MeSH) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging: instrumentation (MeSH) ; Brain: diagnostic imaging (MeSH) ; Brain: physiology (MeSH) ; Feasibility Studies (MeSH) ; Reproducibility of Results (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio (MeSH) ; Brain Mapping: methods (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; Adult (MeSH) ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted (MeSH) ; Young Adult (MeSH) ; Oxygen: blood (MeSH) ; fMRI ; motion correction ; parallel transmission ; ultra-high field MRI ; Oxygen

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. MR Physics (AG Stöcker)
2. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AG Reuter)

Research Program(s):

1. 354 - Disease Prevention and Healthy Aging (POF4-354) (POF4-354)

Appears in the scientific report 2026

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Database coverage:
; ; ; ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; DOAJ Seal ; Emerging Sources Citation Index ; Fees ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Web of Science Core Collection

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