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Comparison of the BOLD‐ and EPISTAR‐technique for functional brain imaging by using signal detection theory
Author(s) -
Siewert Bettina,
Bly Benjamin Martin,
Schlaug Gottfried,
Darby David G.,
Thangaraj Venkatesan,
Warach Steven,
Edelman Robert R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.1910360212
Subject(s) - functional magnetic resonance imaging , echo planar imaging , magnetic resonance imaging , blood oxygen level dependent , blood oxygenation , signal (programming language) , nuclear magnetic resonance , functional imaging , nuclear medicine , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , computer science , physics , psychology , medicine , radiology , programming language
Two magnetic resonance imaging techniques, BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent) and EPISTAR (echo‐planar imaging and signal targeting with alternating radio‐frequency), were compared for functional brain imaging. Ten volunteers were imaged performing a sequential finger to thumb opposition task alternating with no movement conditions. Techniques were compared using variance maps and signal detection theory (ROC analysis). True positive activation in regions of interest with expected task‐dependent signal changes were computed versus false activation rates in regions in which no activation was expected. D‐prime coefficients were calculated for each comparison and statistically compared using a paired t test. Activation in the perirolandic region was seen in all volunteers with both techniques. There was no significant difference for the d ‐prime between BOLD and EPISTAR. These results indicate that based on a different physiologic principle, EPISTAR is an alternative to BOLD to perform fMRI with similar results.