Multi-echo fMRI at 7T in infants

Motivation: Imaging infants with traditional voxel sizes is suboptimal due to their smaller brains. 7T imaging allows for higher spatial resolutions, while multi-echo fMRI provides optimal contrast across the brain. Goal(s): Establish the feasibility of high-resolution multi-echo fMRI in infants at 7T. Approach: Acquire data in the same infant at 3T/7T within the same week, allowing for direct comparisons, while also considering unique safety guidelines for 7T infant imaging. Results: Initial data demonstrate 3T/7T multi-echo fMRI in the same infant, establishing the feasibility of high-resolution ME-fMRI at 7T in infants with high contrast, sensitivity, and stronger functional connections. Impact: This first demonstration of multi-echo fMRI at 7T, including the use of voxel volumes (1.6 mm3) that are half the volume of what is normally used in 3T infant fMRI (2.0 mm3), promises opportunities to advance developmental neuroimaging.