Functional MRI of Visual Cortex . Correlation between Photic Stimulator Size and Cortex Activation.
- Author:
Kyung Sook KIM
;
Ho Kyu LEE
;
Myung Jun LEE
;
Choong Gon CHOI
;
Dae Chul SUH
- Publication Type:Original Article
- MeSH:
Head;
Humans;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*;
Photic Stimulation;
Visual Acuity;
Visual Cortex*;
Volunteers
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
1997;1(1):114-118
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Functional MR imaging is the method of demonstrating changes in regional cerebral blood flow produced by sensory, motor, and any other tasks. Functional MR of visual cortex os performed as a patient stares a photic stimulation, so adaptable photic stimulation is necessary. The purpose of this study to evaluate whether the size of photic stimulation can affect the degree of visual cortex activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 volunteers with normal visual acuity. Photic stimulator was made by 39 light-emitting diodes on a plate ,operating at 8 Hz. The sizes of photic stimulator were full field, half field and focal central field. The MR imager was Siemens 1.5-T Magenton Vision system, using standard head coil. Functional MRI utilized EPI sequence (TR/TE=1.0/51. 0msec, matrix No.=98x128, slice thickness=8mm) with 3sets of 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during rest, all 36 scanning were obtained. Activated images were obtained using postprocessing software(statistical analysis by Z-zone, and these images were combined with T-1 weighted anatomical images. The activated signals were quantified by numbering the activated pixels, and activation index was obtained by dividing the pixel number of each stimulator size with the sum of the pixel number of 3 study using 3 kinds of stimulators. The correlation between the activation index and the stimulation size was analysed. RESULTS: Mean increase of signal intensities on the activation area using full field photic stimulator was about 9.6%. The activation index was greatest on full field. second on half field and smallest in focal central field in 4, The index of half field was greater than that of full field in 1. The ranges of activation index were full field 43-73%(mean 55%), half field 22-40%(mean 32%), and focal central field 5-24%(13%). CONCLUSION: The degree of visual cortex activation increases with the size of photic stimulator.
