fMRI Experiment Research Articles

Neural Underpinnings of Peer Experiences and Interactions: A Review of Social Neuroscience Research

In peer relations research, interest is increasing in studying the neural underpinnings of peer experiences in order to understand how peer interactions relate to adjustment and well-being. This review provides an overview of 27 studies examining how positive and negative peer experiences with personally familiar peers relate to neural processes. The review illustrates the ways that researchers have creatively designed controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments employing real-life relationships. The review highlights evidence supporting the role of reward and affect sensitivity, as well as neural sensitivity to social exclusion in relation to peer experiences. Further, the review highlights research about how peer experiences modulate neural underpinnings of risk-taking and prosocial behavior. The review concludes with the challenges that studies aiming to combine peer and brain research face and provides avenues for future research.

Mathematical learning deficits originate in early childhood from atypical development of a frontoparietal brain network.

Mathematical learning deficits are defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder (dyscalculia) in the International Classification of Diseases. It is not known, however, how such deficits emerge in the course of early brain development. Here, we conducted functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments in 3- to 6-year-old children without formal mathematical learning experience. We followed this sample until the age of 7 to 9 years, identified individuals who developed deficits, and matched them to a typically developing control group using comprehensive behavioral assessments. Multivariate pattern classification distinguished future cases from controls with up to 87% accuracy based on the regional functional activity of the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the network-level functional activity of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the effective functional and structural connectivity of these regions. Our results indicate that mathematical learning deficits originate from atypical development of a frontoparietal network that is already detectable in early childhood.

Object representations in visual cortex are scaled to account for viewing distance during visual search

Humans are remarkably proficient at finding objects within a complex visual world. It has been proposed that observers strategically increase their visual system’s responsivity to any object of interest, by pre-activating a visual representation of the target object during search preparation. Despite being widely accepted, this mechanism fails to account for an inherent property of real-world vision: the image that any given object will project on the retinae is unknown, as it depends on the object’s eventual location. For instance, the color and shape of the retinal image are determined by the illumination and viewpoint on the object, and –most dramatically– its size can vary by orders of magnitude depending on the distance to the object. How can preparatory activity in visual cortex benefit search in the real world, where the retinal image of an object is context-dependent? We addressed this question by testing whether human observers generate visual object representations during search preparation, and scale those object representations to account for viewing distance. In two fMRI experiments, (N=58) participants were cued to search for real-world objects at different distances within naturalistic scenes. We measured BOLD responses following the onset of the scene, from which the viewing distance could be inferred, and analyzed a subset of trials in which –unexpectedly– no array of objects appeared. This allowed for isolating brain activity related to search preparation only. Using multivariate pattern analysis, we related the patterns of brain activity evoked during search preparation, to those evoked by viewing isolated objects of different sizes. The data show that (1) observers generate visual representations of their target object during search preparation in object-selective regions, and (2) scale these representations to flexibly account for search distance. These findings reconcile current theories on visual selection with the functional demands of real-world vision.

Does Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults in Motor Cortex Reflect Compensation?

Older adults tend to display greater brain activation in the nondominant hemisphere during even basic sensorimotor responses. It is debated whether this hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults (HAROLD) reflects a compensatory mechanism. Across two independent fMRI experiments involving adult life span human samples (N = 586 and N = 81, approximately half female) who performed right-hand finger responses, we distinguished between these hypotheses using behavioral and multivariate Bayes (MVB) decoding approaches. Standard univariate analyses replicated a HAROLD pattern in motor cortex, but in and out of scanner behavioral results both demonstrated evidence against a compensatory relationship in that reaction time measures of task performance in older adults did not relate to ipsilateral motor activity. Likewise, MVB showed that this increased ipsilateral activity in older adults did not carry additional information, and if anything, combining ipsilateral with contralateral activity patterns reduced action decoding in older adults (at least in experiment 1). These results contradict the hypothesis that HAROLD is compensatory and instead suggest that the age-related ipsilateral hyperactivation is nonspecific, consistent with alternative hypotheses about age-related reductions in neural efficiency/differentiation or interhemispheric inhibition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A key goal in the cognitive neuroscience of aging is to provide a mechanistic explanation of how brain–behavior relationships change with age. One interpretation of the common finding that task-based hemispheric activity becomes more symmetrical in older adults is that this shift reflects a compensatory mechanism, with the nondominant hemisphere needing to help out with computations normally performed by the dominant hemisphere. Contrary to this view, our behavioral and brain data indicate that the additional activity in ipsilateral motor cortex in older adults is not reflective of better task performance nor better neural representations of finger actions.

Evidence for a hijacked brain reward system but no desensitized threat system in quitting-motivated smokers: An fMRI study.

Several aspects of how quitting-motivated tobacco use disorder (TUD) subjects and never-smokers differ in terms of reward and threat processing remain unresolved. We aimed to examine aberrant reward and threat processes in TUD and the association with smoking characteristics. A between- and within-subjects functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment with a 2(groups) × 4 (stimulus type) factorial design. The experimental paradigm had four conditions: pictures of (1) cigarettes served as drug-related-positive cues, (2) food as alternative reward cues, (3) long-term consequences of smoking as drug-related-negative cues and (4) neutral pictures as control. Adult participants (n = 38 TUD subjects and n = 42 never-smokers) were recruited in Berlin, Germany. As contrasts of primary interest, the interactions of group × stimulus-type were assessed. Significance threshold correction for multiple testing was carried out with the family-wise error method. Correlation analyses were used to test the association with smoking characteristics. The 2 × 2 interaction of smoking status and stimulus type revealed activations in the brain reward system to drug-related-positive cues in TUD subjects (between-subjects effect: P-values ≤ 0.036). As a response to drug-related-negative cues, TUD subjects showed no reduced activation of the aversive brain network. Within the TUD group, a significant negative association was found between response of the aversive brain system to drug-related-negative cues (within-subjects effect: P-values ≤ 0.021) and the number of cigarettes smoked per day (right insula r = -0.386, P = 0.024; left insula r = -0.351, P = 0.042; right ACC r = -0.359, P = 0.037). Moderate smokers with tobacco use disorder appear to have altered brain reward processing of drug-related-positive (but not negative) cues compared with never smokers.

Where in the Brain is “the Other’s” Hand? Mapping Dysfunctional Neural Networks in Somatoparaphrenia

Somatoparaphrenia refers to the delusional belief, typically observed in right brain-damaged patients, that the contralesional limbs belong to someone else. Here, we aimed to uncover the neural activity associated with this productive, i.e. confabulatory, component in a patient, S.P.P., with a large right-sided lesion of both cortical and subcortical gray and white matter. He claimed that his left paralyzed hand belonged to his mother. In a block-design functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) experiment, S.P.P. imagined that the mother would move her (i.e. his left) hand (condition “mother”). Subtraction of the activity elicited by control conditions (imagery of self-generated movement of either left or right hand) from that in the “mother” condition resulted in the focal activation of the pars opercularis of the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). In a separate, resting-state fMRI experiment with S.P.P. and 21 healthy controls, we examined the functional connectivity of the rIFG and the affected hand somatosensory network to the rest of the brain. We found a negative correlation between the activity in the rIFG and that of Broca area and the temporo-parietal junction in the left hemisphere. Furthermore, the affected hand somatosensory network was disconnected from the left secondary somatosensory cortex. Our results link the productive component of somatoparaphrenia to the activity of crucial hubs for integrating the multimodal signals of the affected hand. Furthermore, they provide the first direct evidence supporting the “left narrator model”, proposed by Halligan et al. (1995), according to which the confabulations of somatoparaphrenia are due to a disconnection of left hemisphere language areas from right hemisphere parieto-temporal cortex.

Tracking temporal response dynamics in the ventral striatum during social feedback in anorexia nervosa: A functional magnetic resonance imaging exploratory study.

Research suggests abnormalities in reward-based processes in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, few studies have explored if such alterations might be associated with different temporal activation patterns. This study aims to characterize alterations in time-dependent processes in the ventral striatum (VS) during social feedback in AN using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty women with restrictive-subtype AN and 20 age-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent a social judgment experimental fMRI task. Temporal VS hemodynamic responses were extracted in SPM for each participant and each social condition (acceptance/rejection). Compared with age-matched HC, patients with AN showed a significant time by group interaction of peak VS response throughout the task, with a progressive blunting of peak activation responses, accompanied by a progressive increase in baseline activity levels over time. The results suggest an attenuated response pattern to repetitive social rejection in the VS in patients with AN, together with a difficulty in returning to baseline. The information obtained from this study will guide future, design-specific studies to further explore alterations temporal dynamics.

Optimizing auditory input for foreign language learners through a verbotonal-based dichotic listening approach

The quality of the physical language signals to which learners are exposed and which result in neurobiological activity leading to perception constitutes a variable that is rarely, if ever, considered in the context of language learning. It deserves some attention. The current study identifies an optimal audio language input signal for Chinese EFL/ESL learners generated by modifying the physical features of language-bearing audio signals. This is achieved by applying the principles of verbotonalism in a dichotic listening context. Low-pass filtered (320 Hz cut-off) and unfiltered speech signals were dichotically and diotically directed to each hemisphere of the brain through the contralateral ear. Temporal and spatial neural signatures for the processing of the signals were detected in a combined event-related potential (ERP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment. Results showed that the filtered stimuli in the left ear and unfiltered in the right ear (FL-R) configuration provided optimal auditory language input by actively exploiting left-hemispheric dominance for language processing and right-hemispheric dominance for melodic processing, i.e., each hemisphere was fed the signals that it should be best equipped to process—and it actually did so effectively. In addition, the filtered stimuli in the right ear and unfiltered in the left ear (L-FR) configuration was identified as entirely non-optimal for language learners. Other outcomes included significant load reduction through exposure to both-ear-filtered FL-FR signals as well as the confirmation that non-language signals were recognized by the brain as irrelevant to language and did not trigger any language processing. These various outcomes will necessarily entail further research.

A Commentary on “Can Neuroscience Provide a New Foundation for the Rorschach Variables?” (Jimura et al., 2021)

A Commentary on “Can Neuroscience Provide a New Foundation for the Rorschach Variables?” (Jimura et al., 2021)

Lowering the thermal noise barrier in functional brain mapping with magnetic resonance imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become an indispensable tool for investigating the human brain. However, the inherently poor signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of the fMRI measurement represents a major barrier to expanding its spatiotemporal scale as well as its utility and ultimate impact. Here we introduce a denoising technique that selectively suppresses the thermal noise contribution to the fMRI experiment. Using 7-Tesla, high-resolution human brain data, we demonstrate improvements in key metrics of functional mapping (temporal-SNR, the detection and reproducibility of stimulus-induced signal changes, and accuracy of functional maps) while leaving the amplitude of the stimulus-induced signal changes, spatial precision, and functional point-spread-function unaltered. We demonstrate that the method enables the acquisition of ultrahigh resolution (0.5 mm isotropic) functional maps but is also equally beneficial for a large variety of fMRI applications, including supra-millimeter resolution 3- and 7-Tesla data obtained over different cortical regions with different stimulation/task paradigms and acquisition strategies.

“Scene” from inside: The representation of Observer’s space in high-level visual cortex

Human observers are remarkably adept at perceiving and interacting with visual stimuli around them. Compared to visual stimuli like objects or faces, scenes are unique in that they provide enclosures for observers. An observer looks at a scene by being physically inside the scene. The current research explored this unique observer-scene relationship by studying the neural representation of scenes' spatial boundaries. Previous studies hypothesized that scenes' boundaries were processed in sets of high-level visual cortices. Notably, the parahippocampal place area (PPA), exhibited neural sensitivity to scenes that had closed vs. open spatial boundaries (Kravitz et al., 2011; Park et al., 2011). We asked whether this sensitivity reflected the openness of landscape (e.g., forest vs. beach), or the openness of the environment immediately surrounding the observer (i.e., whether a scene was viewed from inside vs. outside a room). Across two human fMRI experiments, we found that the PPA, as well as another well-known navigation-processing area, the occipital place area (OPA), processed scenes' boundaries according to the observer's space rather than the landscape. Moreover, we found that the PPA's activation pattern was susceptible to manipulations involving mid-level perceptual properties of scenes (e.g., rectilinear pattern of window frames), while the OPA's response was not. Our results have important implications for research in visual scene processing and suggest an important role of an observer's location in representing the spatial boundary, beyond the low-level visual input of a landscape.

Importance of the early visual cortex and the lateral occipito-temporal cortex for the self-hand specific perspective process

Visual self-body recognition is one of the fundamental cognitive functions, and a major contributor to social development. Previous studies have shown that body identity judgement becomes difficult when subjects viewed their hand from a third-person perspective, and that this perspective effect was not observed when viewing the hand of another person, indicating that there are brain regions which are more strongly influenced by the perspective of one's own body than the body of another person. In this study, we aimed to depict the brain network contributing to the integration of perspective and identity of human bodies. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment where 29 participants observed their own or someone else's hand from first- and third-person perspectives. In the univariate analysis, none of the brain regions showed an interaction between perspective and body identity. However, in the searchlight and region-of-interest multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), decoding accuracies of self-hand from a first-person vs. those from a third-person perspective were higher than the decoding accuracies of other-hand from a first-person perspective vs. those from a third-person perspective in the early visual cortex. In addition, psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a stronger effect of perspective of the self-hand than the other-hand condition in connectivity between the lateral occipito-temporal cortex and the early visual cortex, overlapped with the region depicted by MVPA. Our results suggest that the specific link between self-hand and first-person perspective is associated with identity-dependent perspective representations of the early visual cortex and functional connectivity between the early visual cortex and lateral occipito-temporal cortex, elucidating the nature of self-body recognition.

Three dimensional radial echo planar imaging for functional MRI.

To demonstrate a novel 3D radial echo planar imaging (3D REPI) sequence for flexible, rapid, and motion-robust sampling in fMRI. The 3D REPI method expands on the recently described golden angle rotated EPI trajectory using radial batched internal navigator echoes (TURBINE) approach by exploiting the unused perpendicular direction in the EPI readout to form fast analogues of rotated stack of stars or spirals trajectories that cover all 3 dimensions of k-space. An iterative conjugate gradient algorithm with SENSE reconstruction and time-segmented non-uniform fast Fourier transform (FFT) was used for parallel imaging acceleration and to account for the effects of B0 inhomogeneity. The golden angle rotation allowed for sliding window reconstruction schemes to be applied in brain BOLD fMRI experiments. Combined whole brain visual and motor fMRI experiments were successfully carried out on a clinical 3T scanner at 2 mm isotropic and 1 × 1 × 2 mm3 resolutions using the 3D REPI design. Improved sampling characteristics and image quality were observed for twisted trajectories at the expense of prolonged readout times and off-resonance effects. The ability to correct for rigid motion correction was also demonstrated. 3D REPI presents a flexible approach for segmented volumetric fMRI with motion correction and high in-plane spatial resolutions. Improved BOLD fMRI brain activation maps were obtained using a sliding window reconstruction.

The Direction of response selectivity between conspecific and heterospecific auditory stimuli varies with response metric

Species recognition is an essential behavioral outcome of social discrimination, flocking, mobbing, mating, and/or parental care. In songbirds, auditory species recognition cues are processed through specialized forebrain circuits dedicated to acoustic discrimination. Here we addressed the direction of behavioral and neural metrics of zebra finches’ (Taeniopygia guttata) responses to acoustic cues of unfamiliar conspecifics vs. heterospecifics. Behaviorally, vocal response rates were greater for conspecific male zebra finch songs over heterospecific Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura) songs, which paralleled greater multiunit spike rates in the auditory forebrain in response to the same type of conspecific over heterospecific auditory stimuli. In contrast, forebrain activation levels were reversed to species-specific song playbacks during two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments: we detected consistently greater responses to whydah songs over finch songs and did so independently of whether subjects had been co-housed or not with heterospecifics. These results imply that the directionality of behavioral and neural response selectivity metrics are not always consistent and appear to be experience-independent in this set of stimulus-and-subject experimental paradigms.

Individualized video recommendation modulates functional connectivity between large scale networks.

With the emergence of AI‐powered recommender systems and their extensive use in the video streaming service, questions and concerns also arise. Why can recommended video content continuously capture users' attention? What is the impact of long‐term exposure to personalized video content on one's behaviors and brain functions? To address these questions, we designed an fMRI experiment presenting participants with personally recommended videos and generally recommended ones. To examine how large‐scale networks were modulated by personalized video content, graph theory analysis was applied to investigate the interaction between seven networks, including the ventral and dorsal attention networks (VAN, DAN), frontal–parietal network (FPN), salience network (SN), and three subnetworks of default mode network (dorsal medial prefrontal (dMPFC), Core, and medial temporal lobe (MTL)). Our results showed that viewing nonpersonalized video content mainly enhanced the connectivity in the DAN‐FPN‐Core pathway, whereas viewing personalized ones increased not only the connectivity in this pathway but also the DAN‐VAN‐dMPFC pathway. In addition, both personalized and nonpersonalized short videos decreased the couplings between SN and VAN as well as between two DMN subsystems, Core and MTL. Collectively, these findings uncovered distinct patterns of network interactions in response to short videos and provided insights into potential neural mechanisms by which human behaviors are biased by personally recommended content.

Multiple prosodic meanings are conveyed through separate pitch ranges: Evidence from perception of focus and surprise in Mandarin Chinese.

F0 variation is a crucial feature in speech prosody, which can convey linguistic information such as focus and paralinguistic meanings such as surprise. How can multiple layers of information be represented with F0 in speech: are they divided into discrete layers of pitch or overlapped without clear divisions? We investigated this question by assessing pitch perception of focus and surprise in Mandarin Chinese. Seventeen native Mandarin listeners rated the strength of focus and surprise conveyed by the same set of synthetically manipulated sentences. An fMRI experiment was conducted to assess neural correlates of the listeners' perceptual response to the stimuli. The results showed that behaviourally, the perceptual threshold for focus was 3 semitones and that for surprise was 5 semitones above the baseline. Moreover, the pitch range of 5-12 semitones above the baseline signalled both focus and surprise, suggesting a considerable overlap between the two types of prosodic information within this range. The neuroimaging data positively correlated with the variations in behavioural data. Also, a ceiling effect was found as no significant behavioural differences or neural activities were shown after reaching a certain pitch level for the perception of focus and surprise respectively. Together, the results suggest that different layers of prosodic information are represented in F0 through different pitch ranges: paralinguistic information is represented at a pitch range beyond that used by linguistic information. Meanwhile, the representation of paralinguistic information is achieved without obscuring linguistic prosody, thus allowing F0 to represent the two layers of information in parallel.

Reactivation of Single-Episode Pain Patterns in the Hippocampus and Decision Making

Aversive and rewarding experiences can exert a strong influence on subsequent behavior. While decisions are often supported by the value of single past episodes, most research has focused on the role of well-learned value associations. Recent studies have begun to investigate the influence of reward-associated episodes, but it is unclear whether these results generalize to negative experiences, such as pain. To investigate whether and how the value of previous aversive experiences modulates behavior and brain activity, in our experiments female and male human participants experienced episodes of high or low pain in conjunction with incidental, trial-unique neutral pictures. In an incentive-compatible surprise test phase, we found that participants avoided pain-paired objects. In a separate fMRI experiment, at test, participants exhibited significant pain value memory. Neurally, when participants were re-exposed to pain-paired objects, we found no evidence for reactivation of pain-related patterns in pain-responsive regions, such as the anterior insula. Critically, however, we found significant reactivation of pain-related patterns of activity in the hippocampus, such that activity significantly discriminated high versus low pain episodes. Further, stronger reactivation in the anterior hippocampus was related to improved pain value memory performance. Our results demonstrate that single incidental aversive experiences can build memories that affect decision-making and that this influence may be supported by the hippocampus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Aversive and rewarding experiences can exert a strong influence on our subsequent behavior. While decisions are often supported by single past negative or positive episodes, most research has focused on the role of well-learned value associations. In experiments using aversive heat pain in conjunction with incidental objects, we found that participants' choices were biased by the level of pain associated with the objects. Further, when participants saw the objects again, pain-related neural patterns in the hippocampus were re-expressed, and this was related to pain value memory performance. These results suggest a mechanism by which even single negative experiences can guide our later decisions.

Reducing SAR in 7T brain fMRI by circumventing fat suppression while removing the lipid signal through a parallel acquisition approach

Ultra-high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a way to new insights while increasing the spatial and temporal resolution. However, a crucial concern in 7T human MRI is the increase in power deposition, supervised through the specific absorption rate (SAR). The SAR limitation can restrict the brain coverage or the minimal repetition time of fMRI experiments. In the majority of today’s studies fMRI relies on the well-known gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GRE-EPI) sequence, which offers ultrafast acquisition. Commonly, the GRE-EPI sequence comprises two pulses: fat suppression and excitation. This work provides the means for a significant reduction in the SAR by circumventing the fat-suppression pulse. Without this fat-suppression, however, lipid signal can result in artifacts due to the chemical shift between the lipid and water signals. Our approach exploits a reconstruction similar to the simultaneous-multi-slice method to separate the lipid and water images, thus avoiding undesired lipid artifacts in brain images. The lipid-water separation is based on the known spatial shift of the lipid signal, which can be detected by the multi-channel coils sensitivity profiles. Our study shows robust human imaging, offering greater flexibility to reduce the SAR, shorten the repetition time or increase the volume coverage with substantial benefit for brain functional studies.

A meta-analysis of fMRI studies of semantic cognition in children

Our capacity to derive meaning from things that we see and words that we hear is unparalleled in other animal species and current AI systems. Despite a wealth of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on where different semantic features are processed in the adult brain, the development of these systems in children is poorly understood. Here we conducted an extensive database search and identified 50 fMRI experiments investigating semantic world knowledge, semantic relatedness judgments, and the differentiation of visual semantic object categories in children (total N = 1,018, mean age = 10.1 years, range 4–15 years). Synthesizing the results of these experiments, we found consistent activation in the bilateral inferior frontal gyri (IFG), fusiform gyri (FG), and supplementary motor areas (SMA), as well as in the left middle and superior temporal gyri (MTG/STG). Within this system, we found little evidence for age-related changes across childhood and high overlap with the adult semantic system. In sum, the identification of these cortical areas provides the starting point for further research on the mechanisms by which the developing brain learns to make sense of its environment.

Improvement of sensitivity and specificity for laminar BOLD fMRI with double spin-echo EPI in humans at 7 T

Mapping mesoscopic cortical functional units such as columns or laminae is increasingly pursued by ultra-high field (UHF) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The most popular approach for high-resolution fMRI is currently gradient-echo (GE) blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI. However, its spatial accuracy is reduced due to its sensitivity to draining vessels, including pial veins, whereas spin-echo (SE) BOLD signal is expected to have higher spatial accuracy, albeit with lower sensitivity than the GE-BOLD signal. Here, we introduce a new double spin-echo (dSE) echo-planar imaging (EPI) method to improve the sensitivity of SE-BOLD contrast by averaging two spin-echoes using three radiofrequency pulses. Human fMRI experiments were performed with slices perpendicular to the central sulcus between motor and sensory cortices at 7 T during fist-clenching with touching. First, we evaluated the feasibility of single-shot dSE-EPI for BOLD fMRI with 1.5 mm isotropic resolution and found that dSE-BOLD fMRI has higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), temporal SNR (tSNR), and higher functional sensitivity than conventional SE-BOLD fMRI. Second, to investigate the laminar specificity of dSE-BOLD fMRI, we implemented a multi-shot approach to achieve 0.8-mm isotropic resolution with sliding-window reconstruction. Unlike GE-BOLD fMRI, the cortical profile of dSE-BOLD fMRI peaked at ~ 1.0 mm from the surface of the primary motor and sensory cortices, demonstrating an improvement of laminar specificity in humans over GE-BOLD fMRI. The proposed multi-shot dSE-EPI method is viable for high spatial resolution UHF-fMRI studies in the pursuit of resolving mesoscopic functional units.