More articles from Functional

Task-based approaches to functional localization of the motor cortex have limitations such as long scanning times and exclusion of patients with severe functional or neurologic disabilities and children. Resting-state fMRI may avoid these difficulties because patients do not perform any goal-directed tasks. Nineteen patients were prospectively evaluated by using task-based and resting-state fMRI to localize sensorimotor function. Independent component analyses were performed to generate spatial independent components reflecting functional brain networks or noise. The motor cortex was successfully and consistently identified by using resting-state fMRI. Hand, foot, and face regions were defined in a comparable fashion with task-based fMRI.

The authors calculated the BOLD-dependent MR imaging artifact impact arising from surgically implanted hardware through a retrospective analysis of fMRIs acquired from 2006–2014. Mean artifact volume associated with intracranial hardware was 4.3 cubic centimeters. The mean artifact volume from extracranial hardware in patients with cerebrovascular disease was 28.4 cubic centimeters. Artifacts had no-to-mild effects on clinical interpretability in all patients with intracranial implants. Extracranial hardware artifacts had no-to-moderate impact on clinical interpretability. The exceptions to interpretability in the face of hardware were ventriculoperitoneal shunts, particularly those with programmable valves and siphon gauges, and large numbers of KLS-Martin maxDrive screws.