About this Research Topic
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T is the cornerstone for neuroscientific research due to its widespread availability. With the emergence of ultra-high field (≥7T) scanners, MRI has substantially pushed the limits of spatial and temporal resolution achievable. Recent advances in data acquisition and processing, coupled with insights gleaned from over 15 years of 7T MRI, have opened a new avenue for cognitive and clinical neuroscience research at 3T. This exciting, emerging domain leverages the capabilities of modern MRI scanners, incorporating new hardware and technologies that enable high acceleration, improved SNR, and spatial resolution to answer neuroscientific questions that were previously deemed not possible at 3T. For instance, recent demonstrations of sub-millimeter and sub-second resolution fMRI at 3T showcase results comparable to those obtained at higher field strengths. Structural, diffusion and perfusion MRI studies at 3T using super-resolved acquisitions, efficient 3D sampling, deep-learning reconstruction and image processing have also been at the forefront, particularly aimed at clinical applications to improve disease detection, prognosis and their characterization (e.g., multiple sclerosis, small vessel disease, traumatic brain injury).
In this Research Topic, we aim to collect recent research on new methods and protocols that maximize the potential of 3T (f)MRI. We aim to also encourage high spatio-temporal MRI at 3T to become the new state-of-the-art for cognitive and clinical neuroscience applications. To that end, the implementation of optimal acquisition strategies will depend mainly on two aspects: adapting existing protocols available at higher field strengths (and overcoming the limitations imposed by a lower B0), and exploiting the strengths of 3T scanners compared to higher field scanners (e.g., wider availability, less artifacts, better patient comfort).
We welcome submissions on recent advances in MRI methods, reconstruction and image processing, clinical and cognitive neuroscience applications of high spatial and/or temporal resolution MRI at 3T. The overarching goal is to collect articles in various forms (review, perspective, original research articles; study protocols; data report; technology and code) that represent the current state-of-the-art of 3T MRI. The topic is interdisciplinary by design, and we encourage contributions that are pushing the limits of 3T imaging, especially (but not limited to):
- high spatial and/or temporal resolution MRI (e.g., layer- columnar-fMRI, fast fMRI)
- new contrasts and novel applications which highlight different features of brain structure, function and physiology (e.g., non-BOLD, diffusion, QSM)
- new methods, protocols or analysis tools for high-resolution imaging at 3T
- novel denoising or other image processing algorithms to improve robustness and reliability of responses
- applications of high-resolution MRI to clinical and cognitive neuroscience questions to subcortical and brainstem structures.
Professor Norris is involved in a patent on Arterial Blood Contrast, that is held by Radboud University. The other editors do not declare any potential conflict of interests.
In this Research Topic, we aim to collect recent research on new methods and protocols that maximize the potential of 3T (f)MRI. We aim to also encourage high spatio-temporal MRI at 3T to become the new state-of-the-art for cognitive and clinical neuroscience applications. To that end, the implementation of optimal acquisition strategies will depend mainly on two aspects: adapting existing protocols available at higher field strengths (and overcoming the limitations imposed by a lower B0), and exploiting the strengths of 3T scanners compared to higher field scanners (e.g., wider availability, less artifacts, better patient comfort).
We welcome submissions on recent advances in MRI methods, reconstruction and image processing, clinical and cognitive neuroscience applications of high spatial and/or temporal resolution MRI at 3T. The overarching goal is to collect articles in various forms (review, perspective, original research articles; study protocols; data report; technology and code) that represent the current state-of-the-art of 3T MRI. The topic is interdisciplinary by design, and we encourage contributions that are pushing the limits of 3T imaging, especially (but not limited to):
- high spatial and/or temporal resolution MRI (e.g., layer- columnar-fMRI, fast fMRI)
- new contrasts and novel applications which highlight different features of brain structure, function and physiology (e.g., non-BOLD, diffusion, QSM)
- new methods, protocols or analysis tools for high-resolution imaging at 3T
- novel denoising or other image processing algorithms to improve robustness and reliability of responses
- applications of high-resolution MRI to clinical and cognitive neuroscience questions to subcortical and brainstem structures.
Professor Norris is involved in a patent on Arterial Blood Contrast, that is held by Radboud University. The other editors do not declare any potential conflict of interests.
Keywords: fMRI, high-resolution, fast fMRI, layers, columns, 3T, MRI, ASL, BOLD, VASO, vascular, diffusion, signal modelling, denoising, neurofluids, brain clearance, spectroscopy
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
