Localization of the hand motor area using BOLD and ASL fMRI

Introduction: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques can be useful in the pre-surgical mapping of eloquent brain tissue. Previous studies have shown that perfusion-based Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) methods produce results with better spatial specificity than the most commonly used Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast [1]. These studies have focused on the relative location of the activation areas with regard to proximal draining veins, showing a bias for the BOLD signal to be shifted towards the venous compartment relative to the ASL contrast. In this study, we aimed to compare the localization of the hand motor area obtained by simultaneous ASL-BOLD fMRI and standard BOLD fMRI with well established anatomical landmarks [2].