High temporo-spatial resolution VASO reveals differential laminar reactivity to event-related stimuli at 7T

Due to its high specificity, VASO plays a major role in laminar fMRI. To mitigate its lower sensitivity compared to GE-BOLD researchers mostly employ block-designs to increase SNR. Here, we developed a VASO sequence with a short TR (895ms volume acquisition) and showed that it provides the means to capture layer-specific haemodynamic responses with high spatio-temporal resolution. During event-related stimulation, we show reliable responses in visual and somatosensory cortices. Furthermore, the short TR and high specificity of VASO enabled us to show differences in laminar reactivity and onset times, thus demonstrating the high value of event-related designs using CBV-based fMRI.