Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-03020, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Graham, Simon (University of Toronto), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Ontario, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Discovery Grants Program - Individual, program name french : Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles, program purpose english : Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely used as a neuroscience research tool to measure and understand brain activity, sensitivity to head motion poses a major problem. Even millimetre head motions can disrupt fMRI maps of brain activity in complex ways. Young adults can usually remain sufficiently still, but other populations such as children, the elderly, and people with impaired brain function often find it very difficult. In such cases, the fMRI data are often discarded. The head motion problem is thus a barrier to expanding use of fMRI in basic and clinical neuroscience research. 
 
This proposal builds on numerous contributions previously made in the Graham laboratory to reduce the sensitivity of fMRI to head motion. The main idea of the current research involves measuring head movements during fMRI, and using these measurements to make corrections for motions and other signal errors in "real-time" (right at the time the images are formed). There are three specific objectives: 
1. To develop and validate a novel system for tracking head position during fMRI that overcomes the limitations of existing approaches; 
2. To use this system in the development of comprehensive methods to correct for the numerous effects of head motion and other sources of error in real time; and 
3. To demonstrate the benefits of this new technology in an fMRI application where head motion is particularly troublesome: the study of the brain activity associated with language tasks that involve spoken words. 
 
On completing these objectives, new technology will have been created that can be commercialized and sold; that can be easily used by neuroscience researchers; and that will enable expanded fMRI applications in neuroscience ., program purpose french : Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely used as a neuroscience research tool to measure and understand brain activity, sensitivity to head motion poses a major problem. Even millimetre head motions can disrupt fMRI maps of brain activity in complex ways. Young adults can usually remain sufficiently still, but other populations such as children, the elderly, and people with impaired brain function often find it very difficult. In such cases, the fMRI data are often discarded. The head motion problem is thus a barrier to expanding use of fMRI in basic and clinical neuroscience research. 
 
This proposal builds on numerous contributions previously made in the Graham laboratory to reduce the sensitivity of fMRI to head motion. The main idea of the current research involves measuring head movements during fMRI, and using these measurements to make corrections for motions and other signal errors in "real-time" (right at the time the images are formed). There are three specific objectives: 
1. To develop and validate a novel system for tracking head position during fMRI that overcomes the limitations of existing approaches; 
2. To use this system in the development of comprehensive methods to correct for the numerous effects of head motion and other sources of error in real time; and 
3. To demonstrate the benefits of this new technology in an fMRI application where head motion is particularly troublesome: the study of the brain activity associated with language tasks that involve spoken words. 
 
On completing these objectives, new technology will have been created that can be commercialized and sold; that can be easily used by neuroscience researchers; and that will enable expanded fMRI applications in neuroscience ., agreement title english : Robust Correction for the Effects of Head Motion on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Activity, agreement title french : Robust Correction for the Effects of Head Motion on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Activity, agreement number : RGPIN, agreement value : 280000.0, agreement start date : 2017-05-10, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada