Combining Explicitly Mask Image with Voxel-Based Morphometry for Improving 0.35T Functional MRI Data Analysis

The effects of non-brain signal change of 0.35T fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can be eliminated by combining explicitly mask image with Voxel-based Morphometry analysis. The challenge is from confusion of fMRI data at low field. Using brain tissue threshold statistical map can make analysis only for signal change within brain tissue. It uses the extracted brain tissue resulting from image segment method based on a deformable surface model as a explicitly mask image, constructs analysis mask and adds it to the analysis of fMRI based on VBM (Voxel-based Morphometry). It aims to get good brain activated area for fMRI study. The results demonstrate the method can eliminate the pseudo-activated area located on background, skull and scalp effectively, and improve localizing reliability and precision of fMRI analysis at low field MRI.