Characterizing the amplitude and spatial extent of the cortical response in auditory cortex to acoustic scanner noise generated during echo-planar image acquisition in functional magnetic resonance imaging

Acoustic scanner noise produced during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (ER-fMRI) studies can hinder auditory fMRI research analysis by altering the properties of the acquired time-series data. Given the desire to obtain the most accurate results possible using ER-fMRI experiments, this study seeks to characterize the amplitude and spatial extent of the auditory fMRI cortical response, in isolation, generated by the acoustic scanner noise associated with echo-planar acquisition. Results from this study indicate that the pure cortical response is non-trivial, is comparable to a standard hemodynamic response function, and should be accounted for in analysis using ER-fMRI models.