Method for time- and location-resolved display of functional brain activities of a patient

• US 5,662,112 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Heid, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANTIS MERCADER, ELENI M
• Application Number:
  US08/694,748
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/653.2, 128/731, 128/732, 128/901, 324/309
• US Class Current: 600/413
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4806 Functional imaging of brain activation

Abstract

Physiological processes are stimulated in a patient by a stimulation function f (t). The stimulation function f (t) is non-periodic and has as few secondary maxima as possible in its autocorrelation function. A pulse sequence for the excitation in, and read out of nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the patient to obtain, time- and location-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance signals, which are converted into image data. A chronological cross-correlation of the data obtained in this way with the stimulation function f(t) is undertaken, and time- and location-resolved activity changes in the patient are thereby detected.

Claims

1. A method for time- and location-resolved representation of functional brain activities of a patient by means of magnetic resonance, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a stimulation function f(t) which is non-periodic, and having a minimized number of secondary maxima in its autocorrelation function;

(b) stimulating physiological functions in a patient with said stimulation function f(t);

(c) emitting a magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence for the excitation in, and read out of nuclear magnetic resonance signals from, said patient and thereby obtaining time- and location-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and converting said nuclear magnetic signals into image data; and

(d) detecting location-resolved activity changes in the patient by chronological correlation of said data with the stimulation function f(t).

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising representing a result of the correlation of step (d) as a cross-correlation image.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising using binary codes as the stimulation function f(t).

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising supplying the stimulation function f(t) to the patient as an instruction for patient actions.

5. An apparatus for time- and location-resolved representation of functional brain activities of a patient by means of magnetic resonance, comprising:

means for generating a stimulation function f(t) which is non-periodic, and having a minimized number of secondary maxima in its autocorrelation function;

means for stimulating physiological functions in a patient with said stimulation function f(t);

means for emitting a magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence for the excitation in, and read out of nuclear magnetic resonance signals from, said patient and for obtaining time- and location-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and for converting said nuclear magnetic signals into image data; and

means for detecting location-resolved activity changes in the patient by chronological correlation of said data with the stimulation function f(t).

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising means for representing a correlation result of said means for detecting as a cross-correlation image.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means for generating a stimulation function comprises means for using binary codes as said stimulation function.