FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF BASAL GANGLIA - ACTIVATION MAPPING WITH FLASH SEQUENCES FOR BOLD CONTRAST AND HIGH-RESOLUTION

The activation pattern of putamen, internal and external division of g lobus pallidus was investigated during rapid pronation and supination of the right and left hand in 12 normal volunteers using a FLASH seque nce with high resolution for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fM RI) at 1.5 T. The chosen paradigm for motor function led to a signal i ncrease within the basal ganglia between 3 and 23%, depending on the s tructure and individual subject. In all cases significant activation c ould be found contralateral to the moving hand. In six cases activatio n was also found on the ipsilateral side. The activated areas within p utamen, internal and external division of globus pallidus were less th an 5 mm2. These first results indicate that fMRI studies of basal gang lia are feasible and might be suitable for analyzing basal ganglia dis orders.