Multi-frequency reference function to reduce noise in functional MRI

Functional MRI requires acquisition of a time-series of images, making it prone to detecting noise due to gross motion, internal physiological fluctuations, and any magnetic field changes. All of these effects lead to spurious activation, reducing the reliability of functional images. We have designed a unique protocol to present stimuli in fMRI where the presentation sequence contains a combination of frequencies that minimizes the overlap of true activity with noise and any physiological fluctuations, reducing the detection of spurious activation. The results of our studies suggest that the multi-frequency stimuli presentation approach is effective in reducing noise and artifacts.