Functional MRI of the Human Hippocampus at 10.5T: Pushing the Boundaries of Spatial Resolution

Although the hippocampus is central to human cognition, its deep location within the medial temporal lobe has historically limited fMRI signal quality. Here, we leverage an ultrahigh-field 10.5T fMRI system, which provides inherently higher signal-to-noise ratio than commonly used lower-field systems, to overcome these limitations and achieve unprecedented 0.5 mm isotropic resolution. This advancement allows for comprehensive hippocampal coverage with robust image quality, facilitating the study of functional microcircuits in individual subjects and paving the way for high-precision clinical diagnostics.