<s>
Functional	B-Algorithm
magnetic	I-Algorithm
resonance	I-Algorithm
imaging	I-Algorithm
(	O
fMRI	B-Algorithm
)	O
of	O
the	O
spinal	O
cord	O
(	O
spinal	B-Algorithm
fMRI	I-Algorithm
)	O
is	O
an	O
adaptation	O
of	O
the	O
fMRI	B-Algorithm
method	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
developed	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
the	O
brain	O
(	O
1	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
basic	O
principles	O
underlying	O
the	O
methods	O
are	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
spinal	B-Algorithm
fMRI	I-Algorithm
requires	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
specific	O
adaptations	O
to	O
accommodate	O
the	O
periodic	O
motion	O
of	O
the	O
spinal	O
cord	O
,	O
the	O
small	O
cross-sectional	O
dimensions	O
(	O
roughly	O
8	O
mm	O
x	O
15	O
mm	O
at	O
the	O
largest	O
region	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
length	O
(	O
~	O
45	O
cm	O
in	O
adult	O
humans	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
the	O
magnetic	O
field	O
that	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
MRI	O
varies	O
with	O
position	O
in	O
the	O
spinal	O
cord	O
because	O
of	O
magnetic	O
susceptibility	O
differences	O
between	O
bone	O
and	O
tissues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spinal	B-Algorithm
fMRI	I-Algorithm
has	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
produce	O
maps	O
of	O
neuronal	O
activity	O
at	O
most	O
levels	O
of	O
the	O
spinal	O
cord	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
various	O
stimuli	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
touch	O
,	O
vibration	O
,	O
and	O
thermal	O
changes	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
motor	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Research	O
applications	O
of	O
spinal	B-Algorithm
fMRI	I-Algorithm
to	O
date	O
include	O
studies	O
of	O
normal	O
sensory	O
and	O
motor	O
function	O
,	O
and	O
studies	O
of	O
the	O
effects	O
of	O
trauma	O
to	O
the	O
spinal	O
cord	O
(	O
1-3	O
)	O
and	O
multiple	O
sclerosis	O
(	O
4	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
different	O
data	O
acquisition	O
methods	O
have	O
been	O
applied	O
,	O
one	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
established	O
BOLD	O
(	O
blood-oxygen-level	B-Algorithm
dependent	I-Algorithm
)	O
fMRI	B-Algorithm
methods	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
brain	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
based	O
on	O
SEEP	O
(	O
signal	B-Algorithm
enhancement	I-Algorithm
by	I-Algorithm
extravascular	I-Algorithm
water	I-Algorithm
protons	I-Algorithm
)	O
contrast	O
with	O
essentially	O
proton-density	O
weighted	O
spin-echo	O
imaging	O
(	O
see	O
MRI	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
