A low-cost and versatile system for projecting wide-field visual stimuli within fMRI scanners

• Published in: Behavior research methods 2016-06, Vol.48 (2), p.614-620
• Main Authors: Greco, V., Frijia, F., Mikellidou, K., Montanaro, D., Farini, A., D’Uva, M., Poggi, P., Pucci, M., Sordini, A., Morrone, M. C., Burr, D. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cognitive Psychology; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - economics; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - instrumentation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Photic Stimulation - instrumentation; Photic Stimulation - methods; Psychology; Reproducibility of Results; Research methodology; Retina; Visual Fields
• ISSN: 1554-3528; 1554-351X; 1554-3528
• DOI: 10.3758/s13428-015-0605-0

We have constructed and tested a custom-made magnetic-imaging-compatible visual projection system designed to project on a very wide visual field (~80°). A standard projector was modified with a coupling lens, projecting images into the termination of an image fiber. The other termination of the fiber was placed in the 3-T scanner room with a projection lens, which projected the images relayed by the fiber onto a screen over the head coil, viewed by a participant wearing magnifying goggles. To validate the system, wide-field stimuli were presented in order to identify retinotopic visual areas. The results showed that this low-cost and versatile optical system may be a valuable tool to map visual areas in the brain that process peripheral receptive fields.