[Freesurfer] signal dropouts in 7T scanners

Dear Freesurfers,

we are working with T1-MPRAGE images acquired in a siemens 7T scanner. Signal dropouts are a big problem with 7T scanner affecting drastically the white-grey matter contrast of temporal lobe structures. I was thinking to acquire two different MPRAGE images: one of them with excellent contrast on the top half of the brain, and the other with identical contrast in the bottom part of the brain (therefore improving the white/grey matter boundaries of temporal lobes). Would it be feasible by using Freesurfer to get a resultant image with homogeneous and improved contrast in the whole brain taking advantage of both MPRAGE acquisitions? If don't, do you know any other tool to make that possible?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards, Jose

--- Jose L. Cantero, Ph.D. Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology University Pablo de Olavide Ctra. de Utrera, Km.1 41013 - Sevilla - Spain -

Phone: +34 954 977433 Fax: +34 954 349151 Email: jlcanlor@upo.es http://www.upo.es/neuroaging/es/