We consider an experimental design problem in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a dominant technology for studying brain activity in response to mental stimuli presented to the experimental subject. In contrast to previous studies, we develop analytical results on optimal designs for comparing hemodynamic response functions, each describing the effect of the corresponding type of stimulus. In particular, for studies with two stimulus types, we derive a sufficient condition for an fMRI design to be universally optimal, and show that designs constructed via m-sequences or Paley difference sets satisfy this sufficient condition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.