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Automated post-hoc noise cancellation tool for audio recordings acquired in an MRI scanner
Authors:
CUSACK, R., CUMMING, N., BOR, D., NORRIS, D. & LYZENGA, J.
Reference:
Human Brain Mapping, 24(4), 299-304.
Year of publication:
2005
CBU number:
5798
Abstract:
There are several types of experiment where it is useful to have subjects speak overtly in an MRI scanner, including those studying the articulatory apparatus and the neural basis of speech production, and fMRI experiments where speech is used as a response modality. While it is relatively easy to record sound from the bore, it can be difficult to hear the speech over the very loud acoustic noise from the scanner. This is particularly a problem during echo-planar imaging, which is usually used for fMRI. In this paper, we present a post-hoc sound cancellation algorithm, and describe a Windows-based tool that implements it. The tool is fast and operates with minimal user intervention. We evaluate cancellation performance in terms of the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, and investigate the effect of the recording medium. A substantial improvement in audibility was obtained.
