The Taco Setup: A Novel TMS-fMRI Setup for High Resolution Whole Brain Imaging

Simultaneous TMS-fMRI holds significant opportunities for advancing basic and translational neuroscience. However, current configurations face technical limitations, particularly the need to accommodate TMS hardware within the MRI environment. Previous solutions have used low numbers of radio-frequency (RF) channels, limiting fMRI data quality and whole-brain coverage. Here, we introduce a novel 22-channel “Taco” TMS-fMRI configuration that re-purposes flexible RF coils, wrapping them around both the participant’s head and the TMS coil to preserve whole brain signal reception. Guided by precision fMRI principles, we optimized acquisition protocols to achieve to achieve high temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) across the cortex. Data from three pilot participants demonstrate robust signal quality, including in regions proximal to the TMS coil. This setup offers a relatively simple and cost-effective approach to integrating precision fMRI into TMS-fMRI research.