ReviewThe future of acquisition speed, coverage, sensitivity, and resolution

Two decades of technology development has continually improved the image quality, spatial-temporal resolution, and sensitivity of the fMRI acquisition. In this article, I assess our current acquisition needs, briefly examine the technological breakthroughs that have benefited fMRI in the past, and look at some promising technologies that are currently under development to try to envision what the fMRI acquisition protocol of the future might look like.

► Improved fMRI methods are critical for advancing our ability to study the brain. ► The past 2 decades saw advancements in gradient hardware and parallel imaging. ► This article examines current un-met needs in fMRI acquisitions. ► It reviews strategies under development to assess future fMRI acquisition protocols.