Ultra-high field imaging of the human medial temporal lobe

Ultra-high field (UHF) imaging provides substantial benefits for the structural and functional investigation of the human medial temporal lobe. The medial temporal lobe is a complex system of many subregions that is critically involved in many cognitive functions and vulnerable to neurodegenerative processes. Here, we first lay out the benefits of UHF imaging for visualizing anatomical features with high resolution to delineate subregions. We provide examples of structural imaging studies that critically rely on UHF imaging. Second, we point out how UHF functional imaging advances the investigation of the functional organization of the medial temporal lobe and its involvement in cognitive processes. Examples are given for how UHF imaging is used here to reveal critical mechanisms and information flow on the subregional and layer-specific levels. Finally, we highlight motion and signal dropout as challenges of structural and functional UHF and conclude with perspectives for UHF imaging in the future.