Improved laminar specificity and sensitivity by combining SE and GE BOLD signals

•Spin- and gradient-echo (SAGE) EPI was implemented for high spatial resolution fMRI at 7 T.•Microvascular-passed sigmoidal vessel-size filters were designed on intracortical vessel diameters and BOLD simulations.•Combined spin- and gradient-echo BOLD with vessel-size-sensitive filter enhanced microvascular components and suppressed macrovascular components.•Combined spin- and gradient-echo BOLD-fMRI showed high laminar-specific activation in motor and sensory cortices.