Imaging Brain Function in Real World Environments & Populations with Portable MRI

 描述(申请人提供)：功能磁共振成像(FMRI)在了解人脑方面继续发挥关键作用。然而，由于非自然环境和磁孔空间的限制，目前的fMRI技术在研究大脑功能方面远远不够理想。此外，功能磁共振成像不能用于体内有金属植入物的受试者(例如，老年人、士兵和退伍军人)，或因某些身体残疾而受损的受试者，如各种神经和前庭疾病。最后，由于其费用和基础设施要求，磁共振成像的主要机会较富裕的机构导致了高度偏见的对象抽样和缺乏对非西方环境和文化的研究。今天用来获得磁共振图像的一般方法基本上与大约40年前使用的方法相同。这种方法的一个主要缺点是，大脑上可容忍的磁场变化仅限于磁铁磁场的一小部分，即B0。为了克服这些限制，一种新的磁共振成像方法被构思出来，称为STEREO，它代表在物体上引导共振。通过生成具有时空编码的图像，STEREO允许B0场变化很大，并且第一次使使用更小的、本质上更少的 均匀磁铁。在这个项目中，将利用立体声的独特能力来展示便携式、可远程支持的仅限头部的MRI扫描仪的可行性，以便在全球所有人群和环境中进行脑功能成像。为了实现这一目标，该项目将开发立体声方法，结合新的多线圈梯度技术和新的MRI光谱仪技术，在高度不均匀的B0中生成人脑图像。该项目还将对一种新的1.5T高温超导磁体进行可行性研究，该磁体在液氮温度(77K)下运行，以消除对通常无法获得的液氦和/或用于低温冷却的稳定电源的要求。这项拨款提案的总体目标是证明将这一革命性的磁共振成像系统变为现实所需的关键新方法和技术的可行性。一个由来自多个机构和行业的领先专家组成的多学科团队将每月举行会议 报告和讨论进展情况，提供指导，发现问题并决定纠正措施。根据在这一过程中获得的经验，我们的新一代磁共振成像系统将在这个为期3年的项目结束时进行详细说明和设计。这个系统将用我们的下一轮资金来建造和测试。将这一系统提供给神经科学家，将在全球范围内的各种条件和人群中，为人类大脑和人类行为的研究开辟令人兴奋的新领域。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) continues to play a critical role in understanding the human brain. Yet current fMRI technology is far less than ideal for studying brain function due to the unnatural environment and restricting space of the magnet bore. Furthermore, fMRI cannot be performed on subjects who have metallic implants in their body (e.g., the elderly, soldiers and veterans), or who are impaired by certain physical disabilities as occurs in a variety of neurological and vestibular disorders. Finally, due to its expense and infrastructure requirements, MRI's predominant accessibility to wealthier institutions has resulted in a highly biased subject sampling and a shortage of studies in non-western environments and cultures. The general methodology used to obtain MR images today is essentially the same as that used approximately 4 decades ago. One major drawback of such methodology is that the tolerated magnetic field variation over the brain is limited to a small fraction of the magnet's field, B0. To overcome these limitations, a new MRI methodology has been conceived called STEREO, which stands for steering resonance over the object. By generating images with spatiotemporal-encoding, STEREO allows the B0 field to vary by a large amount, and for the first time, makes it possible to use a smaller, inherently less homogeneous magnet. In this project, the unique capabilities of STEREO will be exploited to demonstrate the feasibility of a portable, remotely supportable, head-only MRI scanner to permit imaging brain function in all populations and environments worldwide. To achieve this goal, this project will develop the STEREO methodology, in combination with new multi-coil gradient technology and new MRI spectrometer technology, to produce human brain images in a highly non-uniform B0. This project will also undertake a feasibility study of a new 1.5 T, high temperature superconducting magnet operating at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), to free the requirements for often unavailable liquid helium and/or a stable power supply for cryo-cooling. The overall objective of this grant proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of critical new methods and technology required for this revolutionary MRI system to become a reality. A multidisciplinary team of leading experts from multiple institutions and industry will meet monthly to report and discuss progress, provide guidance, identify problems and decide corrective courses of action. Based on the experience gained in the process, our new generation MRI system will be specified and designed by the end of this 3-year project. This system will be built and tested with our next round of funding. Making this system available to neuroscientists will open exciting new territories of investigation into the human brain and human behavior, in a wide range of conditions and populations of subjects worldwide.