Path Toward MRI with Direct Sensitivity to Neuro-Electro-Magnetic Oscillations

 描述(由申请人提供)：针对NIH RFA-MH-14-217《下一代人脑成像规划》，我们提出了一项全面的计划，组织急需的技术资源和跨学科研究团队，利用大多数神经成像研究人员可以接触到的3Tesla磁场强度的扫描仪，开发能够以高空间和时间分辨率直接检测人脑中的神经电活动的下一代MRI技术。通过我们令人鼓舞的初步研究，我们确定了通过直接将MRI信号敏化到神经电磁振荡(NEMO)来精确绘制大脑活动图是可能的。与此同时，我们还确定了MRI硬件、采集方法和对比机制方面的关键挑战，以充分实现这一方法。我们将通过组织三个创新的技术核心(以技术目标的形式)来应对这些挑战，目的是使整个大脑能够产生超均匀的磁场，以确保对NEMO信号的可靠检测，达到能够解析细粒度皮质微结构的超高空间分辨率，以及建立一个非侵入性的人脑-机器接口(BMI)，该接口对功能神经成像信号进行建模和分类，并驱动连接的机器人外骨骼。为了建立令人信服的证据来直接和灵敏地检测神经电活动，并基于我们坚实的技术基础，我们还提出了四个创新的试点项目(以科学AIMS的形式)，以使用高分辨率MRI构建具有因果信息的静态神经网络，在体内研究在驱动和内在神经元振荡期间具有增强灵敏度的动态NEMO信号，以及对动态神经成像信号进行建模和分类，并通过我们的非侵入性人类BMI复制和验证机器人外骨骼中的人类行为。为了帮助评估我们的研究进展，并从大脑研究界的研究人员和领导者那里获得重要意见，我们将组织由我们的跨学科研究团队和我们的科学咨询委员会协调的年度研讨会。我们预计，通过这些全面的规划和研究活动，我们将能够确定一条明确的道路，以达到下一代人脑成像技术，该技术可以以前所未有的空间和时间分辨率精确、非侵入性地、毫不含糊地绘制大脑活动图。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In response to the NIH RFA-MH-14-217 on "Planning for Next Generation Human Brain Imaging", we propose a comprehensive plan to organize the much needed technological resources and interdisciplinary research team for developing the next generation MRI technology that can directly detect neuroelectric activities in the human brain with a high spatial and temporal resolution, using scanners with the 3 Tesla magnetic field strength that is accessible by the majority of neuroimaging researchers. Through our encouraging preliminary investigations, we have determined that it is possible to precisely map brain activities by directly sensitizing the MRI signal to the neuro-electro-magnetic oscillations (NEMO). At the same time, we have also identified key challenges in MRI hardware, acquisition methods, and contrast mechanisms to fully enable this approach. We will address these challenges by organizing three innovative technical cores (in the form of Technical Aims) for the purpose of enabling an ultra-uniform magnetic field throughout the brain to ensure a robust detection of the NEMO signal, reaching ultra-high spatial resolutions that can resolve fine-grained cortical microstructures, and building a non-invasive human brain-machine interface (BMI) that models and classifies the functional neuroimaging signals and drives an attached robotic exoskeleton. To establish convincing evidences toward a direct and sensitive MRI detection of neuroelectric activity, and based on our solid technical foundation, we also propose four innovative pilot projects (in the form of Scientific Aims) to construct a static neural networ with causal information using high-resolution MRI, to investigate dynamic NEMO signals in vivo with enhanced sensitivity during both driven and intrinsic neuronal oscillations, and to model and classify the dynamic neuroimaging signals and to replicate and validate the human behavior in the robotic exoskeleton through our non-invasive human BMI. To help evaluate our research progress and receive critical input from researchers and leaders in the brain research community, we will organize annual workshops coordinated by our interdisciplinary research team and our scientific advisory committee. We anticipate that through these comprehensive planning and research activities, we will be able to define a clear path to reach the next generation human brain imaging technology that can precisely, non-invasively, and unambiguously map brain activities with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.