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Neurophysiology Imaging Facility Core: Functional and Structural MRI

神经生理学成像设施核心：功能和结构 MRI

基本信息

批准号：
10703969
负责人：
David A Leopold
金额：
$ 137.4万
依托单位：
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
至
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10703969
关键词：
Anatomy Atlases Basic Science Blood Brain Categories Communities Conceptions Contrast Media Core Facility Data Analyses Data Files Data Storage and Retrieval Development Devices Diffusion Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Disease Electrodes Electrophysiology (science)Engineering Environment Evaluation Fiber Functional Imaging Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Future Goals Health Human Image Imaging Techniques Imaging technology Implant Individual Injections Joints Laboratories Laboratory Research Learning MRI Scans Magnetic Resonance Imaging Maps Measures Medicine Methods Microelectrodes Modernization National Institute of Mental Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Neurosciences Neurosciences Research Noise Operative Surgical Procedures Pathway interactions Pattern Pharmacology Physics Play Positioning Attribute Procedures Process Production Protocols documentation Research Research Personnel Research Project Grants Rest Role Scanning Scientist Series Services Signal Transduction Site Structure System Testing Time Training United States National Institutes of Health Work X-Ray Computed Tomography anatomic imaging awake basal forebrain base cognitive task combinatorial comparative data sharing design diffusion weighted experimental study functional MRI scan imaging facilities improved interest member multimodality neurophysiology neurotransmission operation peer pre-clinical research programs radio frequency response sensory stimulus skills tractography white matter

项目摘要

The capacity to peer inside the human brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is growing ever more impressive. Compared to only a few years ago, it is now possible to see details of the brain, including its activity, that were previously out of reach. The advances that have shaped MRI technology and impacted human medicine have come from basic science laboratories and preclinical research programs. The NIF facility provides a central core that makes structural and functional MRI imaging available and straightforward to a broad range of NIH basic science laboratories. A primary goal is to lower conceptual and practical barriers involved in the scanning itself so that researchers can pursue combinatorial methods for furthering their own research agendas. Our staff works with users to determine their needs and set upon optimal scanning protocols and methods. For investigators wanting to have scanning central to their research projects, the staff will also train scientists to gain autonomy in conducting their own experiments, including operation of the scanners. Of particular focus in the facility is functional MRI (fMRI), which allows researchers to visualize activity patterns within the brain of an awake subject. This approach to neuroscience often involves mapping the responses for one type of sensory stimulus relative to that for another. There are many analytic steps between the acquisition of raw MR signals and the scientific interpretation of the measured neural signals. This is particularly true for functional MRI (fMRI), where activity maps are generated based upon the evaluation of time varying intensity values throughout the brain from a series of MR volumes. Most neuroscience researchers are not experts in the physics or engineering aspects of MRI and thus rely heavily on experts in these domains to develop and maintain the best scanning environment possible. Thus, MRI experiments are typically done in the context of a core imaging facility. For many specialized studies, the challenges of MRI are compounded by technical issues, such as the production of specialized radiofrequency (RF) coils and the need to learn nonstandard procedures. Scanning is sometimes combined with other procedures such as pharmacological manipulation or simultaneous electrophysiological recording, often further complicating the imaging procedure. Overcoming these obstacles is of enormous value, since fMRI uniquely allows one to map activity over the entire brain and combine this method with other manipulations. This combination of a Siemens 3T scanner and a Bruker 4.7T scanner allow for a spectrum of different scanning possibilities for researchers at the NIH, ranging from routine anatomical scans to intricate, multimodal fMRI projects. These scanners serve all the NIH community and play an increasingly important role for biomedical and disease research. The recently acquired 3T scanner provides needed additional scanning time for our users and is serving to centralize much of the anatomical scanning for the community. It also provides a longer-term stability for the transition to replace the 4.7T vertical scanner with a cutting-edge system in the near future. Six staff members including Dr. Leopold, each from a different scientific background and with different skills, aim to provide the most efficient functional scanning services possible for a broad range of investigators. Many users of the facility focus only on structural scanning, for which the staff takes over most of the procedure and the scientist provides information about the target sites and basic scanning requirements. This approach is widely used to identify electrophysiological target sites and the position of indwelling microelectrodes, and to evaluate the experimental precision of a brain manipulation such as an injection. One particularly valuable use of structural imaging is the direct comparison of electrical recording sites with foci of fMRI responses in the context of a cognitive task. There are a range of contrast options, including diffusion weighted scans that can identify features in the white matter, or provide the basis for tractography. We have also recently purchased a computerized tomography (CT) machine to reside in the facility, and to serve as part of a pipeline to further improve surgical accuracy for a wide range of users. For functional scanning, much of the work is done by scientists in individual laboratories, whom the NIF staff train to become largely autonomous in their experiments. The fMRI studies go beyond mapping functional specialization in the brain. Experiments within the facility typically combine fMRI with other procedures, such as microelectrode recordings or pharmacological inactivation. The fMRI experiments produce large data files that must be processed to evaluate the functional activity patterns across the brain. The facility provides storage of these data, guidance in the initial processing steps, and server machines for full data analysis. The NIF staff spends a relatively small fraction of its time carrying out research related to MRI itself. In the past several years, we have focused on completing studies related to diffusion tractography. We have been working in a highly collaborative effort with other groups inside and outside the NIH, we are continuing to study (1) the neuroanatomical basis of diffusion imaging, and (2) comparative fiber pathways across species. In addition, we have recently completed studies on the role of the basal forebrain in resting state spontaneous fMRI signals, as well as collaborative work involved in atlases, templates, and data sharing. At present, research in the facility is focused on the design and testing of implanted radiofrequency coils, with the hope that this method can become routine for users seeking to obtain higher signal-to-noise images. Other research lines in the facility involve the development of scanning with newly available contrast agents.