NEUROIMAGING CORE

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Advances in human brain imaging techniques are rapidly improving our understanding of motor, perceptual and cognitive function in health and disease. Applications of functional brain imaging and related imaging techniques now allow identification of regionally specific neural abnormalities in learning disabilities (PR#15 Eden -, Functional MRI studies of phonological and senory processing in dyslexia), ADHD (PR# 77 Vaidya - Integrating brain imaging and genetic analysis of ADHD), autism (PR#84 Zeffiro - Neurobiologic origins and innovative treatment of autism), and inborn errors of metabolism (PR#28 Gropman-Assessing neural mechanisms of injury in ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency). Finally, these techniques can be used to determine changes over time in specific cortical functions in chronic neurological disorders in children, such as partial epilepsy (PR#20 Gaillard - Plasticity of language networks in childhood epilepsy). The purpose of the Neuroimaging Core is to provide expertise and support to MRDDRC investigators in the areas of experimental design, data acquisition, data analysis, and data management for experiments utilizing structural, functional and metabolic brain imaging techniques. The Core will provide support for studies employing: (a) structural MRI, (b) diffusion MRI (c) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), (d) functional MRI (fMRI), (e) near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electrophysiology. This support will include consultation and training for new investigators in issues pertaining to experimental methods and MRI compatible task construction. The Neuroimaging Core now incorporates four separate divisions: 1. The GU Center for Functional and Molecular Imaging (CFMI) has a 3.0T Siemens Trio MRI system that supports structural, functional and spectroscopic MRI studies in the evaluation of children and adults with epilepsy, metabolic, cerebrovascular, developmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Functional brain imaging studies will use the GU MRI system because of the availability of research imaging time and the extensive pediatric expertise of the personnel at the facility who support an active research program including studies of language, motor control, memory, reading, attention and perception. The group at CFMI will also provide special expertise pertaining to experimental design, data acquisition and data analysis procedures for pediatric structural and functional imaging studies. 2. An informatics group maintains computational facilities and computer links between GU and CNMC. Image and data transfer between the two institutions, and support of the advanced software applications (MEDx, FSL, Freesurfer and SPM) used for image data analysis and visualization, will be the main focus of this activity. 3. A near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) facility is housed at CFMI. It will allow high-resolution hemodynamic monitoring studies in developmental disorders and stroke and will be useful in the translation between basic science and clinical neuroimaging applications. 4. A new high-density EEG system is housed at CFMI, allowing multi-modal studies integrating different sources of information pertaining to brain function.