NIMH Instrumentation Core Facility

NIMH 仪器核心设施

• 批准号: 10008877
• 负责人: George Dold
• 金额: $ 149万
• 依托单位: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 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/10008877
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; 3D Print; Acoustics; Acute Pain; Affect; Affective; Amplifiers; Anatomy; Area; Attention; Basic Science; Behavioral; Brain; Brain imaging; Brain region; Clinical; Cognitive; Collaborations; Complex; Computer software; Computers; Consult; Core Facility; Custom; Development; Devices; Drosophila genus; Effectiveness; Electrodes; Electroencephalography; Electronic Mail; Electronics; Electrophysiology (science); Elements; Engineering; Environment; Equipment; Fiber Optics; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Functional disorder; Goals; Head; Hour; Human; Illusions; Image; Individual; Individual Differences; Industrialization; Insecta; Investigational Therapies; Knowledge; Learning; Leg; Light; Location; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mechanics; Memory; Metals; Methods; Microscope; Mission; Modification; Monitor; Mus; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Neurons; Noise; Occupations; Optics; Outcome; Output; Pain; Patients; Penetration; Perception; Perfusion; Peripheral; Positioning Attribute; Prefrontal Cortex; Primates; Printing; Procedures; Production; Productivity; Radiochemistry; Rattus; Recommendation; Research; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Research Support; Rewards; Rodent; Route; Running; Safety; Scientist; Seizures; Services; Shapes; Skeleton; Stimulus; Surface; System; Technology; Telephone; Therapeutic Human Experimentation; Time; Titanium; Touch sensation; Variant; Walking; afferent nerve; base; behavior test; carbon fiber; chronic pain; chronic painful condition; data acquisition; density; design; design and construction; electric field; experience; extracellular; fiberglass; improved; instrument; instrumentation; locust; movie; multi-electrode arrays; neurophysiology; new technology; nonhuman primate; novel; pressure; prototype; response; restraint; sensor; surgical research; tool; two photon microscopy; virtual reality

This past year, our Section had the unique opportunity to support the research of various Labs & Sections within NIMH, NINDS, NICHD, and NCCIH. During the past twelve months, investigators from these labs and branches requested 441 formal projects from our staff. Each of these requests was documented and the time recorded to complete the job. In addition to the formal requests we are available daily for numerous walk-in, phone call or e-mail requests for assistance. In general, our technical support this past year can be divided into the following research areas: Electrophysiology The Section on Instrumentation staff continuously strives to improve the utility of various components that comprise electrophysiology. We have continued to improve the engineering and fabrication of multiple-hole grid arrays that allow precise, repeatable placement of a single or multiple electrodes over a wide area. We have also continued to develop small single-electrode microdrives. Novel methods using 3D printing now allow for the production of low-component count yet accurate and smooth microdrives. The Section on Instrumentation designed a multichannel amplifier array and extension to enable low-noise recording of insect brains. The headstage extension splits the input to a 16-channel extracellular amplifier into four independently maneuverable headstages. This is useful for simultaneously recording neuronal activity from different regions of the insect brain, as well as recording from a larger set of neurons in a given brain region using multiple tetrodes in parallel. fMRI/MRI The Section on Instrumentation provides a wide range of support for fMRI-related research. Fabrication of devices for use in MRI environments is a specialized area of expertise, with great attention given to design without ferrous metals and minimization of all metal components. In addition, commercial industrial fiber optic components and systems are evaluated and integrated into many designs and devices we fabricate. The Section on Instrumentation supports the installation of new equipment in MRI suites, including custom mirror and projection assemblies used for stimulus presentation, and custom RF-shielded penetration panels used to route cabling. SI is designing and fabricating a system that will allow accurate and precise location of a primate chair in the new 3T magnet for the Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging (SCNI). This will be used to undertake studies on the large-scale organization of visuoperceptual processing in the brain. Non-Human Primate (NHP) Our group is responsible for providing a wide range of engineering and fabrication services to support non-human primate research. Many of the mechanical assemblies that are necessary for this type of research are engineered and fabricated in-house. Our group provides a diverse array of custom systems and components to many different investigators, such as custom primate chairs, high-strength restraints, MRI positioning systems, custom head coils, reward systems, data acquisition, analysis and optical response systems, plus a wide range of small mechanical components. SI is assisting in the construction of a 3D virtual reality dome. The dome projects images and movies reflected from a spherical mirror on to the dome's surface. In order to achieve audio functionality, SI plans to add an array of speakers to the dome surface and cover these speakers with an acoustically transparent screen to maintain the geometric illusion of the dome. Shaping the acoustically transparent screen to match the shape of the dome will require a 3D-printed skeleton assembled on the dome to hold the screen taut while covering the foam and speakers on the dome surface. The skeleton needs to be prototyped, designed, printed, and assembled from multiple pieces each holding a section of the sheet to approximate a dome shape. This skeleton is a crucial element to adding audio and enabling a proper exploration of audiovisual integration in the brain. Human In collaboration with the Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch, the Section on Instrumentation is developing a multi-channel ECT system (iLAST). While modifications of ECT have improved its safety and tolerability, none of the currently used procedures individualize the current amplitude for each patient despite knowledge that anatomical variation significantly impacts the strength of the current delivered to the brain. iLAST introduces three areas of improvement over conventional ECT. 1) Conventional ECT uses two large disc electrodes that are spaced widely apart, which leads to a nonfocal electric field distribution in the brain. In iLAST, we use a multi-electrode array to selectively target regions of the brain similar to one employed in high-definition tDCS studies. 2) Conventional ECT uses a high and fixed current amplitude (800 mA). The fixed current amplitude is much higher than necessary to elicit an adequate seizure, and also results in individual differences in the amount of current entering the brain, possibly leading to variability in clinical outcome. In iLAST, we titrate the amplitude of the current for each patient. 3) Conventional ECT monitors seizure induction with two-channel EEG recording in the prefrontal cortex, which does not characterize seizure topography. In iLAST, we will use high-density EEG electrodes that are weaved into the multi-stimulation electrode array so that topographical ictal EEG is recorded. Behavioral Several different types of mazes are used to study spatial learning and memory in rats. These studies have been used to help understand general principles about learning that can be applied to humans, and to determine how different treatments affect learning and memory in mice. We continue to produce a variety of custom T and Y mazes for behavioral testing. Imaging The Section on Instrumentation continues to produce a variety of equipment that supports two-photon microscopy, such as novel titanium headposts and stereotaxic frames, faraday cages for electronic and light shielding and custom mirror mounts. In addition, behavioral testing equipment such as low-inertia mouse wheels are fabricated for use with two-photon microscopy. Clinical Our Section also supports a number of clinical based research requests under the broad areas of surgical, therapeutic and basic research. The Section on Instrumentation continued its development on an automated compressometer that delivers accurate and repeatable pressure to different areas of the leg for studies that explore basic mechanisms of affective touch perception, including how people perceive the intensity, painfulness, and/or pleasantness of deep pressure involving peripheral sensory nerve and central brain mechanisms. This includes perceptual thresholds and ratings as well as brain imaging. In addition, the system will be used for studying how perception of affective touch, including deep pressure, alters processing of acute and chronic pain, in individuals with and without chronic pain conditions. The system is operated automatically by a computer running LabVIEW software with the requisite input/output electronics. Technology By using the latest technology in advanced fabrication machinery, we are able to increase productivity and effectiveness while at the same time decreasing the amount of time needed to engineer and machine the components. Our waterjet cutter continues to increase our cutting and fabricating capabilities, especially with the multiple fiberglass parts we produce. With this system, we are able to fabricate a variety of miniature titanium headposts that would have been very difficult to machine with conventional tooling. Our Carbon Fiber 3D Printer allows us to print high strength complex organic shaped parts.

去年，我们的部门获得了独特的机会来支持 NIMH、NINDS、NICHD 和 NCCIH 内各个实验室和部门的研究。在过去 12 个月中，这些实验室和分支机构的研究人员向我们的员工请求了 441 个正式项目。每个请求都被记录下来，并记录完成工作的时间。除了正式请求外，我们每天还可以接受大量上门、电话或电子邮件请求以寻求帮助。 总的来说，我们这一年的技术支持可以分为以下几个研究领域： 电生理学 仪器部门的工作人员不断努力提高构成电生理学的各种组件的实用性。我们不断改进多孔网格阵列的工程和制造，允许在大面积上精确、可重复地放置单个或多个电极。我们还继续开发小型单电极微驱动器。现在，使用 3D 打印的新方法可以生产组件数量少但准确且平滑的微驱动器。 仪器部分设计了多通道放大器阵列和扩展，以实现昆虫大脑的低噪声记录。 探头扩展将 16 通道细胞外放大器的输入分成四个独立可操作的探头。这对于同时记录昆虫大脑不同区域的神经元活动以及使用多个并行四极管记录给定大脑区域中更大的神经元组非常有用。 功能磁共振成像/磁共振成像 仪器部分为功能磁共振成像相关研究提供广泛的支持。 MRI 环境中使用的设备的制造是一个专门的专业领域，非常注重不含黑色金属的设计和最小化所有金属组件。此外，商业工业光纤组件和系统经过评估并集成到我们制造的许多设计和设备中。仪器部分支持在 MRI 套件中安装新设备，包括用于刺激呈现的定制镜子和投影组件，以及用于布线的定制射频屏蔽穿透面板。 SI 正在设计和制造一个系统，该系统将能够在认知神经生理学和成像科 (SCNI) 的新型 3T 磁铁中准确定位灵长类动物椅子。 这将用于对大脑中视觉感知处理的大规模组织进行研究。 非人类灵长类动物 (NHP) 我们的团队负责提供广泛的工程和制造服务以支持非人类灵长类动物研究。此类研究所需的许多机械组件都是内部设计和制造的。我们的团队为许多不同的研究人员提供各种定制系统和组件，例如定制灵长类动物椅子、高强度约束装置、MRI 定位系统、定制头部线圈、奖励系统、数据采集、分析和光学响应系统，以及各种小型机械组件。 SI 正在协助建造 3D 虚拟现实圆顶。圆顶将球面镜反射的图像和电影投射到圆顶表面。为了实现音频功能，SI 计划在穹顶表面添加一系列扬声器，并用透声屏幕覆盖这些扬声器，以保持穹顶的几何错觉。要塑造透声屏幕以匹配圆顶的形状，需要在圆顶上组装一个 3D 打印骨架，以保持屏幕拉紧，同时覆盖圆顶表面上的泡沫和扬声器。骨架需要由多个部件进行原型制作、设计、打印和组装，每个部件固定片材的一部分以近似圆顶形状。该骨架是添加音频并能够正确探索大脑中视听整合的关键元素。 人类 仪器科与实验治疗与病理生理学分部合作，正在开发多通道 ECT 系统 (iLAST)。 虽然 ECT 的修改提高了其安全性和耐受性，但目前使用的程序都没有为每个患者提供个性化的电流幅度，尽管我们知道解剖结构的变化会显着影响传递到大脑的电流强度。 iLAST 与传统 ECT 相比在三个方面进行了改进。 1) 传统ECT使用两个间隔较远的大圆盘电极，这导致大脑中出现非聚焦电场分布。在 iLAST 中，我们使用多电极阵列选择性地瞄准大脑区域，类似于高清 tDCS 研究中使用的区域。 2) 传统ECT使用高且固定的电流幅度（800 mA）。固定电流幅度远高于引发充分癫痫发作所需的幅度，并且还会导致进入大脑的电流量存在个体差异，可能导致临床结果的差异。在 iLAST 中，我们滴定每位患者的电流幅度。 3) 传统的 ECT 通过前额叶皮层的双通道脑电图记录来监测癫痫发作诱发，这并不表征癫痫发作的地形。在 iLAST 中，我们将使用编织成多刺激电极阵列的高密度脑电图电极，以便记录地形发作期脑电图。 行为方面 几种不同类型的迷宫用于研究大鼠的空间学习和记忆。这些研究被用来帮助理解可应用于人类的学习的一般原理，并确定不同的治疗如何影响小鼠的学习和记忆。我们继续生产各种用于行为测试的定制 T 和 Y 迷宫。 影像学 仪器部门继续生产各种支持双光子显微镜的设备，例如新型钛头柱和立体定位框架、用于电子和光屏蔽的法拉第笼以及定制镜子安装座。此外，还制造了低惯性鼠标轮等行为测试设备，用于双光子显微镜。 临床 我们的科室还支持外科、治疗和基础研究等广泛领域内的许多临床研究请求。 仪器部分继续开发自动压力计，该压力计可以向腿部的不同区域提供准确且可重复的压力，用于探索情感触觉感知的基本机制的研究，包括人们如何感知涉及周围感觉神经和中枢大脑机制的深层压力的强度、疼痛和/或愉悦感。 这包括感知阈值和评级以及大脑成像。 此外，该系统将用于研究情感触摸（包括深度压力）的感知如何改变患有或不患有慢性疼痛疾病的个体对急性和慢性疼痛的处理。该系统由运行 LabVIEW 软件以及必要的输入/输出电子设备的计算机自动操作。 技术 通过使用先进制造机械的最新技术，我们能够提高生产率和效率，同时减少设计和加工组件所需的时间。我们的水刀切割机不断提高我们的切割和制造能力，尤其是我们生产的多种玻璃纤维零件。借助该系统，我们能够制造各种微型钛合金头柱，而使用传统工具很难加工这些头柱。我们的碳纤维 3D 打印机使我们能够打印高强度复杂的有机形状零件。