Pilot Grant for the Development of a High-Field fMRI Facility for Interdisciplinary Human Brain Studies

在过去的20年里，通过各种新技术，我们将精神功能与神经基础联系起来的能力得到了极大的提高。尤其是功能磁共振成像(FMRI)首次为我们提供了将大脑功能的功能、解剖和行为方面联系起来的能力。这项提议的最终目标是在贝克曼研究所建立一个人类功能磁共振设施，为神经科学界提供一个关键的研究工具，以解开大脑功能的谜团。在这份SGER提案中，我们将通过与伊利诺伊州厄巴纳的Carle Foundation医院建立研究合作伙伴关系，将其MRI设施用作功能磁共振成像的“试验台”，从而迈出建设这一设施的第一步。UIUC认知神经科学家开发了一套功能磁共振成像范式，已经在神经心理学人群和/或其他磁共振设施(Univ.明尼苏达州，大学。)，将在Carle Foundation医院的GE Signa 1.5T临床核磁共振系统上实施。Carle MRI系统将升级，配备高级梯度设备(Signa Horizon)，用于高速成像，由Carle和UIUC联合购买，以实现最先进的功能磁共振成像。这项SGER提案需要获得资金来完成初步的合作研究，这将为未来的ARI提案铺平道路。我们在磁共振工程实验室、生物医学磁共振实验室和图像处理实验室拥有一批非常强大的物理学家，他们在开拓新的数据采集方法、数字信号处理例程以及射频线圈设计和建模方法方面发挥了重要作用。凭借Beckman研究所现有的跨学科神经科学家和工程师团队，以及Carle放射科医生和GE医疗系统人员的合作，我们准备将fMRI技术推向其潜力的极限，并利用这一前所未有的机会促进我们对人脑功能的了解。

Within the last 20 years, our ability to link mental functions to neurological substrates has been dramatically improved by a variety of new technologies. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in particular provides us, for the first time, the capability to link the functional, anatomical, and behavioral aspects of brain function. The ultimate objective of this proposal is to establish a human fMRI facility in the Beckman Institute that will provide the neuroscience community with a critical research tool to unravel the mystery of brain function. In this SGER proposal we will take the first steps to build this facility by establishing a research partnership with the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL to use its MRI facility as a "test-bed" for fMRI. UIUC cognitive neuroscientists have developed a set of fMRI paradigms, already tested on either neuropsychological populations and/or at other MRI facilities (Univ. of Minnesota, Univ. of Chicago), that will be implemented on the GE Signa 1.5 T clinical MRI system at the Carle Foundation Hospital. The Carle MRI system will be upgraded with an advanced gradient set (Signa Horizon) for high speed imaging, purchased jointly by Carle and UIUC, to permit state-of- the-art fMRI to be achieved. This SGER proposal is needed to obtain funds to complete the initial cooperative studies that will prepare the way for a future ARI proposal. We have a very strong group of physical scientists in the Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, the Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory and the Image Processing Laboratory who have been instrumental in pioneering new data acquisition methods, digital signal processing routines, and RF coil design and modeling approaches. With the existing interdisciplinary team of neuroscientists and engineers within the Beckman Institute, and the collaboration of Carle Radiologists and GE Medical Systems personnel, we are poised to push the fMRI technology to the limits of its potential a nd make use of this unprecedented opportunity to advance our knowledge of human brain function.