MRI: DEVELOPMENT OF FNIRS EQUIPMENT FOR ASSESSING FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN BRAIN INJURY

题目：MRI: FNIRS设备用于评估脑损伤中功能连通性的发展意义这个项目可以有很大的影响。该设备和集成平台可用于TBI、脑卒中、多发性硬化症、自闭症、神经退行性疾病、衰老等临床人群的研究。pi是第一个研究功能磁共振成像和眼动在mTBI中视力康复的研究，这可能会影响视力功能障碍的医疗保健管理。脑功能连通性和眼动作为潜在的生物标志物，有望在运动员和士兵的中度创伤性脑损伤（mTBI）以及视力障碍和mTBI儿童等临床问题中定量测量神经功能。pi将把这个平台集成到他们的信号处理和仪器仪表课程中。pi以前有过由NSF CAREER奖和NIH资助的外展活动的历史。所有这些活动都将继续进行，其中包括：对代表性不足的小学生、高中生、本科生和研究生（硕士和博士）的指导。技术描述本提案要求资助设计一种集成的便携式功能近红外光谱仪器（fNIRS），该仪器已成功地与视觉和神经评估设备一起开发。该系统将具有以下功能：1)具有用户友好的脚本语言的定制软件，用于编程独立和多个视觉刺激；2)同时记录与fNIRS和眼动反应的功能连接；3)供其他临床医生使用的视觉刺激库；4)数据分析算法，以确定潜在的大脑连接测量或生物标志物，这些测量或生物标志物在识别神经和视觉缺陷方面是敏感和特异性的。这个变革性的项目将使基础和临床研究科学家能够评估正常和受损人群的大脑功能。

PI: Alvarez, TaraProposal: 1428425Title: MRI: DEVELOPMENT OF FNIRS EQUIPMENT FOR ASSESSING FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN BRAIN INJURYSignificanceThis project can have a large impact. There are many clinical populations including: TBI, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, neurodegenerative disorders and aging, which could be studied with the proposed equipment and integrated platform. The PIs were the first to study fMRI and eye movements in vision rehabilitation in mTBI, which can potentially impact the health care management of vision dysfunction. Functional brain connectivity and eye movements show promise as potential biomarker(s) to quantitatively measure neurological function in such clinical issues as moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in athletes and soldiers, as well as in children with vision dysfunction and mTBI. The PIs will integrate this platform into their signal processing and instrumentation courses. The PIs have a history of outreach activities previously funded through an NSF CAREER award and the NIH. All those activities will continue, which include: mentorship of under-represented grade school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate (Masters and Ph.D.) students.Technical DescriptionThis proposal requests funding to design an integrated, portable functional near infrared spectroscopy instrument (fNIRS) that was successfully developed with Vision and Neural Assessment Equipment. The system will have the following capabilities: 1) custom software with user-friendly script language to program independent and multiple visual stimuli, 2) simultaneous recording of functional connectivity with fNIRS and eye movement responses, 3) library of visual stimuli for other clinicians to use and 4) data analysis algorithms to determine potential brain connectivity measures or biomarkers that are sensitive and specific in identifying neurological and visual deficits. This transformative project will enable basic and clinical research scientists to assess brain functions in normal and impaired populations.