functional Ultrasonic Tissue Pulsatility: Brain Imaging

描述（由申请人提供）： 我们将创造一种低成本的便携式脑功能成像仪器，可以在医院外用于中风患者的紧急评估，也可以在课堂上用于监测任务的学习和掌握。脑生理学成像已成为研究和临床脑疾病评估的有价值的工具。功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）和诱发反应电位（ERP）（功能性脑电图（fEEG））都揭示了大脑功能在应对心理活动和挑战时的区域动力学。这两种方法都有局限性。虽然MR方法可以揭示大脑解剖区域的功能化学细节，但这些MR方法的时间分辨率有限，并且磁体的环境条件限制了研究中患者可以执行的精神和身体任务的种类。虽然EEG方法的时间分辨率比秒高得多，但必须通过间接方法从EEG数据推断关于脑功能的空间信息。在这个项目中，我们将开发一种显示大脑皮层搏动的超声方法，这是大脑皮层灌注的替代品。该系统将被设计为提供脑灌注图，使用明显的对比方法区分正常、高和低脉动区域。该方法的时间分辨率接近1秒，空间分辨率接近1厘米。该脑皮层灌注成像系统在脑功能研究、中风诊断和管理以及头部创伤管理中具有应用。它可用于非卧床患者和研究受试者长时间。除了临床应用，我们计划使用这种仪器来支持学习和精神残疾研究。这种新的超声波方法有望实现极低的成本。目前，具有类似复杂性的超声仪器可以以初级保健诊所负担得起的价格购买。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will create a low cost portable instrument for functional imaging of brain that can be used outside the hospital for emergency evaluation of stroke patients and in the classroom for monitoring the learning and mastery of tasks. Imaging of brain physiology has become a valuable tool in research and in the evaluation of clinical brain diseases. Both functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Evoked Response Potentials (ERP) (functional electroencephalography (fEEG)) have revealed the regional dynamics of brain function in response to mental activity and challenges. Both methods have limitations. Although MR methods can reveal functional chemical details about anatomic regions of the brain, the temporal resolution of these MR methods is limited and the environmental conditions of the magnet restrict the kinds of mental and physical tasks that can be performed by the patient under study. Although EEG methods have a time resolution much better than a second, the spatial information about brain function from EEG data must be inferred by indirect methods. In this project, we will develop an ultrasonic method of displaying cortical pulsatility, which is a surrogate of brain cortex perfusion. This system will be designed to provide brain perfusion maps that differentiate areas of normal, hyper- and hypo- pulsatility using a conspicuous contrast method. The temporal resolution of the method is near one second and the spatial resolution is near 1 cm. This brain cortex perfusion imaging system has applications in functional brain research, in stroke diagnosis and management and in the management of head trauma. It can be used on ambulatory patients and research subjects for prolonged periods. In addition to clinical applications, we plan to use this instrumentation to support research in learning and in mental disability research. This new ultrasonic method holds the promise of extremely low cost. Currently, ultrasound instruments with similar complexity can be purchased at prices affordable by primary care clinics.