TESLA MRI SCANNER: NEURAL DISORDERS

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的共享仪器赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是用于拨款的，而不一定是用于调查人员的机构。描述(由申请人提供)：我们建议在肯尼迪·克里格研究所下午的柯比研究中心为3Tesla MRI系统购买16通道宽带数字射频(RF)系统升级。这一升级包括用于大脑、头颈部、婴儿大脑和乳房的多元素接收器线圈。我们的3T扫描仪目前只有6个射频通道，不足以使用这些新的多元素接收器线圈。我们的机构目前还没有提供16通道3T扫描仪。肯尼迪·克里格研究所、约翰斯·霍普金斯大学和马里兰大学的研究人员目前有15个由NIH资助的项目和1个由NSF资助的项目，这些项目的几个目标将从这次升级提供的改进的技术能力中受益匪浅。这些研究人员目前在F.M.Kirby研究中心使用3T系统进行结构和功能MRI、定量生理MRI、磁共振波谱(MRS)和光谱成像(MRSI)以及扩散张量成像(DTI)。拟议的升级将为当前用户提供以下具体好处：1)与目前使用的6通道系统相比，16单元磁头线圈将皮层的1H MR灵敏度提高至少27%，并将高速率感测的噪声放大损失降低77%。这些主要优势可用于：a)更好地检测微小的fMRI信号变化；b)提高空间分辨率；c)提高时间分辨率(在动态研究中每次产生更多数据点)；d)减少扫描时间(缩短扫描)；e)减少空间失真。2)16元件神经血管线圈允许进行头颈部综合检查(即，在一次采集中联合扫描颈椎和大脑)，大大节省了时间。3)在婴儿(0-2岁)的大脑皮质中，8元膝关节线圈(“婴儿头线圈”)的1H MR灵敏度提高了约40%(与现在使用的成人头线圈相比)。4)7元素乳房线圈将使乳房磁共振研究从1.5T提高到3T，信噪比几乎翻一番。此外，与现在使用的1.5T的4元件线圈相比，7元件线圈将产生大约20%的额外SNR提高。这些多元件线圈产生的灵敏度的提高是非常显著的。例如，16元素头部线圈的皮质敏感度提高了27%，相比之下，磁场强度增加到约4T，这将使获取时间至少减少38%，这对肯尼迪·克里格研究所研究的特殊儿童群体(如自闭症；ADHD)至关重要。3 T 16通道数字射频升级对于我们机构的持续高质量最先进的研究以及我们的研究资源提供的国家设施来说是必不可少的。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Shared Instrumentation Grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the grant, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to acquire a 16-channel broadband digital radio-frequency (RF) system upgrade for the 3 Tesla MRI system at the P.M. Kirby Research Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This upgrade includes multi-element receiver coils for brain, head and neck, infant brain, and breast. Our 3 T scanner currently has only six RF channels, which are not sufficient to use these new multi-element receiver coils. No 16-channel 3 T scanner is presently available at our institutions. Investigators at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland presently have 15 NIH-funded projects and 1 NSF-funded project with several aims that will strongly benefit from the improved technical capabilities offered by this upgrade. These investigators presently use the 3 T system in the F.M. Kirby Research Center for structural and functional MRI, quantitative physiological MRI, MR spectroscopy (MRS) and spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The proposed upgrade will provide the following specific benefits for current users: 1) Compared to the 6-channel system currently in use, the 16-element head coil increases 1H MR sensitivity at the cortex by at least 27%, and reduces the noise-amplification penalty for high-rate SENSE by 77%. These primary advantages can be used to: a) better detect small fMRI signal changes; b) increase spatial resolution; c) increase temporal resolution (yield more data points per time in dynamic studies); d) reduce scan times (shorten scans); e) reduce spatial distortions. 2) The 16-element neuro-vascular coil allows integrated head and neck exams (i.e., combined scanning of the cervical spine and brain in single acquisitions), providing significant time savings. 3) The 8-element knee coil ("infant head coil") increases 1H MR sensitivity in infant (0-2 years old) cortex by ca. 40% (compared to the adult head coil now used). 4) The 7-element breast coil will allow breast MR studies to move from 1.5 T to 3 T, approximately doubling SNR. Furthermore, the 7-element coil will yield roughly an additional 20% SNR increase compared with 4- element coils, such as that now used at 1.5 T. The increases in sensitivity yielded by these multi-element coils are highly significant. For instance, the 27% increase in cortical sensitivity from the 16-element head coil compares to an increase in field strength to about 4 T, and would permit at least a 38% reduction in acquisition time, crucial for the special populations of children (e.g., autism; ADHD) studied at Kennedy Krieger Institute. The 3 T 16-channel digital RF upgrade is essential for continued high-quality state-of-the-art research at our institutions and for the national facilities provided by our Research Resource.