Upgrade to 3 Tesla MRI scanner for brain imaging at MIT

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Martinos Imaging Center at MIT is a core facility that provides researchers with access to cutting-edge brain imaging technologies, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The Center has two Siemens Magnetom Trio 3T MRI scanners, one of which is almost ten years old and approaching the end of its expected lifespan. We propose to upgrade this instrument with Siemens' Prisma technology, which will greatly enhance its capabilities and life expectancy. In particular, this upgrade, branded by Siemens as Prisma-fit, will greatly improve the quality of diffusion imaging and will also provide better signal/noise in other imaging modalities, along with better instrument stability, lower acoustic noise, and shorter scan times. Moreover, because the upgrade involves complete replacement of the gradient coils, the life expectancy of the instrument will also be prolonged, essentially to that of a brand new scanner. The upgraded scanner will support research by multiple groups of users, including the 15 principle investigators (PIs) listed in this proposal. These researchers are conducting studies in many areas of basic and clinical neuroscience, including studies of brain function in healthy subjects, its development in children, and its disruption in many different brain disorders. In particular, NIH-funded projects by major users on this proposal include studies of autism, dyslexia, attention, social cognition, color vision, scene perception, and the anatomical structure and development of the human brain. Additional projects focus on schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, auditory perception and hearing loss, and the development of new MRI-based technologies. In addition to human neuroimaging, the upgraded scanner will also be advantageous for many studies on animal models, allowing us to draw new parallels between mechanistic animal studies and human brain function. In sum, the upgraded MRI scanner will support a large and highly productive group of users, enabling them to remain at the forefront of neuroimaging research for many years into the future.