Functional MRI Core Facility

National Institute Of Mental Health

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Space Utilization: The Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Facility (FMRIF) currently occupies approximately 5000 sq ft of space in Building 10, divided between the B1level scanner bays, control rooms and electronics/machine rooms for 3TA/3TB, 3TC, and the Siemens 7T-Classic, (about 1800 sq ft, 1100 sq ft and 1300 sq ft respectively) and office space within the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) center. On the first floor are the Functional MRI Facility and the Section on Functional Imaging Methods suites (approximately 800 sq ft total) for office space and shared conference space for all staff employed full-time by the facility. Staff: The FMRIF staff consists of: the facility director, four staff scientists to keep the scanners running, six MRI technologists, and an information technology specialist. Investigators: The functional MRI facility supports the research of over 30 Principal Investigators translating to over 300 researchers overall. Over 70 research protocols are active and making use of FMRIF scanners. Each scanner has scheduled operating hours of 105 hours per week. Core Projects of the Staff Scientists: Vinai Roopchansingh This year, Vinai has been working with Radiologics to replace FMRIFs current DICOM catchers. He, Sean Marrett, and Roark Maccado have worked with the vendor's technical support team to work through the various technical issues with this migration. With the conversion of one of FMRIF's 3 Tesla scanners to a 7 Tesla scanner over the coming year, Vinai has worked with the PIs and Institute Directors to reorganize the scanning schedules for FMRIF's 5 MRI scanners, and the NMRF and NIAAA scanners (where NIMH and NINDS PIs also scan) to accommodate to the fullest extent possible, the needs of PIs and their experiments and protocols. Regarding scientific research, Vinai Roopchansingh continued to contribute and develop two open source projects he started over the last couple of years, and continues to support and make available. The first project is a Python library that enables neuro-feedback experiments on General Electric and Siemens MRI scanners, using AFNI in combination with PsychoPy. Vinai also updated the Python library to match AFNIs updated and expanded capabilities in the types of information sent to neuro-feedback programs, as well expand the number and types of sources of information which can be incorporated into neurofeedback experiments. Vinai has also continued his work on the General Electric to ISMRMRD raw MR (i.e., k-space) data converter. Over the last year, he and Andy Derbyshire have worked to make the converter more robust and capable. It is now capable of converting and labeling data acquired using 2-dimensional fast spin-echo (FSE) and gradient-recalled echo (GRE) pulse sequences, as well as for echo-planar imaging (EPI) pulse sequences. Linqing Li Dr. Linqing Li has provided essential upkeep and upgrades to MRI acquisition and MRI equipment for the neuromodulation core's MRI compatible TMS system. He has also written a T2 prepared 3D-EPI sequence for Danny Reich's group in NINDS. He worked on purchasing and installation of the Optical Fiber of temperature sensor from OSENSA Innovations Corp for the gradient temperature control. He has also been active scientifically in two major projects. The first is research on a new method for ultra-high spatial and, importantly, functional resolution MRI using specialized RF pulses to allow sensitization to blood volume changes which are more localized to activity. These pulses are called DANTE pulses which tag moving blood with high precision to velocity and direction. He is currently writing up the manuscript for this. He has also been working on a manuscript that advances further establishment of the relationship between brain metabolism and blood flow. He is collaborating with Prof. Nicholas Blockley from University of Nottingham, UK, for data analysis. Sean Marrett Interest in high-resolution FMRI 7T among the FMRIF community continued to develop. Researchers who have previously scanned only at 3T or 1.5T have modified their IRB protocols to include 7T scanning. Notably, this has included extending some developmental studies to pediatric populations. VASO is the most popular technique for these studies, as it provides high spatial specificity and less vascular contamination than other methods that are more BOLD-contrast weighted. Dr. Laurentius Huber, a former post-doc in SFIM, has pioneered the development and application of VASO to layer-fMRI. Dr. Marrett has worked with Dr. Huber and provided technical support to local users. Continuing work began last year with Dr. Huber, Dr. Marrett coordinated sequence testing, characterization, using a broad spectrum of VASO and BOLD methods and variants with the overall goal of providing FMRIF users with methods for whole-brain layer-specific MRI. Data was collected using both the FMRIF-7T (VB17) and NMRF7T (VE12). This testing included tests of the whole brain MAGEC-VASO methods. Dr. Marrett managed the original procurement (FY20) a vendor-supplied upgrade of FMRIF7T-A from the original VB17 to the VE12 imaging platform. The benefits of this work include access to modern pulse sequences, RF power monitoring, and compatibility with other NIH 7T human MRI scanners. Dr. Marrett is managing the FMRIF7T-B project, the replacement of FMRIF3TC with a 7T human scanner (the first FDA approved 7T system). This major project is now under the final stages of NIH design review. Our plan is for the demolition, construction installation to begin in November 2021 with the delivery of the new system in March 2022, followed by installation, calibration, and turn-over of the 7T to FMRIF completed by June 2022. This system will provide the FMRIF community with an FDA-approved 7T scanner, crucial for clinical studies. Dr. Marrett continued working with the Section on Instrumentation and the Emotional Development Branch to develop operating procedures for eye-tracking on FMRIF3T-A. He has worked closely with new scientific staff in LBC to make 7T eye tracking more routine on FMRIF7T-A. FMRIF also collaborates closely with Dr. Peter Molfese (CMN) to support concurrent high-density EEG data collection on all 3T scanners. Dr. Marrett supervises the FMRIF system administrator, Mr. Roark Maccado. Work on deploying a new scientific imaging database based on the open-source XNAT platform is advancing rapidly. Dr. Marrett has supported Dr. Roopchansingh by managing the expansion of FMRIF computational and data storage resources, and by managing the transfer of more than 100 terabytes of existing historical imaging data to the new system. John (Andy) Derbyshire During 2021, Andy assumed responsibility from Vinai Roopchansingh to provide coordination of the FMRIF user community with the FMRIF MRI Technologists. Dr. Derbyshire continues to be the FMRIF lead in the FMRIF/NIBIB insertable head gradient project. He worked with Dr. Pierpaoli (NIBIB) to acquire an MR field camera which can accurately determine the variations of the gradient fields used for MR image encoding. He provides support installing and maintaining the Siemens Pulse Sequence development environment within the MR Center, including support for all five FMRIF MRI systems plus the NMRF 7T and NIAAA 3T scanners as well as assistance to users with pulse-sequence programming. 3D EPI Pulse sequence Development. We are continuing to work with Pascal Sati (Riech/NINDS) in the development and evolution of their susceptibility contrast 3D-EPI pulse sequence. Dr. Derbyshire is deeply involved with NMR Center safety training and is a member of the safety committee. Lastly, he is aiding with acceptance testing of a NIH PET department GE MR/PET system.