MRI: Acquisition of a 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner for Human Brain Imaging

Temple University, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

This awards provides support for Temple University under the direction of Principal Investigator Jason Chein to purchase a high-performance 3-Tesla (3T) whole-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, required hardware and software. The instrumentation will play a central role in facilitating the establishment of a new,multi-modal, behavioral research imaging center on the Temple University (TU) Main Campus.This scanner will be devoted exclusively to research and research education, serving a large, multi-disciplinary, community of investigators from Temple and neighboring institutions that presently lack access to state-of-the-art MRI resources. MRI has become an essential tool in behavioral and bio-behavioral science. This tool enables researchers to study, non-invasively, both the structural organization of the brain and the local changes in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal that index brain function. With this information, researchers can infer neural activity with high spatial resolution, characterize volumetric differences in brain tissue, accurately track the organization of connective pathways in the brain, and decipher complex patterns represented in the brain's overall activation profile, thus opening the door to ground-breaking new discoveries pertaining to how humans think, remember, make decisions, and pay attention. It provides insight into how humans process language, space, and action and how these capabilities develop. The instrument requested in this application, a Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma 3T scanner, will provide industry- leading imaging capabilities, with impressive signal-to-noise ratios, imaging speed, and spatial and temporal resolution. Acquisition of this MRI system will enable local scientists to extend the reach of the research they are engaged in and to develop pioneering new lines of investigation that are not supported by the limited imaging resources currently available. The acquisition of a new 3T MRI system will also enhance graduate and undergraduate education on Temple?s highly diverse, urban campus. The establishment of a main campus MRI research center will also substantially impact efforts to attract top scientists and studentsto the institution.