DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The establishment of new and precise strategies for mapping brain activity in human subjects is one of the highest priorities of the BRAIN Initiative.
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A technique will be developed to determine where in the brain the signal in an electroencephalogram (EEG) is originating from in order to generate a "voxel-specific EEG", much like the signal coming from an implanted electrode. We propose to call this VIrtual Brain Electrode (VIBE) imaging. The method is based on the principle that red blood cells (RBCs), due to their specific shape and their insulating cell surface, affect the conductivity of the surrounding volume in dependence of their orientation.
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): All presently available neural stimulation methods are either invasive or can only be moderately localized, and a neurostimulation method that could overcome these limitations would be invaluable for brain circuit investigation. Neural stimulation with magnetic resonance guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRgHIFU) is a promising technology that can noninvasively excite or inhibit neural activity in well-defined discrete volumes of the brain, subsequently enabling investigation of brain circuits with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Presently there is no imaging technology capable of detecting neuronal activity in the entire human brain with millisecond and millimeter resolution. We propose to evaluate the possibility of developing a novel noninvasive method, sonoelectric tomography (SET), capable of directly imaging electrophysiological activity in the entire human brain with such resolution. In this method, conventional scalp electroencephalography (EEG) is used to measure the electrical activity.
Project Summary We seek support to develop and build the next generation 7-Tesla magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible positron emission tomography (PET) brain scanner with dramatically improved spatiotemporal resolution (HSTR-BrainPET). PET and MRI are two of the most powerful imaging modalities currently in use for studying the human brain. Recently, scanners capable of simultaneous PET and MR whole-body data acquisition in human subjects have become commercially available.
ABSTRACT The overarching goal of this project is to optimize, validate and implement a revolutionary and safe modality for noninvasive functional imaging of neural currents deep in the human brain through the skull at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. Transcranial Acoustoelectric Brain Imaging (tABI) is a disruptive technology that exploits pulses of ultrasound (US) to transiently interact with physiologic current, producing a radiofrequency (RF) signature detected by one or more sensors (e.g., surface electrodes).
Abstract Many scientific efforts have been devoted to understanding the brain functions, and the relevance of its dynamics during development, aging, and in diseased conditions. Alterations of the brain functions can result from multifactorial processes and be reflected by various biomarkers. The ability to quantify these changes at multiple scales will improve our understanding of brain anatomical and functional architectures, and the relations between these networks in both normal and diseased conditions.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Acute brain injuries can lead to secondary brain damage that worsens the outcome. Reduced cerebral blood flow can induce ischemia, while excess blood flow can cause hemorrhage. Thus, there is a need for noninvasive, bedside, continuous cerebral blood flow monitoring approaches at neurointensive care units (NICUs).
PROJECT SUMMARY Non-invasive imaging of human brain function plays an important role in advancing neuroscience research and understanding neurological diseases. This need has been met primarily by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI, though powerful, is an expensive technique that is not suitable for subjects who cannot tolerate small spaces or cannot stay still (e.g. children, psychiatric disorders), and cannot be used for tasks that require subjects to interact with a natural environment, or for tasks that conflict with the scanner noise, e.g. auditory studies.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Functional MRI (fMRI) is the most widely-used tool to noninvasively measure brain function and has produced much of our current knowledge about the functional organization of the human brain. However, all fMRI methods measure neuronal activity indirectly by tracking the associated local changes in blood flow, volume and oxygenation, which limit their spatiotemporal specificity to the underlying neuronal activity.
