The Imaging Core, located in the Pulmonary Imaging Center will act as a central facility to handle and process the large number of MRI's and MR data analysis generated by Projects 01, 02 and 03. The objectives of the Imaging Core are to: 1) transfer data from the MRI to the Pulmonary Imaging Center;2) ensure proper data analysis of the MR images, 3) perform quantitative analysis of upper airway soft tissue and craniofacial structures on spin echo MRI, quantify tongue fat with Dixon imaging and MR spectroscopy, quantify visceral abdominal fat, quantify LV size and aortic stiffness;4) ensure quality control of the MR images;and 5) establish new computer analysis three-dimensional image analysis programs. The MR images will be electronically transferred to the Pulmonary Imaging Center via a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The image analysis will be performed in the Pulmonary Imaging Center where there are 4 Sun workstations running a completely novel software package developed for the analysis of three-dimensional images (Volumetric Image Display and Analysis, VIDA). We will also utilize AMIRA software - Advanced Visualization and Volume Modeling for volumetric display of the data. TheMR data analysis is complicated and cannot be performed without significant training. Dr. Schwab has been the director of the Pulmonary Imaging Center since 1991 and has an established track record for analyzing such data. The large number of MRI's justifies the establishment of a core devoted to the performing the complicated analysis proposed in Projects 01, 02 and 03. A centralized facility will ensure quality control of the data and cost effectiveness. We will perform MRI's at the University of Pennsylvania and in Iceland. We have already had a successful collaboration with the Iceland MR team in a large ongoing NIH funded Icelandic study (""""""""A Family Linkage Study of Obstructive Sleep Apnea"""""""" (HL072067)) in which 391 MRI's of the upper airway and of visceral abdominal fat have been performed. Over 300 of these MRI's have already been analyzed. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging Core will be under the leadership of Dr. Richard Schwab with support staff consisting of senior research radiologists (visceral abdominal fat (Dr. Torigian), MR spectroscopy (Dr. Poptani), image processing, reconstruction and threshold analysis (Dr. Udupa) and two research technicians to perform and validate the image analysis. Development of a central core facility with expertise in upper airway and volumetric abdominal visceral fat imaging will facilitate the proposed research by standardizing the imaging analysis paradigms, allow the development of new image analysis approaches and ensure quality assurance/reproducibility across all three research projects.
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