Nuclear magnetic resonance methods have evolved substantially since their introduction into the biological sciences several decades ago. Imaging and spectroscopy have been introduced as clinical modalities within the past decade. The ability to obtain high resolution images and localized spectra have expanded our potential to detect morphologic abnormalities and biochemical disorders in man. These methods have been applied at magnetic field strengths up to 2.1 tesla. Recently commercial vendors have assembled clinically applicable systems operating at field strengths in the range of 4 tesla. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was the first institution to place such a system in a clinical environment. The UAB procured its system from the Philips Company. The system contains the second of the two Oxford built 4T magnets with the potential to generate fields even higher than 4T. The present system was assembled at the Philips Research Laboratory in Hamburg by a team of Philips and UAB scientists. The system and the UAB scientists arrived at UAB in June 1990. The present proposal requests funding to establish a national research resource. The program consists of three core projects (Instrumentation; Spectroscopic Methods; and Imaging Methods); an Administrative Core; six internal collaborative projects and five external collaborative projects. At the present time the system is capable of generating 1H images using standard sequences and high resolution in vivo spectra with S/N threefold better than our 1.5T clinical system. The major goal of this proposal is to develop our 4.1T system and its space and staff into a National Resource for use by internal UAB investigators and external investigators worldwide and to develop new and innovative applications. Since the system and attendant facilities have been obtained through a grant from the DOE and since the Philips Company has provided funding to allow implementation of standard approaches on this system, funding requirements are rather modest for such a unique system and high quality staff. The internal collaborative projects describe applications to assess primary pathology of skeletal muscle, brain, and myocardium as well as the cerebral metabolic effect of hyperammonemia during liver failure. Imaging will include the development of angiography, spectroscopic imaging and echo planar imaging approaches. This unique high field whole body clinical NMR facility should provide information that will lead to an improved understanding of normal and abnormal metabolic function and its relationship to morphology and physiology in virtually any human organ system in vivo. This unique instrumentation will be available to scientists throughout the world with important biologic questions. In addition, service, training and dissemination facets of the resource have been addressed within the context of the proposal.
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