We propose to acquire a 16-channel broadband digital radio-frequency (RF) system upgrade for the 3 Tesla MRI system at the P.M. Kirby Research Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This upgrade includes multi-element receiver coils for brain, head and neck, infant brain, and breast. Our 3 T scanner currently has only six RF channels, which are not sufficient to use these new multi-element receiver coils. No 16-channel 3 T scanner is presently available at our institutions. ? Investigators at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland presently have 15 NIH-funded projects and 1 NSF-funded project with several aims that will strongly benefit from the improved technical capabilities offered by this upgrade. These investigators presently use the 3 T system in the F.M. Kirby Research Center for structural and functional MRI, quantitative physiological MRI, MR spectroscopy (MRS) and spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). ? The proposed upgrade will provide the following specific benefits for current users: ? 1) Compared to the 6-channel system currently in use, the 16-element head coil increases 1H MR sensitivity at the cortex by at least 27%, and reduces the noise-amplification penalty for high-rate SENSE by 77%. These primary advantages can be used to: a) better detect small fMRI signal changes; b) increase spatial resolution; c) increase temporal resolution (yield more data points per time in dynamic studies); d) reduce scan times (shorten scans); e) reduce spatial distortions. ? 2) The 16-element neuro-vascular coil allows integrated head and neck exams (i.e., combined scanning of the cervical spine and brain in single acquisitions), providing significant time savings. ? 3) The 8-element knee coil (""""""""infant head coil"""""""") increases 1H MR sensitivity in infant (0-2 years old) cortex by ca. 40% (compared to the adult head coil now used). ? 4) The 7-element breast coil will allow breast MR studies to move from 1.5 T to 3 T, approximately doubling SNR. Furthermore, the 7-element coil will yield roughly an additional 20% SNR increase compared with 4- element coils, such as that now used at 1.5 T. ? The increases in sensitivity yielded by these multi-element coils are highly significant. For instance, the 27% increase in cortical sensitivity from the 16-element head coil compares to an increase in field strength to about 4 T, and would permit at least a 38% reduction in acquisition time, crucial for the special populations of children (e.g., autism; ADHD) studied at Kennedy Krieger Institute. The 3 T 16-channel digital RF upgrade is essential for continued high-quality state-of-the-art research at our institutions and for the national facilities provided by our Research Resource. ? ?
