The Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI) is a multi-disciplinary MRI-based research facility within the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI). The CABI is an MRI- centered image acquisition and analysis facility whose purpose is to support all investigators within and outside NKI in the pursuit of research relevant to the Institutes' mission. The mission of NKI is to improve care for people suffering from complex, psychobiologically based severely disabling mental disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Schizophrenia. The High Field 7.0 Tesla MRI/MRS facility located within the CABI serves the mission of NKI by providing high resolution and novel imaging resources to NIH projects that employ translational animal models or in vitro tissues to investigate the pathological consequences of psychobiologically based diseases. Current funded NIH programs utilizing the center include those centered upon Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia and Tauopathy diseases, as well as basic research into the physiological basis of functional imaging, diffusion contrast and metabolic pathways of substance abuse. The facility supports novel transgenic rodent and primate models that investigate the pathophysiology of beta-amyloid deposition, schizophrenia, the effect of antipsychotic medications and drugs of abuse upon brain structure and the physiological basis of functional magnetic resonance imaging. The facility also provides pre- and post-surgical imaging to assist in precise electrode placement for electrophysiological studies using animal models of psychiatric disease. This proposal requests financial support to replace the aging and unreliable SMIS broadband spectrometer with a new Varian Inc. DirecDrive Architecture broadband and multi-channel spectrometer, including radio frequency and gradient amplifiers. The existing magnet (40 centimeter bore 7 Tesla superconducting magnet, manufactured by Magnex Scientific), its shielding, two novel actively-shielded imaging and spectroscopy gradient sets (10 cm - 500 mT/m and 28 cm 100 mT/m) designed for rodent and primate imaging respectively and recently purchased RF coil and switching technology will be retained. This support will directly impact upon the long term ability of NKI and CABI to support NIH funded investigations dependent on neuroimaging of animal models of Alzheimer's Disease, Schizophrenia and other mental health disorders. ? ? ?
