Main research goals include the development of new MRI techniques that eludicate new physiologic contrast mechanisms in human brain with improved sensitivity and resolution. For this purpose, part of the research is aimed at expanding basic knowledge of MRI signal generation. As a result of the research significant technologic advances were made in MRI of human brain. A prototype MRI detector was developed, based on multi-channel array technology, that allows sensitivity, resolution and speed improvement in MRI of human brain. A novel design allows fully independent reception through multiple detector channels, resulting in a 2-3 fold improvement in senstivity, while providing the flexibility to perform accelerated imaging using the recently introduced parallel MRI technology (SENSE). Using the new detector, SENSE technology was developed to perform functional neuroimaging on normal volunteers. Preliminary results show large senstivity and resolution improvements. In addition, technology was developed to improve sensitivity of imaging of perfusion in resting consition and during activation experiments. This technology is currently being combined with the parallel imaging techniques to achieve overall sensitivity improvements of 4-5 fold over conventional techniques. Projects were started to apply the new methodology to investigate somatotopy and retinotopy in human brain.
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