The Neuroimaging Core has been responsible for optimizing and updating neuroimaging protocols;maintaining, monitoring analyzing and conducting quality control screening of all structural MRI, functional MRI, MR spectroscopy, and DTI data collected by CBDB neuroimaging investigators. In general, the Neuroimaging Core lab continues to cover the following neuroimaging domains: 1. Structural MRI: acquisition, quality control, segmentation, automated and manual regions-of-interest (ROI) definition and measurements, surface extraction; 2. Functional MRI: acquisition, quality control, preprocessing, standardized analyses; 3. Spectroscopy: acquisition, quality control, preprocessing, ROI-based and voxel-based; 4. DTI: acquisition, quality control, preprocessing;and 5. Implementing new MRI techniques To meet these goals, the Neuroimaging Core continues to provide the following services: 1. Medical coverage and image acquisition, image quality control (for data acquired by the core); 2. Maintenance of stimulation equipment, liaison with other NIH imaging core facilities; 3. Implement and maintain acquisition of physiological measurements and interventions, (e.g. galvanic skin response, pupillometry, pulse pressure, in-bore EEG/TMS); 4. Created and update a manual of MR acquisition and data analysis methods; 5. Train and supervise research assistants and fellows in neuroimaging methods and analysis; 6. Perform standardized analyses and analysis quality control;and 7. Databasing and distribution of raw and processed data to CBDB and investigators;integration with genomic and other scientific data maintained within CBDB To provide these services, the core requires the participation of several staff physicians, neuroscientists, computer specialists, and a fairly large group of research assistants (at a minimum 7, divided into function-structural-spectroscopy/DTI groups) who rotate between imaging and image analyses. All these individuals have been trained to maintain a standard level of knowledge in imaging and analysis. In addition, to facilitate the management of the very high throughput of multimodal imaging datasets necessary for large scale neuroimaging genetic studies, members of the group have created a neuroimaging database (XNATGCAP adapted from the early version of XNAT (The Extensible Neuroimaging Archive Toolkit, a BIRN sponsored project). This database allows management of large amounts of data in an efficient and precise manner and is customized to manage and optimize data archiving, data de-identification, data processing, results inspection, data sharing and data mining of neuroimaging data. It facilitates collaborative research across investigators in a secure manner with minimum management overhead.
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