The explosion of fMRI-based neuroscience experiments point to the great need in the neuroscience community for reliable, freely repeatable, reproducible and non-invasive methods to study the human brain. Despite the technical challenge of performing fMRI experiments on """"""""clinical"""""""" fMRI systems, the general availability of these systems and low risk associated with performing the studies has drawn a new generation of brain researchers to MR techniques. However, the difficulty and limitations of the existing state-of-the-art is readily (and usually quickly appreciated by most users who venture into the field. The core technical development of the proposed research is a set of interrelated projects that seek to create new multimodal methods for exploring brain function with MR imaging. These seek, both individually and collectively, to significantly extend many of the limitations of current brain mapping techniques: difficulty in comparing between regions of the brain and between brains of subjects, inflexibility of stimulus design and ambiguity of temporal data analysis, limited temporal resolution of functional information, and limited accessibility and portability of many current brain mapping technologies. We propose four technical projects to meet these challenges. In the first, we seek to improve the methods to unwarp the complex convolutions of the brain to create a more systematic 2D view of the cortex. In the second, we seek to develop new technologies for encoding and analyzing functional MRI data more flexibly and robustly. In the third, we seek to combine functional MR data with electrical recordings (EEG and MEG) in order to create anew high temporal and spatial resolution image of brain function. In the fourth project we focus on the development and validation of near infra-red diffuse optical tomography for the assessment of brain function. The resource will work interactively with collaborative investigators who will help the resource expand its technology and provide services to scientists in many disciplines. While the techniques focus primarily on brain imaging, they are considerably more broadly applicable to other parts of the body. The Regional Resource will provide training for students, fellows and staff scientists, and will advance the field of functional imaging through active dissemination of new technologies and results.
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