The MR Neuroimaging Core, new to the ADRC in this competing renewal, serves two basic roles: l) MR imaging is an essential part of the clinical evaluation performed within the Clinical Core but the wealth of information available from the images has not until now been accessible to investigators for systematic review and quantitative analysis. The concept that the radiology report is an adequate summary of the image data is no longer tenable as quantitative morphometry has become technically feasible. Hence the Core provides the highest quality clinical study, systematic archiving of the image data and technological development of software tools for morphometric analyses. 2) MR techniques have evolved in terms of rapidity such that considerably more information than just high resolution anatomy can be obtained without prolongation of the MR examination time. These opportunities have been exploited by investigators elsewhere and the Core makes such tools available to investigators at this institution. These tools include IH spectroscopy with particular reference to quantitative measurement of N- acetyl metabolites such as N-acetyl aspartate, quantitative morphometry and functional MRI. The MR examination performed in vivo contains information that can be considered to be equivalent to the brain bank of the Neuropathology Core. The MR Neuroimaging Core is the repository for these image data and for the development of the tools for quantitative processing. As the MR technology evolves, the MR Neuroimaging Core implements new applications to acquire new information for ADRC investigators. As this is the mandate of the MR Research Program and involves no cost to the MR Neuroimaging Core, the ADRC capitalizes on the institutional investment in neuroimaging for ADRC investigators. Although this Core is closely connected to the Administrative, Clinical and Neuropathology Cores, the three Projects of Drs. Ferrell, Reynolds and Becker and the Pilot Project of Dr. Thulborn as well as other federally funded grants outside the ADRC, the full impact of this Core has yet to be made, given the recent formation of the MR Research Program at UPMC on which it is based.
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