One of the central goals of Neuroscience is to understand the brain circuit mechanisms underlying behavior. To understand the brain circuit mechanisms, it is becoming increasingly clear that the whole brain connectivity and function needs to be measured to bridge scales between micro- circuit mechanisms and whole brain system function. The requested Bruker BioSpec 70/40 USR has the state of the art large bore 7T magnet combine with high-performance gradients and multi-channel transmit-receive radiofrequency system for rapid, high-resolution imaging. The large bore system with features customized for state-of-the art Neuroscience studies will critically enable new technology development for the understanding of neural circuit mechanisms as well as enable increasing number of users with NIH funding that wish to utilize more MRI time. This advanced imaging system will be part of a core facility, located in the new Stanford Neuroscience Institute building. The requested Bruker BioSpec 70/40 USR imaging system will support NIH funded projects from 22 researchers and this number is expected to grow with a state-of-the art system that is located centrally in the neuroscience community at Stanford. The projects from the 22 researchers investigate a wide range of topics, including: Optogenetic fMRI and the investigation of global brain circuit mechanisms (Lee), Investigating post-stroke recovery mechanisms using imaging techniques (Steinberg), Developing Multivariate Dynamical Systems based Markov chain Monte Carlo (MDS-MCMC) algorithms (Menon), Using optogenetic control/modulation to study anhedonia (Deisseroth, Glover); Neurostimulation by Ultrasound: Physical, Biophysical and Neural Mechanisms (Butts-Pauly), Defining Cell Type Specific Contributions to fMRI Signals (Lin); Brain-wide consequences of optogenetic fMRI of LC in ion channel mutants (de Lecea), Imaging Global Brain Circuit Mechanisms Underlying Social Interactions (Shah), Imaging circuit mechanisms of closed- loop intervention in epilepsy (Soltesz), Studying the basal ganglia circuitry with electrophysiology and optical imaging and optogenetic fMRI (Ding), Innovating high-resolution novel imaging approaches to elucidate mechanisms of prion-like spreading of neurodegenerative disease (Gitler), Mechanogenetics (Liphardt), MRI/optogenetic mapping of epileptogenic circuits and effects of prophylactic agents following traumatic brain injury (Prince), Transforming neurostimulation methods for TMS (Etkin), and Establish guidelines for using dMRI fiber tracking to localize deep brain stimulation targets (McNab). These studies investigate critical functional and structural questions regarding fundamental neurobiological processes and cover NIH research areas with implications for diverse aspects of human health and disease, including Epilepsy, Parkinson?s and Alzheimer?s? disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, depression, and autism. All projects will benefit significantly from simultaneous multi-modal neuromodulation combined with multi-modal recording/imaging; this combination of capabilities is most effectively provided by the requested Bruker BioSpec 70/40 USR system.
The requested large bore animal 7T MRI system will significantly increase our understanding of the fundamental neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavior at a scale that was never possible with any other approaches. Such an understanding will be highly relevant to many aspect of human health, as: 1) we do not have any comprehensive understanding of how the neural circuit controls behavior in normal and diseased states; 2) there are no cure for any neurological disease; and 3) neural circuit mechanisms studied at whole brain level has the potential to transform our understanding of the brain function. The instrument will augment the development of advanced brain imaging methods designed to advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
