Study of New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods of the Brain
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-120
SponsorNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
About this trial
The purpose of this investigation is to develop improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and hardware for studying brain function. MRI is a diagnostic tool that provides information about brain chemistry and physiology. This study will evaluate new MRI methods for monitoring blood flow to regions of the brain in response to simple tasks. The MRI machine used in this study is more powerful than those in most hospitals, permitting a higher visual resolution.
Normal healthy volunteers over 18 years old may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and questionnaire, and a neurological examination. Study participants will have a yearly MRI scan. For this procedure, the subject lies on a stretcher that is moved into a donut-shaped machine with a strong magnetic field. A lightweight circular or rectangular coil-a device that improves the quality of the images-may be placed on the head. The scan time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours; most scans last between 45 and 90 minutes. During the scan, the subject may perform simple tasks, such as listening to tapes, tapping a finger, moving a hand, watching a screen, or smelling a fragrance. More complex tasks may require thinking about tones or pictures and responding to them by pressing buttons.
Information from this study will be used to develop better imaging methods that will, in turn, permit a greater understanding of normal and abnormal brain behaviors.
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Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
18 years of age and older
in good general health
able to understand the procedures and requirements and give informed consent
Disqualifiers
has any metal implant or objects of unknown identity or composition, or if it s known to be non-compatible with MRI, such as pacemakers, medication pumps, aneurysm clips, metallic prosthesis (such as heart valves or cochlear implants), certain orthopedic implants (pins and rods), shrapnel, or small metal fragments in the eye;
has claustrophobia;
cannot lie comfortably for up to 120 minutes;
underwent brain surgery or suffered a traumatic head trauma;
Trial population
Healthy Volunteer
Trial design
Design model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Treatments tested in this trial
Not listed
Trial groups
1,100 Participants
are grouped into 1 trial groupGroup A: Healthy Volunteer
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate new MR pulse sequences and hardware for performing anatomical and functional MRI in the CNS at, 3.0T, and 7T with a high spatial resolution.
The primary outcome of this study will be the ability to robustly acquire whole brain MRI sensitized to myelin, iron, diffusion, perfusion, and fiber orientation. Perfusion- and BOLD- based fMRI techniques will allow distinguishing between neuronal and systemic vascular signal contributions. In addition, we anticipate the ability to acquire (proton) spectroscopic data at 5mm resolution.
Time frame
annuallySecondary outcomes
1
To develop an understanding of the limits in contrast and resolution of anatomical and functional MRI.To develop an understanding of the merits of high field MRI for the study of brain anatomy and function.
Secondary outcome measure will be an estimate of the relative performance levels of the different field strengths for anatomical, functional and spectroscopic imaging.
Time frame
annuallySponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov