The Neuroradiology Division in Radiology has recently established a Neuroimaging Research Laboratory, as part of a collaborative effort with the Division of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine, to form a neuroimaging research program. The goal of this laboratory is to develop and apply the most advanced magnetic resonance (MR) and other neuroimaging technology to further understanding of normal and abnormal brain and spinal cord function.
Directed by Dr. Richard Briggs, the Neuroimaging Research Laboratory features a Siemens Trio 3 Tesla whole-body human MR system, housed in the
Algur H. Meadows Diagnostic Imaging Center on the UT Southwestern campus near the General Clinical Research Center. This instrument is used for functional MR imaging (fMRI), MR spectroscopy (MRS), and perfusion/diffusion imaging. It has 8 channels for fast parallel imaging and will be upgraded to 16 channels in late 2005.
The laboratory will also conduct studies with other neuroimaging technologies at other UTSW sites, such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), electroencephalography (EEG), optical imaging, and molecular imaging, that will be correlated with the magnetic resonance studies.
The primary application of these technologies initially will be to assess and understand injuries that underlie the Gulf War syndrome and similar diseases in the civilian population. Some of these related illnesses include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. Brain areas initially targeted for study include the basal ganglia, brain stem, insula, thalamus, cingulate cortex, orbital frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus.
