Center for Functional Imaging Technologies

Center for Functional Imaging Technologies

Research Emphasis

The primary mission of the Center for Functional Imaging Technologies (CFIT) is to expand understanding of the human brain in health and disease through the development and dissemination of innovative multimodal magnetic resonance (MR)-based neuroimaging techniques and technologies. The four projects at the core of the CFIT seek to create new methods for exploring brain function using both anatomic and functional aspects of MR imaging (MRI); electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and near-infrared diffuse optical tomography (DOT), and to create new tools for both neuroanatomic and statistical analysis. The collective goal of these projects is to significantly extend many of the limitations of current brain-mapping techniques.

Current Research

Develop and validate automated methods for the segmentation of cortical and subcortical structures in the human brain based on statistical atlas technologies and for the detection and quantification of morphometric changes associated with disease.

Combine simultaneous functional MRI/EEG data with simultaneous EEG/MEG data to produce robust spatiotemporal maps that combine the temporal information available in EEG and MEG with the spatial resolution available with functional MRI (fMRI). Develop recording cap technology that will also allow for simultaneous fMRI/EEG and optical measurements. Develop and test the utility of new statistical methods for event-related fMRI and for a physiologically based statistical model and estimation procedure for signal and noise in fMRI.

Develop the next generation of near-infrared imaging devices using both continuous-wave and radiofrequency phase-resolved techniques, design and validate improved reconstruction algorithms, and integrate DOT and fMRI to enable systematic in vivo validation of DOT performance.

BIRN

The center also is a partner in the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN) of NCRR.

Resource Capabilities

Instruments

1.5, 3.0, and 7.0 Tesla Siemens Sonata, Trio and Allegra magnetic resonance imaging instruments, CW DOT imager, NeuroMag VectorView system with 306 MEG channels and 128 EEG channels, 24-node Beowulf distributed processing computational cluster.