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Physical Society Colloquium
Past, Present and Future Alan Evans
Montreal Consortium for Brain Imaging Research Brain imaging research brings together the physical sciences (physics, chemistry, engineering), information sciences (computer science, informatics, mathematics, statistics) and brain sciences (neurology, basic neurobiology, cognitive neuroscience). This multi-disciplinary field has revolutionized brain research in the last 15 years and also seeds application spin-offs in the clinical and pharmaceutical trials domains. The McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC) was established in 1984 at the Montreal Neurological Institute, using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study normal brain function and a range of neurological disorders (epilepsy, stroke, tumour, dementia). PET provides quantiative 3D images of brain physiology, using short-lived radiotracers produced with an on-site cyclotron. Different tracers allow for the measurement of hemodynamics and perfusion, receptor, transmitters or enzyme concentration. MRI was originally used to provide high-resolution 3D images of brain anatomy. Orthogonal magnetic field gradients are created such that each location in the brain has a unique magnetic signal. Manipulation of stimulation and read-out radiofrequency pulse timing, tuned against the natural signal decay constants for different brain tissues, allows a wide range of anatomical characteristics to be imaged. Recently, these techniques have been extended to allow visualization of vascular physiology and functional `activation' of specific brain areas during behavioural experiments (memory, language, sensorimotor processing). These and other imaging techniques are used to support the activities of approximately 50 brain scientists in McGill. In 2000, with an infrastructural award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the BIC model was expanded into a consortium involving other institutions within McGill and neighbouring universities. This consortium will function as an international hub for brain image databases in research and for the pharmaceutical industry.
Friday, January 26th 2001, 15:30 |