Giant Leap for Brain Research

The Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre at the University of Cambridge recently became the first institution in the world to have three of the most powerful imaging systems available today installed in a single location, giving them unprecedented ability to study brain development and function.

The first is a 7 Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that will be able to distinguish details in the brain as small as a grain of sand. In comparison to current MRI systems, which have a field strength of 3T and a resolution of 2-3mm, the new scanner will be able to detect structures down to 0.5mm in size. This will allow clinicians to differentiate structures within the cortex (the grey matter that gives us our thoughts) and see how they interact as a network. It will also enable them to detect changes that occur with Alzheimer’s and dementia at a much earlier stage.

The second system is a combination positron emission therapy and magnetic resonance (PET/MR) scanner, which will allow researchers to map chemical changes that occur as a result of structural abnormalities.

The third is a hyperpolariser, which enables highly sensitive, real-time measurements of an individual’s response to treatment. Patients with the same type of cancer will respond differently to the same drug because of the underlying genetics of their tumor. Using the hyperpolariser in combination with MRI, doctors will know within hours whether a treatment is working, and make adjustments if needed.