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In vivo MRI

Research group 8.12

Structural brain imaging

Together with clinical partners we pursue the development of high-resolution brain imaging methods based on different contrast mechanisms and their application in studies on healthy subjects and patients. This aims at quantitative evaluation of brain volume, cortical thickness and voxel based morphometry, among others, for psychiatric and addiction research. Methods like Freesurfer and SPM are being used for image analysis, and studied with a focus on imprecision, robustness and reproducibility. The high signal-to-noise ratio at ultrahigh field is utilized to perform brain imaging with resolution down to 0.4 mm isovoxel, with the support of dielectric pads that increase transmit and receive sensitivity in areas of low-signal intensity in the brain.

Examples

Cornu ammonis segmentation for a patient addicted to alcohol overlayed onto a magnetization-prepared gradient-echo image

 

Composite pial representation of the statistically significant cluster of cortical thickness reduction in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex in smokers compared with never-smokers

MP2-RAGE brain image at 7 T using dielectric pads. Resolution 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 mm3

 

Quantification of L-glutamate in selected human brain regions

Significant cluster of cerebellar grey matter volume reduction in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy controls

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Selected references

S. Kühn, K. Charlet, F. Schubert, F. Kiefer, P. Zimmermann, A. Heinz, J. Gallinat
Plasticity of hippocampal subfield volume cornu ammonis 2+3 over the course of withdrawal in patients with alcohol dependence
JAMA Psychiatry 71, 806-11 (2014).

K. Charlet, F. Schlagenhauf, A. Richter, K. Naundorf, L. Dornhof, C.E. Weinfurtner, F. König, B. Walaszek, F. Schubert, C.A. Müller, S. Gutwinski, A. Seissinger, L. Schmitz, H. Walter, A. Beck, J. Gallinat, F. Kiefer, A. Heinz
Neural activation during processing of aversive faces predicts treatment outcome in alcoholism
Addict Biol 19, 439-51 (2014).

C. Schilling, S. Kühn, A. Romanowski, F. Schubert, N. Kathmann, J. Gallinat
Cortical thickness correlates with impulsiveness in healthy adults
Neuroimage 59, 824-30 (2012).

S. Kühn, F. Schubert, J. Gallinat
Higher prefrontal cortical thickness in high schizotypal personality trait
Psychiatr Res 46, 960-5 (2012).

S. Kühn, F. Schubert, J. Gallinat
Reduced thickness of medial orbitofrontal cortex in smokers
Biol Psychiatry 68, 1061-5 (2011).

S. Kühn, A. Romanowski, F. Schubert, J. Gallinat
Reduction of cerebellar grey matter in Crus I and II in schizophrenia
Brain Struct Funct 217, 523-9 (2011).

S. Kühn, F. Schubert, J. Gallinat
Structural correlates of trait anxiety: reduced thickness in medial orbitofrontal cortex accompanied by volume increase in nucleus accumbens
J Affect Disord. 134, 315-9 (2011).

A.A. Klär, M. Ballmaier, K. Leopold, I. Häke, M. Schaefer, R. Brühl, F. Schubert, J. Gallinat
Interaction of hippocampal volume and N-acetylaspartate concentration deficits in schizophrenia: a combined MRI and 1H-MRS study
Opens external link in new windowNeuroimage 53, 51-7 (2010).

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Contact

Address

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Abbestraße 2–12
10587 Berlin