MRI and EEG Neuroimaging Facility
Established in July 2009 and in research operation since June 2010, the MRI and EEG facility provides advanced state-of-art structural, diffusion, perfusion and quantitative MRI, functional MRI (fMRI), and electroencephalography (EEG) neuroimaging capabilities. These advanced research capabilities allow for non-invasive measurement, quantification, modulation, and study of the human central nervous system (both healthy and diseased) with a primary focus on brain structure and functions, as well as on advanced neuroimaging of the human cervical spinal cord.
The facility provides all the latest technology, tools and resources necessary to conduct and support brain neuroimaging studies focused on advancing clinical research to discover causes of and cures and novel interventions for mood, anxiety, eating, and memory disorders.
Both recently upgraded MRI scanners are fully dedicated to research and provide a state-of-the-art advanced capacity for the latest ultra-fast and accelerated imaging and visualization of the human brain structure as well as measurement and monitoring of brain activity. LIBR’s main research approach, to study brain function, is a combination of simultaneous EEG and fMRI, which provide a unique capacity to capture and measure brain activity at high spatial and temporal resolution.
Each MRI scanner is also equipped with 128-channel high density EEG and wide arrays of MRI phased array coils for imaging the brain and spinal cord. In addition, a custom-made real-time MRI system allows for the management of large amounts of neuroimaging data, real-time fMRI (rtfMRI), real-time integration of physiological data (respiration, pulse oximetry or ECG waveforms) and EEG data simultaneously acquired with fMRI, as well as neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) experiments to modulate and influence brain activity during subject scanning. Both scanners are also synchronized and integrated with other imaging and stimulation modalities to conduct multimodal simultaneous EEG and fMRI, simultaneous transcranial direct or alternating current stimulation (tDCS/tACS) during fMRI and hyperscanning experiments where two or more subjects’ EEG and/or fMRI responses and their interactions are measured simultaneously. This advanced combination and customization of state-of-the-art MRI, RF coils, and EEG and brain stimulation technologies, along with custom-developed software solutions and a wide range of auxiliary computerized equipment, offer a unique potential for conducting advanced brain research.
The LIBR MRI-EEG facility makes it possible to conduct massive clinical human research at the institute and provides support to collaborative neuroimaging research with researchers from local academic institutions, including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa. In addition, in the state of Oklahoma, the LIBR MRI-EEG facility is the only facility that maintains this unique technology and know-how to conduct advanced non-invasive neuroscience research for studying the human brain as well as brain development in health and disease.
The MRI-EEG facility was created from the bottom up and is overseen by Jerzy Bodurka, Ph.D., an expert in MRI/EEG-fMRI/real-time fMRI. It is also staffed by two staff scientists: Vadim Zotev, Ph.D. (physics), an expert in MRI, simultaneous EEG & fMRI, and fMRI data analysis and Masaya Misaki, Ph.D. (computational neuroscience), an expert in structural MRI, quantitative MRI image, real-time fMRI processing as well as fMRI decoding and multivariate multimodal fMRI/EEG data analysis. Other staff include two full time MRI technologists (Julie Owen, Julie DiCarlo), a part-time MRI technologist (Leslie Walker) and computer programmer support (Jared Smith).
The facility provides all the latest technology, tools and resources necessary to conduct and support brain neuroimaging studies focused on advancing clinical research to discover causes of and cures and novel interventions for mood, anxiety, eating, and memory disorders.
Both recently upgraded MRI scanners are fully dedicated to research and provide a state-of-the-art advanced capacity for the latest ultra-fast and accelerated imaging and visualization of the human brain structure as well as measurement and monitoring of brain activity. LIBR’s main research approach, to study brain function, is a combination of simultaneous EEG and fMRI, which provide a unique capacity to capture and measure brain activity at high spatial and temporal resolution.
Each MRI scanner is also equipped with 128-channel high density EEG and wide arrays of MRI phased array coils for imaging the brain and spinal cord. In addition, a custom-made real-time MRI system allows for the management of large amounts of neuroimaging data, real-time fMRI (rtfMRI), real-time integration of physiological data (respiration, pulse oximetry or ECG waveforms) and EEG data simultaneously acquired with fMRI, as well as neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) experiments to modulate and influence brain activity during subject scanning. Both scanners are also synchronized and integrated with other imaging and stimulation modalities to conduct multimodal simultaneous EEG and fMRI, simultaneous transcranial direct or alternating current stimulation (tDCS/tACS) during fMRI and hyperscanning experiments where two or more subjects’ EEG and/or fMRI responses and their interactions are measured simultaneously. This advanced combination and customization of state-of-the-art MRI, RF coils, and EEG and brain stimulation technologies, along with custom-developed software solutions and a wide range of auxiliary computerized equipment, offer a unique potential for conducting advanced brain research.
The LIBR MRI-EEG facility makes it possible to conduct massive clinical human research at the institute and provides support to collaborative neuroimaging research with researchers from local academic institutions, including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa. In addition, in the state of Oklahoma, the LIBR MRI-EEG facility is the only facility that maintains this unique technology and know-how to conduct advanced non-invasive neuroscience research for studying the human brain as well as brain development in health and disease.
The MRI-EEG facility was created from the bottom up and is overseen by Jerzy Bodurka, Ph.D., an expert in MRI/EEG-fMRI/real-time fMRI. It is also staffed by two staff scientists: Vadim Zotev, Ph.D. (physics), an expert in MRI, simultaneous EEG & fMRI, and fMRI data analysis and Masaya Misaki, Ph.D. (computational neuroscience), an expert in structural MRI, quantitative MRI image, real-time fMRI processing as well as fMRI decoding and multivariate multimodal fMRI/EEG data analysis. Other staff include two full time MRI technologists (Julie Owen, Julie DiCarlo), a part-time MRI technologist (Leslie Walker) and computer programmer support (Jared Smith).