Translational Imaging

Description

The research group Translational Imaging belongs to the Department of Neuroimaging and to the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Its goal is to establish and optimise translational imaging at a high field 9.4T animal scanner. Bridging the gap between preclinical and clinical research is essential for the development in psychiatric research. The group wants to realise this step via translational imaging. In the preclinical part there currently exist excellent and well validated genetic and behavioral animal models for alcohol dependency, depression, dementia and other psychiatric illnesses. E.g. the group uses genetic animal models of psychiatric diseases by means of breeding or specific elimination of individual genes for intermediate endophenotyping. With the use of high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the group takes advantage of a tool that enables multiple intra-individual measurements and therefore the direct quantification of gene x environment x therapy interactions on brain function. Specific research foci are establishment and optimisation of optogenetic fMRI (og-fMRI), functional measurements of brain function like resting-state fMRI, continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (cASL), relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), multi nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of 1H, 13C and 31P, voxel based morphometry (VBM), and fiber-tracking with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Furthermore, multiple surface-, volume-, multi array and two cryo-coils (1H and 13C) are available. Description adapted from working group website: see link above.