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Study of New Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods of the Brain

Characterization of Brain Morphology and Activity Using Functional and Anatomical MRI Contrast

Who can join

Ages 18 to 120 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

* INCLUSION CRITERIA:
* 18 years of age and older
* in good general health
* able to understand the procedures and requirements and give informed consent

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

All Subjects will undergo a neurological physical and answer the Healthy volunteer form, and the most-recent version of the NMR safety screening form

A subject will be excluded if he/she:

1. has any metal implant or objects of unknown identity or composition, or if it s known to be non-compatible with MRI, such as pacemakers, medication pumps, aneurysm clips, metallic prosthesis (such as heart valves or cochlear implants), certain orthopedic implants (pins and rods), shrapnel, or small metal fragments in the eye;
2. has claustrophobia;
3. cannot lie comfortably for up to 120 minutes;
4. underwent brain surgery or suffered a traumatic head trauma;
5. has migraines that require medication;
6. has ever been hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder;
7. has medical health problems such as pulmonary or airway disease, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and uncontrolled hypertension which would require physiological monitoring during the scan;
8. has a history of any medical condition that could result in an emergency medical situation while undergoing the MRI scan;
9. has hearing problems which would make it difficult to tolerate scanner noise;
10. is pregnant;
11. has body/make-up tattoos (e.g. lips, eyebrows, eyeliner). Each tattoo will be considered on a case-to-case basis, taking into account of the age and location of the tattoo;
12. has a sleep apnea diagnosis;
13. has a neurological disorder, such as Stroke, Parkinson s, and Epilepsy;
14. a member of the NINDS Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging.

The contraindications to MRI at the various field strengths are almost identical, except the 7 T also excludes subjects with gold dental crowns.

About the study

The purpose of this investigation is to develop improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and hardware for studying brain function. MRI is a diagnostic tool that provides information about brain chemistry and physiology. This study will evaluate new MRI methods for monitoring blood flow to regions of the brain in response to simple tasks. The MRI machine used in this study is more powerful than those in most hospitals, permitting a higher visual resolution.

Normal healthy volunteers over 18 years old may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and questionnaire, and a neurological examination. Study participants will have a yearly MRI scan. For this procedure, the subject lies on a stretcher that is moved into a donut-shaped machine with a strong magnetic field. A lightweight circular or rectangular coil-a device that improves the quality of the images-may be placed on the head. The scan time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours; most scans last between 45 and 90 minutes. During the scan, the subject may perform simple tasks, such as listening to tapes, tapping a finger, moving a hand, watching a screen, or smelling a fragrance. More complex tasks may require thinking about tones or pictures and responding to them by pressing buttons.

Information from this study will be used to develop better imaging methods that will, in turn, permit a greater understanding of normal and abnormal brain behaviors.

Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Participants: 1,100 · Started: Jul 1, 2000

Contact the study team

• Jeffrey H Duyn, Ph.D. · Phone: (301) 594-7305
• Alan P Koretsky, Ph.D. · Phone: (301) 402-9659

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT00004577

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 1, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.