Urbana, IL-(Effingham Radio)- We may soon know more about preventing debilitating diseases of the brain thanks to a new study by the Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center. The first of its kind research, which is a collaboration between central Illinois-based healthcare system Carle and the University of Illinois, spotlights how the brain changes over time through use of a high-resolution scanner called the Siemens MAGNETOM Terra 7 Tesla (7T) MRI. The effort to launch in Champaign-Urbana aims to collect data using the unique technology found in the 7T MRI, jointly purchased by Carle and the University of Illinois, and gain insights that could help future generations.
Leaders of the study anticipate the information collected will improve our understanding of both brain health and how the brain changes over time. Study leaders believe insights will support the translation of technology to improve clinical outcomes.
“This work is incredibly exciting and we are thrilled to be equipped with the technology to take on such a big challenge,” Bruce Damon, PhD, co-director of Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center and director of Clinical Imaging Research for the Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute at Carle Health said. “As the U.S. aging populations continue to rise, we anticipate information gathered through the study will dramatically increase the potential of medical interventions to improve quality of life for millions of people around the world.”
Data collected from volunteers will be available for local researchers from Carle and the University and create a de-identified public database of 7T neuroimaging as a baseline for global future studies. The neuroimaging will provide unique and detailed information about the structure and function of the brain of healthy volunteers. The Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center is one of only a handful of sites in North America with a MAGNETOM Terra 7T system, an FDA-approved clinical MRI scanner. In the Midwest, only Carle Foundation Hospital and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota have approval to use the MAGNETOM Terra 7T for clinical imaging.
“With the collaboration between researchers and clinicians that already exists between the University and Carle, it made the most sense to do a study together. This is huge because no one in the state of Illinois has this kind of access to the 7T – an incredibly safe tool that provides incredibly detailed images,” Tracey Wszalek, PhD, co-director of the Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center, said. Wszalek is also director of the Biomedical Imaging Center at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois.
Study sponsors are Carle Foundation Hospital, Stephens Family Clinical Research Institute, the University of Illinois, and the University’s Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
Local volunteers, ages 18 and older, are currently enrolling to participate. Participation includes an up-to three-year commitment, and volunteers will also complete several questionnaires about their health, medical history and physical activity. They will also participate in a brief cognitive function assessment and have up to three, 2-hour brain scans at the Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center.
To learn more about the team leading the research or to volunteer to be part of this once in a lifetime study, visit the Champaign-Urbana Population Study website.
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