1. Overview of the Auburn University MRI
Research Center
Thomas S. Denney Jr., Ph.D.
Director, AU MRI Research Center
Ed & Peggy Reynolds Family Professor,
Electrical & Computer Engineering
dennets@auburn.edu
(334) 844-1862

2. AU MRI Research Center
● Three story – 45,000 SF
building
● MRI systems
■ 3 Tesla (T) open-bore whole
body
■ 7T whole body
● Designed to support research
and clinical operations
■ Clinical imaging center
■ Laboratories
■ Training facilities
● Funded by a $21M State bond
issued in 2007

3. High-Field Imaging
T2-weighted imaging of the human hippocampus
1.5T 7.0T

4. Educa
Busin tion Engine
ess er ing
Forestr
CADC y/
Wildlife
Human
Agri
Scienc
culture es
Veterinar Libera
y
Medicine l Arts
COSA Nursi
M Phar ng
macy

5. Application Areas
AU MRI Research
Center
Cardiovascular Cognitive Animal Technology
Research Neuroscience Imaging Development

6. Application Areas
AU MRI Research
Center
Cardiovascular Cognitive Animal Technology
Research Neuroscience Imaging Development

7. Cardiac MRI Research
● Advanced techniques for
diagnosing valve disease, heart
attacks, diabetes, and hypertension
from cardiac MRI
● Funded by the National Institutes of
Health and pharmaceutical industry
● Collaboration with UAB Division of
Cardiology
■ Lou Dell’Italia, MD
■ Himanshu Gupta, MD
■ Steven Lloyd, MD, PhD

8. Application Areas
AU MRI Research
Center
Cardiovascular Cognitive Animal Technology
Research Neuroscience Imaging Development

9. Medical Research and Materiel Command
U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory
Fort Rucker, Alabama
Imaging Biomarkers of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and SSRI Treatment Efficacy for
Return-to-Duty Decision Making
USAARL & Auburn University MRI Research Centre
Problem
• Although PTSD is responsive to SSRI treatment, response
rates rarely exceed 60%
Purpose
• Identify neuroimaging and neurobehavioral biomarkers of
PTSD recovery following SSRI treatment that will better
delineate the underlying pathophysiology of this disorder,
imaging markers of phamacologic efficacy, and provide
invaluable information to improve accuracy for return-to-
duty decisions
Plan
• Prospective Case-Control design (pre- and post-
assessment)
Schedule & Funding • Gene association, biochemical, behavioral, functional MRI
MILESTONES FY12 FY13 and psychophysiology implemented
Protocol Development
Planned
Completion Product/Payoff
Data Collection
• Evidence for identifying individual differences that
contribute to SSRI responsiveness
Data Analysis
Progress
Writing/Publishing • Established both control and target populations; protocol
Total Funding = $464k 232K 232K under development
Program Area: Psychological Health and Resilience Principal investigator: CPT Michael Dretsch, Ph.D.
Task Area WX: RTD Standards and Strategies after Psychological Injury Chief, Cognitive Assessment & Diagnostics Branch
MOMRP #14600 Warfighter Health Division
Funding : MOMRP UNCLASSIFIED

10. Application Areas
AU MRI Research
Center
Cardiovascular Cognitive Animal Technology
Research Neuroscience Imaging Development

11. Canine Olfactory fMRI
olfac
[1.53323e-015, 25.0396, -1.52752]
contrast(s)
< <
1
SPMmip
50
100
SPM{F3,398} 150
< 200
250
SPMresults:.RenamedFilesolfac_long 300
Height threshold F = 11.287583 {p<0.05 (FWE)} 350
Extent threshold k = 0 voxels
400
1 2 3 4
Design m atrix
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

12. Application Areas
AU MRI Research
Center
Cardiovascular Cognitive Animal Technology
Research Neuroscience Imaging Development

13. AU MRI Research Center
Improved 3-D Visualization of Basal Ganglia for Surgical Planning and Navigation
PIs: Marijn Brummer (Emory), Shumin Problem
Wang, Tom Denney (AU - Eng) • Imaging of small, deep-brain structures are important
for accurate placement of Deep Brain Stimulators
(DBS) in patients with Parkinson’s Disease
• Acquisition of a stack of 2D slices is fast, but accuracy
is limited.
• 3D acquisitions are accurate, but slow
Purpose
• Develop and validate a new imaging protocol based
on multiple stacks of 2D slices, which will have the
speed of 2D and the accuracy of 3D acquisitions.
Plan
• Optimize acquisition parameters on 1.5T and 3T
scanners
• Use GPUs to accelerate reconstruction
• Implement on AU 7T scanner and generate a ultra-
Collaborations high resolution atlas of the human basal ganglia
• Emory/UAB Impact
Target Sponsors • Fewer complications from DBS implantation
• NIH • Improved quality of life for Parkinson’s patients

14. Spectroscopy
NAA
Cr
Cho
Cr
mI NAA
Metabolite Map
● Proton spectroscopy (3T and 7T)
■ Single voxel
■ Chemical shift imaging
● Multinuclear spectroscopy (7T only)
■ 7Li, 13C, 17O, 19F, 23Na, 31P

15. Slice 8
Spectral Map
Ci
Cho+Cr
(Cho+Cr) / Ci Metabolite Map
N. Salibi July 23, 2011 Copyright © 2006 Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. All rights reserved.