Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Core
Core Director
David Warren, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences
Click here to see more information on the UNMC VCR's Core Facilities page.
Did you use data generated at the UNMC MRI (CAMRI) Core in your grant proposal or scholarly publication? Please cite or acknowledge the MRI Core in your publications by using its unique Research Resource Identifier (RRID): RRID:SCR_022468.
Core Equipment
3-Tesla Siemens Prisma MRI Scanner
The CoNDA Center oversees a new research-dedicated 3-Tesla Siemens Prisma MRI scanner equipped with 20-, 32-, and 64-channel head coils, and additional coils for cardiac, spinal, and other types of imaging. The instrument is configured with multiband imaging capabilities and many experimental, research-only, and commercial sequences, including numerous MRI sequences for advanced diffusion, spectroscopy, structural, and functional brain imaging. The system has [204×64] XR 80/200 gradients (the most powerful commercially available). The Prisma MRI Suite is also equipped with the necessary peripherals to present experimental stimuli and acquire behavioral responses, including a 32” in-room LCD monitor and multiple ergonomic subject response devices.
Brain Stimulation Equipment
The CoNDA Center is equipped with state-of-the-art electrical brain stimulation technology, including three Soterix Medical systems. The suite includes a standard two-pad tDCS system, a two-pad transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) system, a five-lead multipolar high-definition tDCS system (HD-tDCS), and a five-lead alternating-current stimulation (tACS) system. All of the systems are equipped with settings for sham-stimulation, which allows investigators to use “placebo-controlled” experimental designs. In addition to the stimulators, there is a Polhemus digitizer for coregistering the stimulation sponges or metal electrodes to neuroanatomical images. Users also have access to advanced software for finite-element modeling (FEM) of current flow using the participant’s individual anatomy.
High-Power Data Processing
The CoNDA Center includes a high-performance computing space. This space currently houses over 50 high-performance workstations for data processing, a 36 terabyte (RAID5) storage array for MEG and MRI data, and a video conferencing system for virtual meetings. Each computer is equipped with MATLAB and other important software for neuroimaging and statistical analyses, including packages such as: SPM, FSL, AFNI, FreeSurfer, CONN, R and other leading toolboxes. Many of the computers are also equipped with the Brain Electrical Source Analysis (BESA) software, SPSS, and current-distribution modeling software. The open-concept space encourages collaborative programming (e.g., algorithm development) and data processing efforts among students and faculty.