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Functional Imaging and Resting State Connectivity in Human Spinal Cord at 7 Tesla

Award Number: K99EB016689
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/15/2014
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2016

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Functional Imaging and Resting State Connectivity in Human Spinal Cord at 7 Tesla - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal aims to (1) develop and evaluate novel methodologies for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human cervical spinal cord at ultra-high field (7 Tesla), and (2) non-invasively detect and characterize functional networks in the human cervical spinal cord. These methods may be used clinically to establish the extent of spinal cord injuries and to monitor the progression of functional recovery afterwards, and may also facilitate earlier detection of central nervous system pathologies such as multiple sclerosis. We propose to develop 7T fMRI to detect and quantify low-frequency fluctuations in baseline BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent) signals as indicators of resting state functional connectivity in spinal gray matter. To date, over 3500 studies have used similar fMRI approaches to study functional connectivity in the brain, and have provided compelling evidence that low-frequency BOLD signal fluctuations are inherent in normal, healthy brains and represent an important level of organization of cortical function. However, to date no corresponding studies have conclusively demonstrated similar low-frequency correlations in spinal gray matter. The precise functioning of the spinal cord in normal and pathological populations remains poorly understood even though studies of functional connectivity and spinal cord plasticity using methods other than MRI have been topics of intense research for the past two decades. The scarcity of spinal fMRI studies mainly reflects the technical difficulties of performing fMRI in the spinal cord, the failure to develop appropriate methods and coils, and the need for higher spatial resolution and greater sensitivity for imaging the spinal cord compared to the brain. We hypothesize that the proposed technical advances can be used to detect and characterize functional connectivity in the cervical spinal cord and changes that occur with injury, recovery and repair, and that these measures will complement information from other functional measures including task-based fMRI studies. We propose to address the need for high spatial resolution and greater BOLD sensitivity by using an ultra-high field (7 Tesla) scanner and a dedicated 16-channel cervical spine coil to develop (Aim 1) and validate (Aim 2) novel fMRI acquisition and data correction protocols. The applicant is a computer/biomedical engineer, so didactic training during the K99 phase is focused on neuroscience and neuroanatomy to develop the skills required for the R00 phase, namely interpretation of resting state spinal networks in healthy controls (Aim 3) and subjects with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (Aim 4). The higher signal-to-noise ratio and BOLD contrast from 7T fMRI have already shown significant advantages over lower field studies for detecting activation and connectivity at high spatial resolution in the brain, and parallel coil arrays permit faster image acquisitions. Thus, ultra-high field MRI is uniquely poised to provide insights into human spinal cord function that are not possible in practice at lower fields. The applicant's long term goal is o become an independent imaging scientist specializing in functional imaging of the brain and spinal cord and the development of advanced neuroimaging methods.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = -$1,932 )
2017	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	12/29/2016	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	-$1,932
														Subtotal = -$1,932

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2016	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S REHAB UNIT	1161 21ST AVENUE SOUTH	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	2	5/11/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$4,025
2016	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	5/11/2016	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$4,025
2016	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER	1161 21ST AVE S STE D3300 MCN	NASHVILLE	TN	372320011	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	002	3	6/29/2016	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $88,830 )
2015	2015	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S REHAB UNIT	1161 21ST AVENUE SOUTH	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	3/30/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$88,830
														Subtotal = $88,830

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $88,830 )
2014	2014	VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CHILDREN'S REHAB UNIT	1161 21ST AVENUE SOUTH	NASHVILLE	TN	37232	DAVIDSON	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	4/14/2014	NEW	$88,830
														Subtotal = $88,830

Grand Total All Awards = $175,728

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Functional Imaging and Resting State Connectivity in Human Spinal Cord at 7 Tesla

Award Number: K99EB016689

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/15/2014

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2016

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