The answer to these questions could be the first steps to finding a cure for some of the devastating neurological diseases that plague us. By studying normal brains, researchers can begin to understand the disease process.

UMDNJ scientists are using the most advanced, high field magnetic reso-nance imaging (MRI) scanner available to do that. The state-of-the-art scanner, which arrived in Newark at the end of February, produces the most precise and "exquisite" images possible, says Stephen Baker, MD, professor and chair of the Radiology Department at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS). Although it looks like any other MRI machine, the new scanner has a field strength of 3 Tesla, twice that of the 1.5 Tesla, which were the highest available for clinical studies until now. (Tesla is the measure of power of an MRI scanner.) There are only three other 3 Tesla scanners in use in the country: one in Boston, one in St. Louis and one at Princeton University.

"The reason you get such exact images with this machine is because the signal side of the signal to noise background ratio is much higher," he says. "It’s just like a radio. The stronger the signal, the crisper the sound and the less static you get." The scanner has the capability to do cerebral studies and will be used to investigate the brains of animals, normal subjects and out-patients who may have neurological disorders.

Baker says one of the things researchers will investigate is neuropsychological conditions. Since MRI scanners show how the brain functions, in addition to its structure, the researchers can compare normal brains to those of patients with obsessive-compulsive or bipolar disorders, for example, as the subjects perform specific tasks.

Another area that will be studied is neuro-pharmacology. The Tesla scanner enables scientists to see exactly how promising molecules – that someday may be approved as pharmaceutical agents – get distributed within the brain. "We will also be able to better characterize the lesions of multiple sclerosis, and other diseases," Baker says. "And the machine can do spectroscopy, which means we can actually look at the chemical constituents of a lesion and determine if it’s a tumor or some other abnormal entity." Degenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes will also be the focus of some studies.

On the clinical side, Baker says physicians will be able to pinpoint the exact location of tumors so they can be removed without disturbing the surrounding normal tissue. "We are already considered world leaders in tumor localization, even with our two 1.5 Tesla scanners," he says. "With this new piece of equipment we can do more in-depth studies and advance our knowledge even further."

Baker says the scanner will also generate clinical income and should increase the research dollars the University garners. Time on the machine will also be rented out to researchers outside UMDNJ.

The cost of the 3T project, over a five-year period, is about $5 million, which includes renovating space to house the machine, and purchasing and maintaining it. Funding came from the state of New Jersey, UMDNJ, the Ripple Foundation, Rutgers-Newark and the Radiology Department of NJMS.