The brains of living people were scanned for the first time on the most powerful magnetic resonance imaging machine
For the first time, living people were examined on the most powerful magnetic resonance imaging machine available, the Iseult from the French Atomic Energy Commission, which is about seven times more powerful than conventional hospital imaging machines. It allows you to get high-resolution tissue images in record time, just a few minutes. Another advantage of the tomograph is the one-third wider opening of the tube, which should make the examination more comfortable for the patient. With the new device, scientists hope to better understand the functioning of the brain in normal and pathological conditions.
The Iseult scanner generates a magnetic field with a power of 11.7 tesla, while most conventional hospital scanners have a power of 1.5-3 tesla. Thanks to this, high-quality images can be obtained much faster. For example, to image a brain with an expansion of 0.2 millimeters at a tissue slice thickness of 1 millimeter, which can accommodate thousands of neurons, four minutes of scanning in Iseult is sufficient. However, for the same image on a conventional tomograph, a person would need to lie completely still in the machine for two hours so that the slightest movement would not spoil the picture, which is not realistic.
Scientists hope that with the ability to see the brain in finer details, it will be possible to better understand the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, mental disorders, as well as the mechanisms of normal brain functioning, in particular consciousness.
Share the news
