Imaging the Human Brain With Ultra-Powerful MRI

Study in a Sentence: Researchers have demonstrated the safety of using high field strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the 11.7 tesla (T) Iseult MRI machine, in humans, testing physiological, vestibular, behavioral, and genotoxicity measurements on human volunteers, while safely acquiring human brain images with unprecedented resolution.

Healthy for Humans: A first, researchers investigated whether human beings could withstand 1.5 hour scans at 11.7 T. The safety measures were demonstrated across all tests in the study. MRI at 11.7 T allows the neuroscience and medical communities an incredible opportunity to explore the brain in more detail and opens a window into understanding and developing new disease biomarkers and therapeutic means for certain neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke, tumor growth, Parkinson’s disease, mental health conditions, and more. 

Redefining Research: After nearly 20 years of research and development, scientists succeeded in building the world’s most powerful MRI machine that can safely be used in humans. The previous threshold for MRIs in humans was 7 T, such that this high-field MRI 11.7 T system unlocks the potential to access ‘mesoscopic’ detail in the brain. The resulting insights and detailed resolutions will allow researchers to obtain previously inaccessible information, explain essential brain features underlying a wide range of behaviors and cognitive processes, advance understanding of multiple brain conditions, and ultimately improve prevention and treatment options for those suffering from neurological injuries and disease.