Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Core
Core Director
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.