View clinical trials related to Brain Mapping.
Filter by:Background: - The glymphatic system helps keep harmful waste from building up in the brain. Researchers think it is more active in people during sleep than while awake. They want to study the glymphatic system using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Objective: - To see if there are differences in the way waste is removed from the brain while a person is sleeping versus awake. Eligibility: - Healthy people age 18-60. Design: - This study is in 2 parts. - For the technical part (discontinued), participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will have urine and breath alcohol tests. - Participants will have 2 MRI scans. Before the scans, they will have urine and breath alcohol tests, and complete a questionnaire. - For MRI, participants will lie on a table that slides in and out of a metal cylinder. A device will be placed over their head. They will lie still for up to 20 minutes at a time. They may be asked to stay awake or fall asleep for up to 2 hours at a time. - For the research part, participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will have urine and breath alcohol tests. For 1 week they will wear a device that monitors their activity and sleep. - Participants will stay at NIH overnight. They will give a blood sample, have urine and breath alcohol tests, and complete a questionnaire. - Participants will take memory, concentration, and thinking tests. - Participants will have 3 MRI scans. An electroencephalography machine will record their brain activity. Electrodes will be placed on their scalp.
Background: - Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease caused in part by head injury. The brain changes from CTE can only be seen at autopsy. Researchers want to test a new brain scan to help diagnose CTE in living patients. Objective: - To determine if a new type of brain scan can detect changes that occur in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Eligibility: - Adults age 18 60 with previous head injury or participation in certain sports. Design: - Participants will be screened with: - Physical exam - Blood and urine tests - Tests of thinking, mood, and memory - 30-minute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. A magnetic field and radio waves take pictures of the brain. Participants will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder. They will get earplugs for the loud knocking sounds. - Visit 1: Participants will have a 70-minute PET scan of the brain with a small amount of a radioactive chemical. That will be injected through an intravenous tube (catheter) in each arm. A catheter will also be put into an artery at the wrist or elbow. - Participants will lie on a bed that slides in and out of a donut-shaped scanner. A plastic mask may be molded to their face and head. Vital signs and heart activity will be checked before and during the scan. - Blood and urine will be taken before and after the scan. - Participants will be checked on by phone the next day. - Visit 2: Participants will repeat Visit 1 with a different chemical and no artery catheter. - Visit 3: Participants may have a spinal tap. Some fluid will be removed by needle between the bones in the back.
Background: - People with alcoholism have differences in their brains compared with healthy people. People who are dependent on alcohol also perform differently on behavioral tasks. Researchers want to find out more about these differences. They also want to see if these differences are related to DNA. Objective: - To see if differences in brain structure relate to personality and behavior differences in people with and without alcohol dependence. Eligibility: - Adults age 18 and older. Design: - Participants will visit the NIH Clinical Center once during the study. - Participants will be screened with a medical history, EKG, and physical exam. They will give blood and urine samples and undergo a psychiatric interview. - Participants will be asked about their alcohol drinking, to see if they have an alcohol use disorder. - Participants will play three computerized games. Some will play these games inside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. - MRI: strong magnetic field and radio waves take pictures of the brain. Participants lie on a table that slides in and out of a cylinder. They will be in the scanner for about 90 minutes. They may lie still for up to 20 minutes at a time. The scanner makes loud knocking noises. They will get earplugs.
Objective: In this study we will develop and apply imaging techniques to perform the first three-dimensional (3-D) measurements of brain biomechanics during mild head movement in healthy human subjects. Biomechanics is the application of mechanics, or the physical principles in action when force is applied to an object, to the anatomical structure and/or function of organisms. Such techniques will be invaluable for building computational models of brain biomechanics, understanding variability of brain biomechanics across individual characteristics, such as age and sex, and determining brain sub-structures at risk for damage when movement of the head is accelerated, such as during a traumatic event. Study Population: Measurements will be performed on 90 healthy men and women aged 18-65. Design: We will build upon the model pioneered by our collaborator, Dr. Philip Bayly. The model places a human subject in a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner with one of two head support units that allows a specific range of motion. Each head support is latched such that it can be released by the subject, and results in either a rotation of the head of approximately 30 degrees or a flexion-extension of the head of approximately 4 degrees. Although both supports are weighted so that the motion is repeatable if the subject is relaxed, the subject can easily counteract the weight. The resulting acceleration/deceleration is small (in the range of normal activities, such as turning one's head during swimming) and has been validated and used in other human investigations of brain biomechanics. The subject repeats the motion multiple times during the MR scan under their own volition and desired pace to measure motion of the head and brain. Outcome measures: This project is a pilot study evaluating the potential of extracting three-dimensional estimates of brain deformation, such as strain measurements, using MR imaging. A primary outcome of this project will be a fast MR acquisition sequence for measuring 3-D brain deformation. The sequence will be evaluated by applying the protocol to human subjects, followed by preliminary quantification of the reproducibility and stability of deformation measurements.
Background: - Studies have shown that animals such as monkeys and dogs have excellent sight and touch memory but perform poorly on sound memory tasks. Human brains have certain areas that are important for speaking and understanding language. These areas may be involved in sound and spoken word memory. Researchers want to study these areas of the brain to find out if the memory for sounds requires brain structures that are usually associated with language learning and are unique to humans. Objectives: - To use magnetic resonance imaging to study areas of the brain involved in sound memory. Eligibility: - Healthy right-handed volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age. They must be native English speakers and have completed high school. Design: - The study requires a screening visit and 1 or 2 study visits to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. - At the screening visit, volunteers will have a medical history taken. They will also have physical and neurological exams, and complete a questionnaire. Women of childbearing age will give a urine sample. Participants who have not had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in the past year will have one at this visit. - At the second visit, participants will have tests of sound memory. They will listen to a set of nonsense words spoken through earphones and memorize the words. Then they will listen to the words again to judge if the words were part of the earlier list. Participants will have a 1 hour break, then do the sound memory test again. During the second test they will have repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which stimulates different regions of the brain. - If the group results from the testing sessions are positive, there will be a third visit. At this visit, participants will have a sound perception test. They will listen to words spoken through earphones and judge whether the words in the pair are the same or different. Participants will have rTMS during these tests as well.
Background: - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used scanning technique to obtain images of the human body and evaluate activity in the brain. A particular MRI method called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can be used to study brain chemistry as well, which may help researchers who are studying new treatments for psychiatric illnesses. Researchers are interested in improving current MRI and MRS techniques, as well as developing new MRI and MRS techniques to view and measure brain chemicals and brain activity. Objectives: - To implement, develop, and optimize brain chemistry imaging techniques using magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Eligibility: - Healthy individuals between 18 and 65 years of age. Design: - This study will involve a screening visit and a scanning visit at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. - Participants will be screened with a full medical and physical examination, blood and urine tests, and neurological testing. - During the second visit, participants will have an MRI scan of the brain. (Participants who have received an MRI within the past year will not need to have a second one; the images of the previous scan will be used for this study.) All participants will then have an MRS scan using the same scanning equipment.
Background: - People with epilepsy often have auditory processing disorders that affect their ability to hear clearly and may cause problems with understanding speech and other kinds of verbal communication. Researchers are interested in developing better ways of studying what parts of the brain are affected by hearing disorders and epilepsy, and they need better clinical tests to measure how individuals process sound. These tests will allow researchers to examine and evaluate the effects of epilepsy and related disorders on speech and communication. - A procedure called a magnetoencephalography (MEG) can be used to measure the electrical currents involved in brain activity. Researchers are interested in learning whether MEG can be used to detect differences in the processing of simple sounds in patients with epilepsy, both with and without hearing impairments. Objectives: - To measure brain activity in hearing impaired persons with epilepsy and compare the results with those from people with normal hearing and epilepsy as well as people with normal hearing and no epilepsy. This research is performed in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Hospital and epilepsy patients must be candidates for surgery at Johns Hopkins. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 to 55 years of age who (1) have epilepsy and have hearing impairments, (2) have epilepsy but do not have hearing impairments, or (3) are healthy volunteers who have neither epilepsy nor hearing impairments. - Participants with epilepsy must have developed seizures after 10 years of age, and must be candidates for grid implantation surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.. Design: - This study will require one visit of approximately 4 to 6 hours. - Participants will be screened with a full physical examination and medical history, along with a basic hearing test. - Participants will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain, followed by a MEG scan to record magnetic field changes produced by brain activity. - During MEG recording, participants will be asked to listen to various sounds and make simple responses (pressing a button, moving your hand or speaking) in response to sounds heard through earphones. The MEG procedure should take between 1 and 2 hours. - Treatment at NIH is not provided as part of this protocol.
Background: - Developmental dyscalculia is a learning disability in which individuals have difficulty learning or comprehending mathematics or other number concepts (such as keeping score during games, measuring time, or estimating distance). Developmental dyscalculia affects certain parts of the brain that are required for processing numbers. Research has shown that a form of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), applied when healthy individuals are being trained to carry out tasks with numbers, improved the ability to process numbers and solve math problems. More research is needed about whether tDCS can improve number processing in people with developmental dyscalculia. Objectives: - To examine whether the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation can help individuals with developmental dyscalculia perform mathematical calculations. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 50 years of age who have been diagnosed with developmental dyscalculia, or are healthy volunteers without dyscalculia. Design: - Participants will have a screening visit and seven study visits. The screening visit and six of the study visits will take place consecutively over the course of 6 days, and the final visit will take place 3 months after the initial participation. - Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical and neurological examination, and a brief examination to test for dyscalculia and determine the participant's dominant hand. - Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups for the study. One group will receive tDCS during training to perform a task with numbers, and the other group will receive the same training with sham stimulation. Participants will not know which group they are in. - During the study visits, participants will be trained on number tasks on 6 consecutive days. Before the tDCS or sham stimulation is applied at the beginning of the experiment and at the end of each training day, participants will perform other tasks with numbers. Participants will be evaluated based on the accuracy and speed with which they respond to the questions. - At the followup visit, participants will perform the same number tasks they completed during the study visits. No tDCS will be performed at this visit.
Background: - The brain needs sleep to function normally, but the purpose of sleep is not understood. Brain activity decreases during sleep, so it may be that sleep is important to maintain, repair, or reorganize brain cells. In animals, the formation of brain proteins increases during sleep, and the same thing may happen in humans. - There is also evidence that learning and memory are helped by sleep, and that the synthesis of proteins in the brain are involved. Objectives: - To examine the formation of proteins in the brain while people are awake, deprived of sleep, and during sleep. - To look at the formation of proteins in the brain while awake or asleep and following learning a task. Eligibility: - Healthy volunteers between 18 and 28 years of age. - Volunteers must not have psychiatric, neurologic, or sleep disorders or certain types of vision problems, and must be able to undergo imaging studies. Design: - Study Part I (protein formation in waking, sleep deprivation, and sleep): - Participants will wear an actigraph (a unit to record motor activity) for 2 weeks prior to admission. - Participants will have physical and psychological examinations, along with a blood sample. - After admission participants will have three positron emission tomography (PET) scans to study protein formation and one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan over the course of two days. - Participants may be asked to stay awake for as long as 20 hours and will be monitored throughout. - Participants will be able to sleep overnight after they complete the required scans and monitoring, and will be discharged the following morning. - Study Part II (protein formation in waking and sleep combined with a learning task): - Participants will wear an actigraph (a unit to record motor activity) for 2 weeks prior to admission. - Participants will have physical and psychological examinations, along with a blood sample. - After admission participants may be asked to stay awake for as long as 20 hours and will be monitored throughout. - The next morning, participants will be trained to perform a computerized visual discrimination task, and will be tested 8 hours later (after sleep or after remaining awake) on the visual discrimination task. - Some participants may have PET and MRI scans as part of the study. - Participants will be able to sleep overnight after they complete the required tests and scans, and will be discharged the following morning. - Participants will receive financial compensation for their participation in these studies.
The purpose of this investigation is to develop improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and hardware for studying brain function. MRI is a diagnostic tool that provides information about brain chemistry and physiology. This study will evaluate new MRI methods for monitoring blood flow to regions of the brain in response to simple tasks. The MRI machine used in this study is more powerful than those in most hospitals, permitting a higher visual resolution. Normal healthy volunteers over 18 years old may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and questionnaire, and a neurological examination. Study participants will have a yearly MRI scan. For this procedure, the subject lies on a stretcher that is moved into a donut-shaped machine with a strong magnetic field. A lightweight circular or rectangular coil a device that improves the quality of the images may be placed on the head. The scan time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours; most scans last between 45 and 90 minutes. During the scan, the subject may perform simple tasks, such as listening to tapes, tapping a finger, moving a hand, watching a screen, or smelling a fragrance. More complex tasks may require thinking about tones or pictures and responding to them by pressing buttons. Information from this study will be used to develop better imaging methods that will, in turn, permit a greater understanding of normal and abnormal brain behaviors.