临床前神经科学

How can neuroscience research help us to find new insights into brain function?

We can use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide 2- or 3-D images of the brain for the study of its anatomy, function, or molecular processes... or a combination of all three. The nice thing about MRI is that a researcher can chose whether the focus should be anatomical with a little bit of functional, for example, or, whether it should be molecular.

What information canin vivo神经影像动物给我们脑功能和新陈代谢吗？

Using a technique called diffusion MRI, we can track axons directions throughout the brain and create connectivity maps of the brain, in a non-invasive and non-destructive manner.

在功能方面，我们有许多选项。功能MRI（FMRI）使我们能够在思考时观看大脑。这种技术是临床标准和十多年来，我们能够将其应用于包括大鼠和小鼠的动物。不需要对比剂;我们只是监测由于氧和脱氧血红蛋白的转化导致微妙的信号变化，使我们能够清楚地检测大脑活动。

In addition, we are able to monitor changes in the cerebral blood flow, which is an important marker. In stroke research, we can see affected brain regions, probably with a higher precision than with most other non-destructive methods.

To investigate metabolitesin vivospectroscopy can be used. Using this, we can obtain chemical "fingerprints" of brain regions. The size of these regions are typically some millimeters cubed and the fingerprint that enables us to identify and quantify some dozens of metalbolites in that volume. These include major neurotransmitters and molecules involved in the energy pathway of the brain.

Why isn't MRI always a familiar technique amongst biologists?

MRI通常不包括在生物学课程中。MDS在MRI的背景中获得基本培训，如果他们最终成为放射科医师，甚至要多得多。然而，生物学家首次将其作为解决生物问题的技术时引入这些扫描仪。我研究了生物学和化学，以及化学，我学习了NMR和MRI的所有基础知识。但是，如果我研究过生物学，我就会从未了解过MRI的巨大可能性。

每个生物学家都学会如何处理光学显微镜，但除非他们的大学有一个临床前的MRI扫描仪，否则他们不会熟悉MRI技术。Bruker的MRI应用专家将他们的知识纳入预先优化的协议。即使是MINAL MRI背景的用户也可以快速回答他们的生物学问题。

Please outline the use and importance of MRI & PET/MRI in fundamental neuroscience research.

宠物缺乏解剖信息。一般来说，用宠物，无论你的追踪者进入身体，你都在追踪身体，你最终看到的是功能化示踪所在的唯一领域。

If you use PET alone, you cannot really be sure where these active areas are within the body because you have no anatomical reference. With the PET/MRI combination, you can overly. The colored PET image on the gray scale high-resolution MRI image and then you can see with high precision exactly where your tracer is located.

PET和MRI组合的重要性和美丽是您可以同时执行两者，并从MRI中获得巨大的软组织对比。

这些成像技术在其他方法上有哪些好处？

除了非破坏性之外，我们还可以使用较少的动物获得更多信息。

You can achieve greater statistical relevance because you can use the scanner to study the same animal repeatedly over a period of weeks or months. Animals are not sacrificed after each study time point, instead, we scan the whole cohort and get all the information from all of the animals. Each animal serves as its own control. This reduces the biological scatter which is an inherent problem of a lot of preclinical studies. I think this is a huge benefit that is often overlooked.

临床前研究的结果完全翻译为临床环境吗？可以在临床上做大脑的临床前成像吗？

它们是可翻译的，是的。用宠物和MRI成像的动物经历了患者在临床仪器中患者在医院中进行的相同的措施。当然，临床前成像有益处，例如在进入诊所之前测试新型疾病治疗。您还可以使用Knockout模型来查看疾病进展的机制。

Please give an introduction to the Bruker instrumentation that is used for preclinical neuroscience research.

我们有一系列临床前MRI扫描仪，我们在40多年前推出。我们是市场领导者。Bruker的临床前MRI扫描仪被称为BioPecs，并且有各种不同的版本。您可以选择一系列磁场。磁场越高，一般图像越好。您必须选择的另一件事是我们所谓的钻孔 - 在检查期间，动物铺设的磁铁内的小隧道。小孔扫描仪只能握住鼠标，而其他较大的扫描仪可以持有甚至更大的动物。

我们的PET扫描仪还有大鼠和小鼠的小隧道。我们还提供宠物和MRI的组合。在一个PET / MR设计中，PET隧道位于MRI隧道的前面，因此两台机器相邻，动物是一种单轨机，首先进入PET隧道进行快速扫描。然后，您将其转发大约20英寸以将其定位在MRI扫描仪中，您可以在那里执行MRI扫描。

有另一种PET /设置的先生small PET ring fits directly into the MRI tunnel and enables the animal to go right into the center of the MRI scanner, which is also the center of the PET scanner. You can then scan simultaneously.

Which preclinical disease models has this instrumentation been used to investigate? Has it been able to identify any potential treatments?

Well, it's basically endless and ranges from models of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease to models of memory, aging, and cognitive decline, to name but a few. The instrumentation is also used in stroke research. If we artificially induce stroke in a rodent, we can quantify the affected brain area probably better than with any other method that does not involve dissection of the brain. Many pharma companies use Bruker scanners in drug discovery and development.