NCT03485066

Simultaneous PET/MR Imaging of Human Brain Plasticity

Multimodal Associations of Human Brain Plasticity Investigated With Simultaneous PET/MR Imaging

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Rupert Lanzenberger · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Background: Neuronal plasticity is the brain's ability to continuously adapt to experiences and learning of new skills. Although this affects multiple characteristics of the brain such as structure, function and metabolism, direct interactions between these aspects are largely missing. Aim: Using recent advancements in neuroimaging we aim to identify novel relationships how neuronal plasticity is related across these characteristics. Design: 40 healthy subjects will undergo two simultaneous PET/MR measurements at baseline and after 4 weeks. During the measurements a cognitively challenging task will be performed and the training group (20 subjects) will practice during the 4-week period. Implications: We combine simultaneous PET/MR and novel task-specific PET imaging to study brain metabolism, structure and function in a single measurement session. This provides optimal sensitivity for assessment of multimodal neuroplasticity associations. Knowledge how cognitive training affects multiple characteristics of the brain will also increase our understanding of disorders like depression, dementia and brain injuries, since these are diagnosed with cognitive evaluations. Considering the vast usage of the applied imaging procedures in diagnosis and therapy monitoring, the thorough investigation of multimodal associations offers benefit for the interpretability of neuroimaging in clinical routine.

Detailed description

Methodological details: Each subject will undergo two PET/MR examinations. Imaging will include PET as well as acquisition of structural and functional MRI. Task-specific glucose metabolism will be quantified with the radioligand \[18F\]FDG. Gray matter volume and white matter microstructure will be assessed with T1-weighted and diffusion weighted MRI, respectively. Functional imaging will focus on functional connectivity during rest and task as well as cerebral blood flow as acquired with ASL.

Conditions

• Neuronal Plasticity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Tetris	The video game Tetris is a cognitively challenging task, which requires mental rotation, problem solving and fast visuo-spatial and motor coordination.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-05-01
• Primary completion: 2020-11-01
• Completion: 2020-11-01
• First posted: 2018-04-02
• Last updated: 2019-09-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Austria