NIRS report of utilization of MRI machine for research. Results in 2005

The report is an achievement of cooperative research and development by private and official facilities of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) MRI machine, and its applied and medical uses in 2005. Contained are the reports on the magnet (1 topic), RF coils (5), basic studies on measurements (11), biological studies on measurements (4) and clinical studies on measurements (18), which are finally summarized in the list of the personnel, event calendar and published scientific papers. The basic studies by the MRI involve those of digestive tract's movement, samples for radiation dose measurements using polymer gel materials, disposition tracing of 5-FU by 19F chemical shift images, 19F images at 3T, 3T MRS, 13C measurement at 7T MR, spectrum at 7T MR, development of measurement system for elastic modulus distribution in living tissues, measurement of biological function by 170 MRI and measurement of acetylcholinesterase in brain. Biological studies involve those of the brain damage by heavy particle irradiation, functional brain mapping of monkey's abstract operation using PET, multiple sclerosis mice and development of a new cardiac function evaluation method. Clinical studies involve those of blood vessel coupling of cerebral nerve, micro-imaging of human eye, autopsy imaging, numerical phantom of human body, measurements of physiological parameters of brain, measurement of sugar metabolism function, radiation therapy evaluation method of brain tumors, metabolism analysis by 7T MR spectroscopy, statistical test of AChE activity, measurement of beta-amyloid in brain by Pittsburgh Compound-B, brain function, development of longitudinal relaxation time calculation software (T1Wizard), GSH in schizophrenia, evaluation method of forms and functions of hearts, occlusive arterial disease of lower extremity, MRI image of prostate using 3.0T, cholangiography, elucidation of activation mechanism of higher brain network by occlusal chew stimulation and MR imaging of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). (J.P.N.)