What are the advantages of the new 7-tesla MRI?
With unprecedented spatial resolution, fewer test repetitions and greater differentiation between gray and white matter, the 7-T MRI scanner can provide finer images of the brain and greater specificity. Brain activity can also be measured at much higher resolution. A major step toward molecular imaging, previously only possible with positron emission tomography, is made possible by 7 Tesla. These techniques are the subject of active research and promise to improve our understanding of brain health and disease.
When was it clear to you that the ZIPP needed a 7-tesla MRI, and what was the path to the goal?
We already had 7-tesla technology in mind when planning the ZIPP. At that time, however, the equipment was not yet mature enough for our research. A lot has happened in recent years. In addition to new hardware, artificial intelligence also plays a major role in the recording and post-processing software. The current generation of devices has the ideal level of development to use the 7 Tesla technology for our research. That is why we are creating the device now.
Will the two 3-Tesla devices continue to be used?
Absolutely! There are a large number of research projects underway there that were designed precisely for this field strength and would also not be directly transferable to 7 Tesla. In the coming years, our research results with 3 Tesla will also provide further new and important insights into the human brain and advance psychiatric research.
How will the 7 Tesla MRI and the entire ZIPP be integrated into the new German Center for Health Research?
The German Center for Mental Health, which has been funded by the federal government since May 2023 and in which we are represented with our partners from Heidelberg and Ulm as ZIHUb, is really a major milestone in psychiatry and psychotherapy research. We gave the initial impetus for the establishment of such a nationwide center to politicians almost 15 years ago. Now it has become a reality. The infrastructures of the ZIPP are of central importance here and also particularly valuable, as we are making them accessible to a wider circle of DZPG researchers. Everyone benefits from this. In terms of content, there is a high degree of correspondence between the specific research interests of the CIMH and our three lead projects within the DZPG: Early Intervention and Prevention in Adolescents, Mental Health in Cities, and Improved Psychotherapy. We will also collaborate with the other DZPG sites in the area of 7-T imaging.