Clinical Applications of MRI

David A. Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D. and his co-investigators are interested in the development of techniques for the clinical application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of diseases of the central nervous system, vascular system, musculoskeletal system, heart, liver, abdomen, kidneys, prostate, and female pelvis, as well as development of MRI techniques and MR microscopy for studies of morphologic development, diffusion, flow and perfusion.

Projects include 3-D image display and coregistration of different imaging modalities, such as MR, PET and SPECT.

Unlike other radiology technologies which required major hardware changes for improvement, MRI improvements are more readily accomplished with new pulse sequences designs which are implemented in software. Dr. Feinberg's activities focus on the development of MRI techniques to be used for studying human physiology and brain activity, and for non-invasive diagnosis in the cardiovascular system, abdomen, pelvis and neuroaxis. Recent projects include: 1) quantitation of blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow; 2) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for the non-invasive evaluation of peripheral vascular disease, aortic dissections, post-operative aorta, and renal artery stenosis; 3) evaluation of brain and spinal cord motion to assess hydrocephalus and brain aging, and degenerative diseases; and 4) functional MRI studies to evaluate brain activity and for pre-surgical mapping of cortical activity.

Representative

Representative Publications:

• Feinberg, DA, Kiefer, B., Litt, A.. (Apr. (1994)
• Gradient-Spin Echo (GRASE) Imaging with Mixed Bandwidth. Mag Res Med 31 461-464. Feinberg, DA, Oshio, K., (1994)
• Imaging. Mag Res Med 32 535-539. Feinberg, DA, Kiefer, B., Litt, A. (1995)