New functional brain imaging method identified

A research team led by NeuRA (Neuroscience Research Australia) has identified a new method for functional brain imaging, dubbed functional conductivity imaging (funCI), to assist with studies of the brain, brain disorders and the spinal cord. FunCI reveals the electrical properties of tissues, unlike traditional imaging techniques such as MRI, CT and ultrasound, being structural.

In a paper published in the journal Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine, the researchers demonstrated that funCI can work as an alternative to conventional fMRI. Lead researcher Professor Caroline Rae said the new imaging method allowed the team to detect, map and quantify neural activity.

“Where conventional fMRI is based on changes in blood flow to the brain that occurs some seconds after a stimulus, the new method may be directly detecting brain electrical activity, making it a powerful tool for early and precise diagnosis,” Rae said.

“Abnormal conductivity in tissues can be an early indicator of neurological disorders such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease, or even cardiovascular problems. With this imaging technique, clinicians can potentially detect diseases earlier, long before structural changes become visible in conventional imaging.

“There are thousands of possible uses for this in studies of normal brain function and brain disorders.”

FunCI is primarily performed using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology. Conventional fMRI looks at brain activity based on changes in blood flow to the brain, but functional conductivity imaging directly detects neuronal activity, through changes in the local magnetic field that arise due to brain activity. The changes are then converted to electrical conductivity measures and mapped. It is a quantitative, sensitive and repeatable application for non-invasive detection of brain activity.

“Tissue conductivity changes measured with funCI can be used to map functional activation pathways in the brain,” Rae said.

“The method detects activation in both grey and white matter and it’s also sensitive to small stimuli. FunCI is a useful alternative to conventional fMRI for spatial and temporal mapping of brain activity.”

FunCI offers a precise and non-invasive way to deepen our understanding of how diseases of brain and mind affect us. By combining high-resolution imaging with real-time data on tissue function, it offers a significant leap forward in the field of medical imaging and opening new avenues in personalised medicine.

“FunCI can detect the entire brain pathway that is involved in a task, not just the changes happening in the brain’s cortex,” Rae said.

“This information could enable researchers to tailor treatments based on how your body is responding in real time, allowing doctors to personalise therapies. This could lead to more precise treatments, faster recovery times and better health outcomes overall.”

Rae said funCI opens up a whole new area of brain research and could also be extended to the spinal cord. She added that more research is being planned in this area, particularly in exploring how the technique could apply to other diseases.

“This was an important step, but we have more research planned, including applications for epilepsy, stroke and looking at if this method can be used as a substitute for FDG-PET scans,” she said.

Image caption: FunCI of the optic nerve. Image has been cropped from the original and appears courtesy of the study authors under CC BY 4.0