Cerebral Activation

Research on cerebral activation has been going on at the Institute of Neuroradiology in Mainz for more than 15 years. Imaging is based on the increased cerebral blood flow during activation and the so-called BOLD contrast and has recently improved further from the high magnetic field of our new 3T scanner Trio. Apart from the neuro-network mentioned above, there is a close cooperation with the department of nuclear medicine to compare fMRI and PET results of activation and transmitter imaging studies. Our research projects are presented and discussed every two months on a workshop organized by the CNS group of the Interdisciplinary Working Group “Functional MRI” of the University of Mainz.

Please contact:    

• Th. Bauermann (MR physicist)
• St. Boor, MD
• J. Gawehn, MD ( gawehn@uni-mainz.de)
• A. Kronfeld (MR physicist)
• G. Vucurevic (MR physicist)
• C. Weibrich (IT specialist)

Special research projects in cerebral activation

Motor System

• Activation of subcomponents during watching and imitation
• Activation during writing

Pain

• Somatotopic organization of nociceptive activation in operculo-insular cortex
• Opiod receptor distribution in temporal lobe
• Imagination of pain and pain memory
• Activation in patients with allodynia and regional pain syndrome
• Pain activation in patients with psychosomatic disorders

Nystagmus and Vestibular System

• Infra- and supratentorial activation in optokinetic nystagmus
• Vestibular activation due to caloric and click stimulation
• Interaction of different sensory systems in cerebral activation

Working memory

• Correlation to structural imaging of white matter (DTI)
• Correlation to electrophysiology (P300, skin conductance)
• Alterations in patients with ADHS, schizophrenia

Epilepsy

• Activation due to interictal spikes