Bridging Gaps in the Neuroimaging Puzzle: New Ways to Image Brain Anatomy and Function in Health and Disease Using Electroencephalography and 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Healthy; Epilepsy; Psychosis; Essential Tremor

Treatments: Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla; Device: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7 Tesla

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Industry; Other

Identifiers

NCT05769933

221-FP.2333_PUZZLE

SNCTP000005245 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The human brain presents outstanding challenges to science and medicine. Brain function and structure span broad spatial scales (from single neurons to brain-wide networks) as well as temporal scales (from milliseconds to years). Currently, none of the tools available for studying the brain can fully capture its structure and function across these diverse scales - "the neuroimaging puzzle". This poses crucial limitations to understanding how the brain works, and how it is affected by numerous diseases.

The central goal of this project is to expand currently available tools for non-invasive human brain imaging, to bridge critical gaps in the neuroimaging puzzle. New methodologies will be developed, focused on ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF MRI) and its combination with electroencephalography (EEG). New contrast mechanisms and technological advances enabled by UHF MRI and EEG will be explored to allow unprecedented views into the microstructure of brain regions like the thalamus, and to capture the activity of large-scale neuronal networks in the brain with high sensitivity, temporal and spatial specificity. These advances will be directly applied to address open questions in the diagnosis and treatment of essential tremor, and psychosis.

In general, improved brain imaging techniques are critical for a deeper understanding of how the brain works, and to detect and characterize diseases more effectively, thereby improving clinical management and leading to a healthier population. The non-invasive characterization and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like tremor is particularly relevant to aging modern societies.

Enrollment: 156 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Common to all participant groups: be 18 years old or older; be able to understand instructions; be able to provide informed consent.
• Specific to healthy participants: have no history of neurological or mental disorders; normal vision or corrected-to-normal using contact lenses.
• Specific to the patient groups: not be hospitalized; having been diagnosed with tremor, epilepsy or psychosis and invited to participate by our team's clinicians; for some groups: normal vision or corrected-to-normal using contact lenses.

Exclusion criteria

• Contra-indications for MRI (e.g. an implant that is not MRI-compatible), also including having claustrophobia or being pregnant.
• Inability to follow the necessary tasks of the study (e.g. unable to lie on the scanner bed).
• Having undergone brain surgeries in the past.

Trial design

156 participants in 5 patient groups

Healthy participants

Description:

Healthy volunteers with no history of neurological problems or mental disorders; normal vision or corrected-to-normal using contact lenses. Interventions: MRI and combined EEG-fMRI.

Treatment:

Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla

Device: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7 Tesla

Essential tremor patients

Description:

Non-hospitalized volunteers who have been diagnosed with essential tremor and are indicated for thalamic surgery. Interventions: MRI.

Treatment:

Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla

Psychosis patients

Description:

Non-hospitalized volunteers who have been diagnosed with early psychosis, and clinically assessed; normal vision or corrected-to-normal using contact lenses. Interventions: MRI and combined EEG-fMRI.

Treatment:

Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla

Device: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7 Tesla

Healthy controls

Description:

Healthy volunteers who have been clinically assessed and determined to be suitable matched controls with respect to the psychosis group; normal vision or corrected-to-normal using contact lenses. Interventions: MRI and combined EEG-fMRI.

Treatment:

Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla

Device: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7 Tesla

Epilepsy patients

Description:

Non-hospitalized volunteers who have been diagnosed with epilepsy.

Treatment:

Device: Structural MRI at 7 Tesla

Device: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7 Tesla