Updated MRI scanner ready for use
The updated MRI scanner at the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) will become operational on 29 September. The new version is faster and better than the current model.
The only part left of the old MRI scanner – that was commissioned in 2010 – is the strong magnet. All the machinery around this magnet has been replaced by more modern versions. Researchers can now make faster and better brain scans, track brain dynamics better and generally study the brain in greater detail.
Scharper brain images
‘One of the main benefits is the improved quality of the scans,' Anne Hafkemeijer, MRI research coordinator at LIBC, explains. 'Because the magnet retains its original force, the contrast remains the same. But we can now get greater precision and a better signal in the brain scans. Added to that, the scanner is now digital, which means researchers can work much faster.'
Adolescent brain
The scanner will be used by brain specialists at Leiden University Medical Center. This investment means LUMC and Leiden University can continue to carry out leading and innovative research in such areas as the adolescent brain, language acquisition and psychiatry.
Come and take a look
The event on 29 September is open for staff and students of Leiden University and the LUMC. You are welcome to come and take a look from 15.00 to 17.00 hrs. in the sculpture garden of the LUMC, Albinusdreef, Leiden. You can see the scanner during one of the tours.