MIRCen, preclinical research platform on neurodegenerative diseases located in Fontenay-aux-Roses, has just acquired a new Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner dedicated to rodents.
Funded by the “Programme Investissement d’Avenir”, it will strengthen the NeurATRIS infrastructure equipment. This scanner has a magnetic field strength of 11.7 Tesla, which, combined with a new generation of detectors, yields a much greater sensitivity than MIRCen's existing 7 Tesla MRI system. Better sensitivity allows to acquire either images in a shorter time or of better resolution. Rodent brain images can now reach a resolution of a few tens of micrometers, which will greatly improve the detection of lesions during neurodegeneration, or early changes in brain structures. Beyond imaging, the increased sensitivity of this new MRI scanner allows a very detailed study of the biochemistry of the brain in vivo through magnetic resonance spectroscopy by detecting the metabolites associated to neurotransmission or to energy metabolism.