all imaging stories

Diverse ‘connectomes’ hint at genes’ limits in the nervous system

404132862 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:01:00 -0500

Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears. These first-ever mammalian “connectomes,” or complete neural circuit diagrams, reveal that neural wiring can vary widely even in paired tissues on the left and right sides of the same animal.

New label-free method tracks molecules and drugs in live cells

404132862 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:24:13 -0500

A new type of highly sensitive microscopy developed by Harvard researchers could greatly expand the limits of modern biomedical imaging, allowing scientists to track the location of minuscule metabolites and drugs in living cells and tissues without the use of any kind of fluorescent labeling.

The technique, based on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), works by detecting the vibrations in chemical bonds between atoms. SRS microscopy could provide scientists with a potent new form of real-time, three-dimensional bioimaging free of fluorescent labels that can hinder many biological processes.

Star quest knowledge provides new view of ourselves

404132862 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:50:21 -0400

In a basement laboratory at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), surrounded by instruments built to detect the universe’s distant secrets, sits a machine that will help us look not outward to the stars, but inward at our own bodies.

Even in healthy elderly, brain systems become less coordinated

404132862 — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:31:14 -0500

Some brain systems become less coordinated with age even in the absence of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from Harvard University. The results help to explain why advanced age is often accompanied by a loss of mental agility, even in an otherwise healthy individual.

Cerebral cortex thicker in people with migraines

404132862 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:54:55 -0500

People who suffer from migraine headaches have differences in an area of the brain that helps process sensory information, including pain, according to a study published in the November 20, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study found that part of the cortex area of the brain is thicker in people with migraine than in people who do not have the neurological disorder.

Comparing 24 people with migraine to 12 people without migraine, the study found that the somatosensory cortex area of the brain was an average of 21 percent thicker in those with migraine.

Researchers create colorful "Brainbow" images of the nervous system

404132862 — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:07:16 -0400

By activating multiple fluorescent proteins in neurons, neuroscientists at Harvard University are imaging the brain and nervous system as never before, rendering their cells in a riotous spray of colors dubbed a "Brainbow."

Economic motivation could underlie some ordering of imaging tests

404132862 — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:44:40 -0400

A new study by researchers at Institute for Technology Assessment in Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Department of Radiology finds that physicians who consistently refer patients to themselves or members of their own specialty for imaging studies, rather than to radiologists, are more likely to order such studies for a variety of medical conditions. The results suggest that economic motivation could underlie some of the excess referrals.

Frankel wins Lennart Nilsson Award

404132862 — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:15:10 -0400

Felice Frankel, scientific imagist and Senior Research Fellow at Harvard’s Initiative in Innovative Computing, has been named the recipient of the 2007 Lennart Nilsson Award for scientific or nature photography.

Frankel was cited for creating images described by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, which oversees the award, as “exquisite works of art and crystal-clear scientific photographs – both fascinating and valuable to the general public and scientific community alike.”

Imaging may not be major driver of hospital cost increases

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:18:33 -0400

"There have been several news stories and reports from insurers claiming that imaging costs are catching and even surpassing drug costs as major drivers of health care inflation," says Scott Gazelle, M.D., MPH, Ph.D., and an MGH radiologist who is director of the Institute for Technology Assessment. "Those of us who work in imaging believe that its use should be celebrated, since imaging has truly transformed the way we deliver health care. But we also need to understand the value that imaging brings to health care; and when looking at its costs, we need to make sure our analyses are accurate."

Gazelle and co-author Molly Beinfeld, MPH, analyzed billing records for patients admitted to MGH between 1996 and 2002.

Imaging technique tracks tumor escape into lymph nodes

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:31:44 -0400

For doctors as well as patients, detecting metastases can be a notoriously burdensome affair. Often, the only way to see whether a patient's lymph nodes are invaded by cancer cells is to surgically remove and inspect them. In some cases, such as gastric cancer, this can mean several hours of sorting through the nodes in the abdominal cavity before even tackling the primary tumor. Even then surgeons are not sure they are looking in the right place. Now a new imagining technique -- which employs a fleet of tiny magnetic particles -- reveals lymph node metastases that are invisible to other approaches. "You have to understand that the importance of this is tremendous.

New 3-D mammography system may improve breast imaging

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:25:42 -0400

Researcher Elizabeth Rafferty of the Massachusetts General Hospital Breast Imaging Service described initial results of a study comparing a new technique, called digital tomosynthesis, to standard mammography. Among the new technique's advantages is a significant reduction in false positive test results. "The overlap of breast structures presents a major challenge for radiologists, both because these tissues can hide cancers and because they produce shadows which mimic a lesion on conventional mammography," Rafferty says. "These false positive studies account for almost 25 percent of the instances when women are recalled for additional imaging from their screening mammograms.

Imaging test may detect gene for genetic cardiac disease

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:21:37 -0400

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cause of cardiac death among young people and affects one in every 500 individuals, including professional athletes. It is characterized by an enlargement of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber. This enlargement results in a thickening of the walls of the heart, which then prevents the heart from functioning properly. Researchers used a relatively new imaging technique called Doppler tissue imaging (DTI), a real-time noninvasive ultrasound procedure that shows how fast the heart muscle moves during contraction and relaxation. They found that individuals who had HCM tended to have lower velocities during the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle.