Jülich Imaging Technology Offers Precise Insights into the Structure and Function of the Human Brain
7 April 2025
Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich have developed a pioneering imaging technology that enables researchers to capture both the structural and functional aspects of the human brain more precisely than ever before. This advancement has been made possible by the BrainPET 7T insert: The cutting-edge innovation combines magnetic resonance images (MRI) alongside metabolic positron emission tomography (PET) images, enabling high-resolution images of the structure, function and metabolism of the brain in a single scan at an ultra-high magnetic field strength of 7 Tesla. This achievement represents a significant step forward in the use of imaging techniques in the early diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. First trials involving human subjects are planned for this year, marking the initial practical application of this technology to neuroscientific research and clinical imaging.
Preliminary testing has demonstrated the excellent precision of the BrainPET 7T insert, which captures brain images at an outstanding resolution of approximately 1.6 millimetres. This allows for the creation of three-dimensional brain images with 3.5 million pixels - vastly surpassing the 500,000 pixels achieved by older systems. In addition, the insert is highly sensitive, detecting over 11 percent of the gamma rays emitted by the PET tracer - a radioactive substance used to highlight metabolic activity - at the image centre. This heightened sensitivity enhances the level of detail available to scientists, providing a clearer and more accurate view of brain metabolism (the chemical processes in our brain) and overall brain function.
The BrainPET 7T insert was designed to operate within the Siemens Magnetom Terra 7T MRI scanner, which provides an ultra-high magnetic field strength of 7 Tesla, far greater than the standard MRI 1.5 or 3 Tesla scanners typically used in hospitals. The increased magnetic field strength of the ultra-high-field system provides a significantly improved signal, therefore producing sharper high-resolution images that can reveal even the finest of brain structures.
This combination of high resolution and sensitivity results in detailed images and precise data that provide valuable insights into the brain. By simultaneously capturing MRI and PET data under the same conditions, the BrainPET 7T insert sets new standards in PET/MRI imaging by eliminating the need for multiple examinations, which can be tedious and exhausting for patients. This technology will give researchers unprecedented access to the detailed workings of the brain in both health and disease, potentially improving the diagnosis and treatment of numerous neurological disorders and taking basic research to a new level.
"With the BrainPET 7T insert, we are entering a new era of imaging technology that could revolutionise both brain research and clinical applications," explains Prof. Jon Shah, head of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Although an earlier MR-PET system at 9.4 Tesla showed promise as a technology for high-resolution brain scans, limitations in the PET image quality and unresolved hurdles restricted its research applicability. In contrast, the new BrainPET 7T insert has now been able to take this crucial step, setting FZJ Jülich as the international leader in the field.
This project is the result of cross-institutional cooperation between several institutes at Forschungszentrum Jülich: the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Medical Imaging Physics (INM-4), the Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics - Engineering and Technologies (ZEA-1) - now Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) as well as Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics - Electronic Systems (ZEA-2) - now Peter Grünberg Institute - Integrated Computing Architectures (PGI-4 / ICA). It also received support from other external partners, such as the Chair for Imaging and Computer Vision, previously part of the Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging at RWTH Aachen University, the RWTH Spin-off Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, the Jülich Spin-off Affinity Imaging GmbH, Monash University (Australia), and Inviscan SAS (France). The project was funded through a combination of external funding from the Helmholtz Validation Fund and internal support from Innovation GO, which brings together world-leading expertise in neuroscience and imaging technology.
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- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM)
- Medical Imaging Physics (INM-4)
