Advanced functional neuroimaging centre
The advanced center neuroimaging is the research wing of the department with 3T scanners at Neurocentre and a research only scanner funded by the Department of Science and technology together with fMRI and MR compatible EEG system.
In the past five years, the department has completed several funded research projects (Annexure 1) and has several ongoing projects (Annexure 2) in functional neuroimaging. Several students of DM Neuroradiology, DM Neurology, PhD clinical neurosciences, Mch Neurosurgery, MD Psychiatry training programs of the institute has done research on functional neuroimaging to understand a spectrum of neurological and behavioral disorders (Annexure 3). Establishing fMRI EEG facility, and merging signal and image processing methods is at the high point of our efforts and in the last couple of years, with the help of several research fellows, scientific officers and several national and international research collaborations we have succeeded in establishing several image processing algorithms which has resulted in several original articles (Annexure 4). We are currently involved in using machine learning methods in taking the results of our research from bench to bed side by providing subject specific answers. Apart from the work within the institute, we have conducted several onsite workshops and teaching programs both in India and in other countries, enabling them to start functional neuroimaging facilities at their respective centres (Annexure 5).
Scientific Staff
Mr. A. Thamodharan (M.Tech. CSE)
PhD student (NIIR),
He has his expertise in Paradigm designing using various softwares like E-prime, Superlab, Paradigm wizard and Presentation software. He is analyzing the same in various softwares like SPM, CONN, FSL, MATLAB, Philips ISP, IPlanet softwares etc. for both Clinical and Research cases.
Mr. Kiran Raj V. (M.Tech. Signal Processing, B.Tech ECE)
Junior Scientific Officer, Professional Data science engineer, with background in Digital signal processing.
He develops analytical models involving the study and analysis in the field of cognitive neuroscience. He is involved in the analysis and signal modelling in various neurocognitive disorders. His research interest is in Digital signal processing, Statistical signal modelling, machine learning, and EEG-fMRI. Currently he is working on Epilepsy and he is involved in the development of analytical model using machine learning methods.
Mr Sunil Khokar (M.TEch, Cogntive neuroscience)
PhD student (NIIR),
He has his expertise in image processing and cognitive neuroscience applications. He is currently working on network visualization methods in understanding network dynamics of working memory.
Annexure 1 . List of Research Projects completed till date
Annexure 2 – List of ongoing Research Projects
Annexure 3. Original research articles in functional neuroimaging
Annexure 4 – Manpower training in functional neuroimaging
Annexure 5 – Conferences and Workshops and lectures conducted in functional neuroimaging
Details
Research Activities in 2015- 2016
Dynamic functional connectivity uncovers altered brain synchrony during propofol sedation
| Name of Project/Title | Dynamic functional connectivity uncovers altered brain synchrony during propofol sedation |
Investigator
| Sri Ganesh K Rose Dawn Bharath |
| Total duration of the project | 3 years |
| Source of funding | Intramural |
| Funding agency (ies) | NA |
| Total funding | NA |
| Funding during the review period/year | NA |
| Status | Completed |
| Student project | No. Retrospective data analysis of intramural project |
Results / report* Human consciousness is considered consequent to synchronous “humming” of multiple dynamic networks. We undertook dynamic functional connectivity analysis of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) in 14 patients, before and during propofol infusion, to characterize sedation induced alterations in consciousness. A sliding 36 seconds window was used to derive 59 time points of whole brain integrated local connectivity measures. Significant changes of connectivity strength (Z Corr), at various time points, were used to measure connectivity fluctuations during awake and sedated states. In comparison with the awake state, sedation was associated with reduced cortical fluctuations in several areas connected to default mode network and around the peri-rolandic cortex, with a significantly decreased correlation of connectivity within their anatomical homologues. In addition, sedation was also associated with increased fluctuations in the frequency range of 0.027 to 0.063 Hz in several deep nuclear regions involving the cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia and the insula. | |
Photographs / Graphs
Dynamic functional connectivity during the awake state, sedation and the differences between two conditions is depicted in rows. Seven representative snap shots of integrated local correlation at sliding window 1, 10, 20, 30 ,40 , 50 and 59 is shown overlapped on brain-netviewer images. Decreased cortical connectivity is represented in blue and increased deep nuclear connectivity is depicted in red in the last row which represents the effects of sedation. | |
- Disrupted Resting Brain Small-Worldness Predicts Greater Externalizing Symptoms in Children of Alcoholics.
| Name of Project/Title | Disrupted Resting Brain Small-Worldness Predicts Greater Externalizing Symptoms in Children of Alcoholics. |
Investigator
| Dr.VivekBenegal Dr Rose Dawn Bharath |
| Total duration of the project | 3 years |
| Source of funding | Non-funded |
| Funding agency (ies) | NA |
| Total funding | NA |
| Funding during the review period/year | NA |
| Status | Completed |
| Student project | Yes. Retrospective data analysis |
Results / report* Background:Familial susceptibility to alcoholism could be linked to theexternalizing diathesis seen in high-risk offspring from multiplex alcohol use disorder (AUD) families. The present study aimed at exploring the link between externalizing symptoms and alcoholism familial history risk by examining the resting-state functional brain networks. Methods: Substance-naive high-risk (HR) male offspring (n=40) from multiplex-AUD families were compared with healthy low-risk (LR) males (n=30).The topological properties of the resting-state functional brain networks were analyzed with a graph-theory based approach.The relationship of the externalizing symptom scores (ESS), alcoholism family loading and age with the altered network measures were also evaluated. Results:TheHRsubjects showed significantly reduced clustering and small-worldness in the frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular, sensorimotor and cerebellar networks .These disruptions exhibited independent incremental value in predicting the ESS over and above the demographic variables. The reduction of functional segregation in HRsubjects was proportional to family loading of AUDs. | |
Photographs / Graphs
Surface visualization of the brain regions showing significant reductions in the nodal clustering coefficient values (γ) in high-risk (HR) offspring when compared to low-risk (LR) group. The bar plots demonstrates the γ values for the two groups at different brain regions and the symbol (**) indicates significant reduction (p-value<0.05,FDR corrected). Nodal size is proportional to the T-value and the color map is indicative of the Cohen’s d value. All regions had Cohen’s d value > 0.8 indicating large effect sizes. | |
- MRI lesion mapping in Neurocysticercosis (NCC)
| Name of Project/Title | MRI lesion mapping in Neurocysticercosis (NCC) |
Investigator
| Jitender Saini AK Gupta |
| Total duration of the project | 6 months |
| Source of funding | Non-funded |
| Funding agency (ies) | |
| Total funding | |
| Funding during the review period/year | |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Student project | Yes/ No |
Results / report* (not exceeding 150 words; will be truncated at the word limit ) | |
| Photographs / Graphs | |
- Advanced Network Analysis of the Structural Connectome of human brain
| Name of Project/Title | Advanced Network Analysis of the Structural Connectome of human brain |
Investigator
| Jitender Saini |
| Total duration of the project | 2 years |
| Source of funding | Non-funded |
| Funding agency (ies) | SERB |
| Total funding | 27,00,000/- |
| Funding during the review period/year | |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Student project | Yes/ No |
Results / report* (not exceeding 150 words; will be truncated at the word limit ) | |
| Photographs / Graphs | |
- DTI analysis of head bath triggering Migraine
| Name of Project/Title | DTI analysis of head bath triggering Migraine |
Investigator
| Maya Dattatraya Bhat Girish Baburao Kulkarni Chandrajit Prasad Bhavani Shankara Bagepally |
| Total duration of the project | 2yrs |
| Source of funding | Intramural |
| Funding agency (ies) | NIMHANS |
| Total funding | -330000 |
| Funding during the review period/year | -2015-2017 |
| Status | Recruitment completed |
| Abstract | Head bath as a trigger for migraine has been described recently in a study on 94 patients from India. Chakravarthy has proposed the mode of action of this trigger This study will try to test the above hypothesis by looking for DTI abnormalities in migraine patients with head wash as a trigger. |
- Understanding the neurobiological effects of oxytocin on social trust deficits in schizophrenia multimodal imaging genetics study
| Name of Project/Title | Understanding the neurobiological effects of oxytocin on social trust deficits in schizophrenia multimodal imaging genetics study |
Investigator
| Naren PI Sandhya M Chandana |
| Total duration of the project | 3 years |
| Source of funding | /Extramural/ |
| Funding agency (ies) | DST |
| Total funding | – |
| Funding during the review period/year | – |
| Status | New |
| Student project | – |
Results / report* (not exceeding 150 words; will be truncated at the word limit ) | |
| Photographs / Graphs | |
| Name of Project/Title | “SANSCOG study” |
Investigator
| Sandhya M Chandana |
| Total duration of the project | 6 years |
| Source of funding | /Extramural/ |
| Funding agency (ies) | Centre for brain research |
| Total funding | – |
| Funding during the review period/year | – |
| Status | New |
| Student project | – |
Results / report* (not exceeding 150 words; will be truncated at the word limit ) | |