The combination of MRI with PET furthermore makes it feasible to study the sequences occurring at receptors, which are responsible for the communication between brain cells, in order to study the mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Thomas Rachel, German secretary of State for education and research, states that the device, nicknamed “9point4,” will be an effective tool for opening doors to new diagnostic methods and therapies for dementia patients. The new 9.4-Tesla MRI represents a giant leap from 1.5T or 3T systems that are typically available in clinical settings and allows tracking the behavior of individual cells in living organisms. 

Wide opportunities in various research areas
“For the first time, cerebral structures, functions, and molecular processes of a living human being can be examined at the same time and their interdependencies as well as therapy effects in all ranks can be analyzed,” states Prof. Karl Zillies, Director of the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM), in a press release issued by Jülich Research Centre, claiming the groundbreaking character of the project. Further cooperations, for example with the University of Maastricht, Netherlands, with the new German Helmholtz Centre for Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn and with the Northrhine-Westphalian Institute of Technology in Aachen are planned, as 9point4 grants wide opportunities in various research areas.