First Name
Alireza
Last Name
Radmanesh
Degree
M.D.
Address
505 Parnassus Ave, L-352
San Francisco, CA 94143-0628
United States
Phone Number
(415) 570-2353
Fax
(415) 353-8593
Email
alireza.radmanesh@ucsf.edu
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Investigator/Applicant Alireza
First Name
Investigator/Applicant Radmanesh
Last Name
Investigator/Applicant M.D.
Degree
Investigator/Applicant
Name Address
505 Parnassus Ave, L-352
San Francisco, CA 94143
United States
Investigator/Applicant (415) 570-2353
Name Phone Number
Investigator/Applicant alireza.radmanesh@ucsf.edu
Name Email
Title
Structural and Functional Connectivity of the Attention Network: Identifying
Imaging Biomarkers of Attention Impairment in Pediatric Concussions and
Neuroplasticity after Cognitive Training
Abstract of Proposed Research Plan (300 words)
The aims of this project are two-fold: (1) to uncover the role of structural and functional connectivity
changes in the pathophysiology of attention dysfunction in children with mild traumatic brain injury
(mTBI), and (2) to demonstrate neuroimaging biomarkers of neuroplasticity following cognitive training in
children with mTBI.
We will be studying 30 mTBI patients aged 7 to 17 years recruited from the UCSF Bay Area Concussion and
Brain Injury Program (BACBIP). All subjects will complete preliminary imaging and cognitive testing
procedures, followed by a 2-month at-home online training (well-validated TAPAT regiment targeting
attention dysfunction), followed by post-training repeat imaging and cognitive testing procedures.
Imaging will include quantification of regional changes in brain volume (3TMRI), assessing the
microstructural integrity of white matter tracts (DTI), and evaluating the functional connectivity networks
associated with the brain’s baseline activity(resting state fMRI). All imaging data will be corroborated with
clinical, neurobehavioral and neurocognitive testing before and after training to assess whether these
modalities can predict patient outcome in this prospective study of pediatric mTBI.
Imaging structural and functional connectivity in pediatric mTBI remains an understudied topic in the
literature. Attention dysfunction, especially in children and adolescents, is a major source of morbidity
after concussion, impacting intellectual development, scholastic achievement, and interpersonal
relationships. The overarching significance of this project lies in the new pathophysiological insights that
can be gleaned from advanced imaging of the pediatric mTBI. While previous research has shown that
online training modules can improve attention in children and adults [1-3], their efficacy in the setting of
mTBI has not been investigated. We hypothesize that the cognitive training will improve attention in mTBI
subjects, and that advanced neuroimaging will show connectivity changes corresponding to attention
alterations. Such imaging correlates could be potential biomarkers for attention function in children with
mTBI.
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and bibliography
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Resources and Environment:
Laboratory Resources
Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging at China Basin: The Center for Molecular and Functional
Imaging (CMFI) includes approximately 61,000 sq. ft. of laboratory and office space for UCSF (including
faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and staff). The CMFI houses NCL (the Neural Connectivity
Lab) of UCSF. Other lab and facilities include a research 3T wide-bore scanner, a research PET-MRI
scanner, a research CT scanner, a small animal 7T MR, two clinical/research PET/CT scanners, a PET
cyclotron, and a small animal PET system, Tissue Culture Facility, Preclinical Fluorescence Imaging
Laboratory, Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory, the Physics Research Laboratory (PRL) and
Vivarium.
Surbeck Laboratory for Advanced Imaging at Mission Bay: The Surbeck Lab is the California Institute for
Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3). The institute involves more than 100 scientists housed in a new
building on roughly 96,000 sq. ft. of space on five floors designed to house multi-departmental and
multi-disciplinary laboratories, lecture halls, and shared scientific resources. The key facility relevant to
this project is the state-of-the-art 3T GE MR750 whole body scanner with advanced gradient system and
multi channel capability. Other labs and facilities include a 7T GE whole body scanner with multi-nuclear
and multi-channel capability, the MR electronics laboratory, the fabrication/machine shop facility, animal
preparation, management and physiologic monitoring, NMR laboratory and the high field hyperpolarized
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility. There are also electronic shops, a machine shop, and a server
room that is dedicated to meet the heavy computatio nal needs of the research programs in the building.
Clinical Resources
The UCSF Department of Radiology: A fully-equipped teaching, research, and clinical facility, including
more than 150 faculty (35 full-time), 40,000 sq. ft. of space, performing 120,000 examinations annually.
There are 3 GE LX Horizon MR 1.5T systems. Additionally, there are two 1.5 Tesla whole body GE Excite-2
scanners in the outpatient facility of the Department of Radiology. 3T GE research MR systems were
installed in October 2003 and June 2005 and a clinical system was installed in July 2004. All systems are
kept state-of-the-art with phased-array and spectroscopy capability to meet the department’s goal of
rapid translational MR research. Techniques and protocols developed on the dedicated research scanner
can rapidly and easily be installed on the clinical scanners and applied to clinical practice. This has
occurred in many cases including spectroscopic imaging, echo-planar imaging, high-resolution imaging,
image post-processing (reception profile corrections, ser ial alignments, multimodality registration), and
diffusion and perfusion fMRI (both acquisition and analysis). The large hospital population, major medical
school and leading biomedical research university all make this an outstanding facility for a collaborative
translational MR research as proposed in this project.
The Clinical Imaging Center at China Basin: consists of two suites and includes both outpatient and
research services. The space is divided into clinical and research areas with easy access between them. Key
areas are: patient reception and waiting areas, offices for consulting with patients, office spaces for lead
technicians and shared faculty use, men’s and women’s dressing rooms, clinical reading room for images,
two CT scanners: one clinical and one research, two clinical 1.5 Tesla MRI machines, computer rooms to
support the scanners and MRIs, animal holding room, Xtreme CT, Digital mammography, Nuclear medicine
area with a PET/CT, Hawkeye SPECT, and gamma camera.
Computers
The Department of Radiology has a research computing facility that provides a core infrastructure for
networking and systems administration. Staff that are supported by this facility manage Mac laptops for
research and investigators running OSX for data storage and generation of reports, and a number of Sun
UNIX workstations for processing images and spectroscopic data acquired on the MR scanner. All of the
computer workstations and severs have the necessary software tools to perform research data
management. The China Basin, QB3 and other research facilities have high speed land/wireless data
network, automatic tape backup and archival CD, DVD, optical disc jukeboxes. The PI has a Department of
Radiology issued Apple MacBook Pro with all the necessary software tools (e.g. text editor, image
manipulation, databases, spreadsheets, and publication software). Data backup is provided continuously
to all research computers and department-issued personal computers via secure cloud- based software.
The PI’s computer support including computer encryption and security is provided by the Department of
Radiology. Multiple printers are available including a Xerox Phaser 6360 color laser printer as well as HP
LaserJet 4200dtn printers. The MR scanners are linked through Ethernet to the remote workstations, and
in addition connected to GE “Advantage Windows” workstations and an Agfa PACS system. Departmental
PACS services include high-resolution monitor workstations for film reading, archival facilities, and image
retrieval functionality. The Department of Radiology has a research computing facility that provides a core
infrastructure for networking and systems administration. QB3-UCSF also hosts a shared Computing
Facility, which is a core biocomputational resource comprised of over 4000 discrete processor nodes.
Major Equipment:
The 3T and 7T scanners in the UCSF Surbeck Laboratory for Advanced Imaging, and the 3T scanner at the
CMFI are available to users on a recharge basis with dedicated support staff to assist them in application
development. These magnets have the latest technology from GE Healthcare with 16 receivers and a high
speed/high volume data pipeline, multi-nuclear capability and high performance gradients. The 7T system
is one of a handful of research systems being constructed by GE for collaborative development with
academic partners The body gradient system has peak strength of 40 mT/m and slew rate of 150 mT/s2.
A 150 mm ID animal gradient insert system from Resonance Research Systems has been purchased for the
3T and 7T scanners at the Surbeck Laboratory with a shielded 3-axis 300 mT/m gradient set with a 130
microsecond rise time, a B0 compensation coil and a shim system. For additional details, please see the
"Resources and Environment" section.
Additional
The Department of Radiology at UCSF is fully supportive of this project (as
Information:
reflected in the Chairman's letter of recommendation). Biostatistical services and
consultations are readily available.
Award Payee First
Mary Catherine
Name
Award Payee Last
Name
Gaisbauer
Award Payee
B.S.
Degree
Award Payee Address
1855 Folsom Street Mission Center Building, Room 425
San Francisco, CA 94143
United States
Award Payee Phone
(415) 476-7007
Number
Award Payee Email
mc.gaisbauer@ucsf.edu
Grant Administrator's
Deborah
First Name
Grant Administrator's
Good
Last Name
Grant Administrator's
Address
3333 California Street Lauren Heights, Room 315
San Francisco, CA 94143
United States
Grant Administrator's
(415) 476-1447
Phone Number
Grant Administrator's
Deborah.good@ucsf.edu
Email
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Recommendation 1
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Recommendation 2
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Vitae
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