Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis (NA2)

ABSTRACT Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis (NA2) Core Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Center Cognitive neuroscience research with human subjects requires the integration of cognitive psychology and neuroscience to identify the brain substrates of different cognitive processes and behaviors. The Neuroimaging Acquisition and Analysis (NA2) Core of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Development and Aging (CoNDA) Center was part of the CoNDA Phase I grant and will continue in Phase II. In that role, NA2 will continue to support Research Project Leads (RPLs) and Pilot Project Investigators (PPLs) who are conducting human subjects research with healthy and non-healthy children and adults; the facilities comprising the NA2 Core are of course also available to other investigators. The NA2 Core will provide a full complement of cutting-edge neuroimaging capabilities along with expertise in the collection, storage, processing, analysis, and interpretation of neuroimaging data. The NA2 Core is composed of two “sub-cores” supporting the collection of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data, respectively. For MRI data collection, CoNDA’s NA2 Core includes UNMC’s research-dedicated MRI facility, a core that houses a 3T Siemens Prisma MRI instrument equipped to collect data in structural, functional, diffusion, spectroscopy, and still further MR modalities. For MEG data collection, CoNDA’s NA2 Core facilitates research utilization of a MEGin Truix Neo MEG instrument owned by Nebraska Medicine (UNMC’s clinical counterpart). CoNDA’s NA2 Core was implemented from the inception of the Center, and research utilization by CoNDA and campus investigators has grown tremendously since that time. The NA2 Core will be led by Dr. David E. Warren (director, MRI lead) and Dr. Valentina Gumenyuk (co-director, MEG lead) with facilitation of core activities by dedicated staff.