Introduction
Brain imaging research has seen remarkable advances since McLean opened the very first Brain Imaging Center in a psychiatric hospital in 1988. In 2001, McLean opened its new Neuroimaging Center as home to its three magnetic resonance scanners, for clinical scanning and for anatomic, chemical and functional imaging.The NIC houses many ongoing projects on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, alcohol and drug abuse and many other disorders. It also hosts new programs on the study of psychiatric disorders of children and of neurodegeneration and aging.
The NIC is ideally suited to house magnets. Its H shape makes magnetic shielding of these machines simple, and three of its four wings are built on slab bedrock, giving the stability and load bearing necessary to support the sensitive and very heavy magnets which are the heart of magnetic resonance scanners.
All video available in QuickTime format:
View magnet installation -- high bandwidth (12 MB)
View magnet installation -- low bandwidth (4 MB)
Neuroimaging Center Main Lobby
From our lobby you can visit our GE 1.5 Tesla clinical magnet, our Siemens 3T magnet and our Varian 4T research scanner. Research programs in the Neuroimaging Center include the Brain Imaging Center, the Affective Disorders Laboratory, the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Laboratory and the Sleep Disorders Research Center. More about the Neuroimaging Center >>>
4.0 Tesla Magnet
Installed in 2001, McLean's Varian 4.0 Tesla magnet is one of the world's most powerful magnets in use for brain imaging. The magnet has a force 80,000 times stronger than the Earth's own magnetic field and will provide remarkable new data on the brain in psychiatric and substance abuse research.
1.5 Tesla Magnet
McLean's first magnet, a GE 1.5 Tesla, was installed in 1988 and replaced with the latest technology in 2001. In this magnet, McLean researchers were the first to use high-speed magnetic resonance brain imaging to identify regional abnormalities in brain chemistry and activation in people with schizophrenia, mood disorders, normal aging and Alzheimer's disease.
