World Class MRI Facility To Detect Brain Disorders Launched At NBRC In Haryana's Manesar

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Friday (19 November) launched first of its kind, latest and world's most sophisticated MRI facility at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) in Haryana's Manesar, said an official release.

The NBRC is India's premier institute dedicated to neuroscience research and education.

Singh said that with this facility, India embarks on new frontiers of human neuroscience with a unique and powerful 3T MRI platform of outstanding performance.

He informed that MRI Scanner Prisma from German multinational Siemens is being used by several international initiatives, like Brain initiative of USA and the European human brain project, a Ministry of Science and Technology release said on Friday.

Singh said this new facility can run intense scanning modalities very fast, which reduces the scanning time for patients by almost a quarter from earlier-generation machines. This is being used to develop human cohort data for patients suffering from common brain and mental health disorders including Parkinson's Disease, Alziemer's Disease, anxiety and depression, he said.

According to the release, the Scientists explained to the minister that the machine can detect and quantify highly sensitive receptors and antioxidants from the brain which has a direct link with onset of various brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and psychiatric disorders.

The machine is equipped to detect brain sodium levels, which has direct relevance for assessment of brain tumors non-invasively. Also, heavy metal deposition in the brain due to pollution or many other factors can be quantified as necessary for various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, the release said.