Brain Imaging Research

Physicians refer patients to Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix for our exceptionally detailed MRI studies as well as our highly skilled radiologists, who interpret MRI study results.

MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and virtually all other internal body structures.

Banner Alzheimer’s features the 3 Tesla (3T) MRI system and offers:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT)

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

The fMRI measures the tiny metabolic changes that take place in an active part of the brain. It’s used to examine the anatomy of the brain and:

• Pursue brain mapping to determine which part of the brain is handling critical functions such as thought, speech, movement and sensation

• Assess the effects of Alzheimer’s, stroke or trauma on brain function

• Guide planning for surgery, radiation therapy or other brain procedures

Our 3T MRI investigates and diagnoses conditions, including those involving the brain, spine and musculoskeletal system. It’s the investigative tool of choice for neurological cancers as it is more sensitive than CT for small tumors and offers better visualization of the posterior fossa, a small space in the skull, found near the brainstem and cerebellum.

The Banner Alzheimer’s 3T MRI also is the optimal choice for many conditions of the central nervous system including:

• Alzheimer’s/dementia

• Cerebrovascular disease

• Demyelinating diseases (multiple sclerosis)

• Epilepsy

• Infectious diseases

Banner researchers and clinicians use advanced PET/CT methods to peer inside the head and study the inner workings of the brain. PET differs from an MRI or a CT alone as it captures the metabolic processes of the brain rather than just the anatomy or structure.

PET helps diagnose and assess degenerative brain diseases, dementias, movement disorders and cancers. PET also:

• Detects and measures the buildup of amyloid plaques – a change in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease – decades before memory and thinking problems begin

• Reveals changes in the dopaminergic systems to differentiate Parkinson’s disease from other movement disorders

• Pinpoints the source of epileptic seizures and then assists in the surgical planning for those patients with uncontrollable seizures

• Evaluates brain tumors and determines whether they are benign or malignant

Putting PET to work for Alzheimer’s research and treatment

Banner Alzheimer’s researchers have earned an international reputation for their visionary use of FDG PET (fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography) as a technique that shows reduced glucose utilization in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Our researchers have empowered FDG PET in both the scientific and clinical settings by developing imaging software that:

• Detects Alzheimer’s disease early and then tracks its progress

• Gauges genetic and non-genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s

• Evaluates promising Alzheimer’s treatments

Alzheimer’s researchers have focused on amyloid plaques that accumulate in the brain as a likely sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

How can this information help physicians treating people with Alzheimer’s? Our team has helped improve amyloid PET techniques that arm clinicians with evidence they need to more effectively treat people with Alzheimer’s.

Banner Alzheimer’s researchers have also pushed PET techniques further. Our team has demonstrated that accumulating amyloid plaques in cognitively normal people increases their genetic risk for Alzheimer’s. This important discovery has set the stage for PET technology in Alzheimer’s prevention trials.

Cyclotron and Radiochemistry production

Our facility’s state-of-the-art Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Laboratory is a regional resource for researchers developing innovative and specialized PET imaging radioactive isotopes.

In the laboratory, we synthesize novel PET-labeled compounds and radiopharmaceuticals for pre-clinical and clinical evaluations.

Unlike most imaging facilities, Banner Brain Imaging eliminates the physical constraints of accessing short-lived radioisotopes and allows the imaging capabilities of the PET scanners to be used for research needs. Isotopes with a longer half-life – 60-120 minutes – can be shipped to regional PET scanners, if desired. However, for isotopes with a shorter half-life, Banner Brain Imaging supports PET scan imaging within the same facility.