Danish National 7T MR Project

As of 2015, the DRCMR operates one of the strongest MR scanners worldwide and the only one of its caliber in Denmark. The purchase of ths state-of-the-art MR system from Phillips Healthcare was made possible by the John and Birthe Meyer Foundation and the Danish Agence for Science, Technology and Innovation.

The field strength of 7 tesla (T) corresponds with roughly 140.000 times the earth magnetic field and is generated by a 44 ton superconducting electromagnet with its inner part cooled 7T log final by liquid helium to around -270°C/-450 °F/3 K.

The ultra-high magnetic field strength of 7T enables us to uncover structure, function and chemistry of the body’s interior with unprecedented precision. As such, it gives us a much more detailed insight into human (patho)physiology as compared to clinical MR scanners, which typically range from 1.5 to 4T. Particularly brain research benefits from the ultra-high field strength.

In the scope of the Danish National 7T MR Project, the 7T scanner is available as a research resource to the whole of Denmark. 7T MR scanners are not approved for clinical use, hence the scanner is fully dedicated to research.

Current 7T projects include:

Brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and spectroscopy (DWS) in multiple sclerosis (MS)
Brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in schizophrenia
Brain 1H-MRS, structural imaging and cognition across the lifespan
Liver carbon (13C) MRS in diabetes
A particular focus lies on the development of new MR methodologies and hardware.

National collaborations involve:

Technical University of Denmark
University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen University Hospitals

International collaborations have been established with:

Lund University, Sweden
Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
Korea Basic Science Institute, South Korea

Recent Publications

Madsen MAJ, Povazan M, Wiggermann V, Lundell H, Blinkenberg M, Romme Christensen J, Sellebjerg F, Siebner HR. 2024. Association of cortical lesions with regional glutamate, GABA, N-Acetylaspartate, and Myoinositol levels in patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurology. Accepted

Stærkind H, Jensen K, Müller JH, Boer VO, Polzik ES, Petersen ET. 2024. High-field optical cesium magnetometer for magnetic resonance imaging. PRX Quantum. 5(2): 020320. https://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.5.020320

Stærkind H, Jensen K, Müller JH, Boer VO, Petersen ET, Polzik ES. 2023. Precision measurement of the excited state Landé g-factor and diamagnetic shift of the Cesium D2 line. Phys Rev X. 13(2): 021036. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.13.021036

Boer VO, Pedersen JO, Arango N, Kuang I, Stockmann J, Petersen ET. 2022. Improving brain B0 shimming using an easy and accessible multi-coil shim array at ultra-high field. MAGMA. 35(6): 943-951. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-022-01014-6

Andersen M, Laustsen M, Boer V. Accuracy investigations for volumetric head-motion navigators with and without EPI at 7 T. 2022. Magn Reson Med. 88(3): 1198-1211. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.29296

Madsen MAJ, Wiggermann V, Marques MFM, Lundell H, Cerri S, Puonti O, Blinkenberg M, Romme Christensen J, Sellebjerg F, Siebner HR. 2022. Linking lesions in sensorimotor cortex to contralateral hand function in multiple sclerosis: a 7 T MRI study. Brain. 145(10): 3522-3535. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac203

Sandström KO, Baltzersen OB, Marsman A, Lemvigh CK, Boer VO, Bojesen KB, Nielsen MØ, Lundell H, Sulaiman DK, Sørensen ME, Fagerlund B, Lahti AC, Syeda WT, Pantelis C, Petersen ET, Glenthøj BY, Siebner HR, Ebdrup BH. 2022. Add-on memantine to dopamine antagonism to improve negative symptoms at first psychosis – the AMEND trial protocol. Front Psychiatry. 13: 889572. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889572

Madelung CF, Meder D, Fuglsang SA, Marques MM, Boer VO, Madsen KH, Petersen ET, Hejl A-M, Løkkegaard A, Siebner HR. 2022. Locus coeruleus shows a spatial pattern of structural disintegration in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disord. 37(3): 479-489. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.28945

Recent Conference Abstracts

Stemmerik M, Beha G, Boer V, Marsman A, Jacobsen L, Petersen E, Vissing J. 2022. Using high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure muscle glycogen in patients with McArdle disease. Neuromuscular Disorders. 32. S73-S74.

Beha G, Stemmerik M, Boer V, Marsman A, Jacobsen L, Petersen E, Vissing J. 2022. Quantification of glycogen distribution in late-onset Pompe patients using 7 Tesla C13 NMR spectroscopy. Neuromuscular Disorders. 32. S73.

Madsen MAJ, Wiggermann V, Povazan M, Lundell H, Boer VO, Marsman A, Blinkenberg MB, Romme Christensen J, Sellebjerg FT, Siebner HR. 2022. Linking cortical demyelination to changes in brain metabolism in multiple sclerosis: a 7T MR spectroscopy study. ECTRIMS annual (virtual) meeting.

Güler S, Costa G, Boer V, Paulides M, Baltus P, Petersen E, Zivkovic I. 2022. Shielded coaxial cable coils: the array configuration for maximized central SNR at 7T MRI. Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB, 31^st annual ISMRM meeting.

Güler S, Zhurbenko V, Zivkovic I, Boer V, Petersen ET. 2022. Second resonance mode ensure intrinsic low coupling between elements on shielded-coaxial-cable coil designs. Joint Annual Meeting ISMRM-ESMRMB, 31^st annual ISMRM meeting.