Education at DRCMR

An education in neuroimaging is challenging for many reasons. Students come from many disciplines each with their own terminologies, and the range of topics and techniques to master is often very wide. We have an educational programme that teaches everyone the basics on everything no matter what your previous training.

There are a number of problems faced by most neuroimaging centres. Apart removing ferrous-metallic objects from every possible pocket, these include issues as basic as how to understand one another. Part of the challenge is that students come from diverse backgrounds, mathematics, physics, biology, medicine, economics, psychology, and even further afield. This means that most students are good at some things but ill-equipped for others. Typically it’s hard to know what it is you need to know, and what it is you don’t know. Our solution to this problem is to provide a wide-ranging curriculum that covers all the basic knowledge and skills necessary to follow what is going on at DRCMR and to be able to make an intellectual contribution whatever the topic. Everyone is expected to be able to ask questions and offer contributions in fields outside of your own. The curriculum comprises several modules that most students are expected to take whilst at DRCMR.

Neuroimaging Foundations

In Neuroimaging Foundations you will work on the most foundational skills necessary to learn the methods and techniques that are commonly employed at DRCMR. This foundations course assumes almost no prior knowledge and teaches you philosophy of science, foundational maths, and statistics, and programming in Matlab. All PhD / Masters / Researchers-new-to-the-field are expected to attend. Accommodations can be made for those with special constraints (e.g. dual affiliation), or with pre-existing training (e.g. already done similar courses), on a case-by-case basis. Neuroimaging Foundations acts as a primer for our methods specific course, Neuroimaging Basics.

Neuroimaging Basics

Neuroimaging Basics is taught as a peer2peer course where students teach each other with expert help. We cover every major technique used at DRCMR, our philosophy is that everyone should have a basic grasp of everyone else’s research, such that we can critique and think creatively about cross-disicplinary and cross-methodological collaborations. We also have stand alone workshops in Brain stimulation techniques, Neuroanatomy, Basic Neuroscience, Data quality and much else, on a rolling basis.

Neuroimaging Pragmatics

Neuroimaging Pragmatics is an informal series of lectures, organised by the student group, on pragmatic skills such as grant writing, giving talks, paper writing, ergonomics, and so on. How to give a project presentation, How to write a paper, How to review a paper, How to give a talk, How to prioritize time, How to apply for funding, How to find a problem worth solving, Responsible conduct of research, Stimulus delivery, Psychopy, psychtoolbox, triggers, picolog, button boxes, force transducers, Recording Electrophysiological signals, Physiological monitoring, Data quality checking, Data management and backup, Producing figures in Matlab & Inkscape, Auditory stimulation, Strategies for literature searching, Ethics applications and practice.

MR Driver License

Scanner safety and scanner license courses are organised by the physics group. This gives students the basic training necessary to work in an MR environment, and the scanner license is the qualification that students need to acquire in order to autonomously operate an MR machine.

MRI Acquisiiton

MRI acquisition course is our course on MR physics. It teaches all of the fundamental physics underlying the magnetic resonance techniques are employed at DRCMR. The course introduces MRI starting from a level requiring little or no MR experience. Lectures cover MR understanding, acquisition methods and parameters. The target audience is employees and students at the DRCMR but the course is open and free for external participants. A technical background is not required. The main aim is to provide a basis for understanding pitfalls and literature. It covers the MR prerequisites needed to follow the more technical course Medical Magnetic Resonance Imaging offered as part of the Medicine & Technology program at the Technical University of Denmark in the spring, and which is also available for non-DTU-students (offered under "Open University"). Besides knowledge of MR basics, the DTU course also requires math and programming skill.

Selected Publications

Dunås T, Wåhlin A, Nyberg L, Boraxbekk C-J. 2021. Multimodal Image Analysis of Apparent Brain Age Identifies Physical Fitness as Predictor of Brain Maintenance. Cerebral Cortex. 31(7):3393-3407. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhab019

Hansen AL, Boraxbekk C-J, Petersen ET, Paulson OB, Andersen O, Siebner HR, Marsman A. 2021. Do glia provide the link between low-grade systemic inflammation and normal cognitive ageing? A 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 7 tesla. Journal of Neurochemistry. 159(1):185-196.

Nyberg L, Magnussen F, Lundquist A, Baaré W, Bartrés-Faz D, Bertram L, Boraxbekk CJ, Brandmaier AM, Drevon CA, Ebmeier K, Ghisletta P, Henson RN, Junqué C, Kievit R, Kleemeyer M, Knights E, Kühn S, Lindenberger U, Penninx BWJH, Pudas S, Sørensen Ø, Vaqué-Alcázar L, Walhovd KB, Fjell AM. 2021. Educational attainment does not influence brain aging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 118(18):1-3. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101644118

Sandberg P, Boraxbekk C-J, Zogaj I, Nyberg L. 2021. Ancient Mnemonic in New Format-Episodic Memory Training With the Method of Loci in a Smart Phone Application. Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 76(4):681-691. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaa216

Vidal-Pineiro D, Wang Y, Krogsrud SK, Amlien IK, Baaré WF, Bartres-Faz D, Bertram L, Brandmaier AM, Drevon CA, Düzel S, Ebmeier K, Henson RN, Junqué C, Kievit RA, Kühn S, Leonardsen E, Lindenberger U, Madsen KS, Magnussen F, Mowinckel AM, Nyberg L, Roe JM, Segura B, Smith SM, Sørensen Ø, Suri S, Westerhausen R, Zalesky A, Zsoldos E, Walhovd KB, Fjell A. 2021. Individual variations in 'brain age' relate to early-life factors more than to longitudinal brain change. eLife. 10:1-19. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.69995

Lind, A., Boraxbekk, C.J., Petersen, E.T., Paulsson, O., Siebner, H., & Marsman, A. (2020). Regional myo-inositol, creatine and choline levels are higher at older age and scale negatively with visuo-spatial working memory: A cross-sectional proton MR spectroscopy study at 7 tesla on normal cognitive ageing. Journal of Neuroscience, 40(42), 8149-8159.

Nyberg, L., Boraxbekk, C.J., Eriksson Sörman, D., Hansson, P., Herlitz, A., Kauppi, K., Ljungberg, J.K., Lövheim, H., Lundquist, A., Nordin Adolfsson, A., Oudin, A., Pudas, S., Rönnlund, M., Stiernstedt, M., Sundström, A., & Adolfsson, R. (2020). Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing: Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies. Ageing Research Reviews.

Gylling AT, Bloch-Ibenfeldt M, Eriksen CS, Ziegler AK, Wimmelmann CL, Baekgaard M, Boraxbekk CJ, Siebner HR, Mortensen EL, & Kjaer M. (2020). Maintenance of muscle strength following a one-year resistance training program in older adults. Experimental Gerontology, 139.

Eskilsson, T., Fjellman-Wiklund, A., Ek Malmer, E., Stigsdotter Neely, A., Malmberg Gavelin, H., Slunga Järvholm, L., Boraxbekk, C-J. & Nordin, M.(2020). Hopeful struggling for health: Experiences of participating in computerized cognitive training and aerobic training for persons with stress-related exhaustion disorder. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.

Friedman, B. B., Suri, S., Solé-Padullés, C., Düzel, S., Drevon, C. A., Baaré, W. F. C., Bartrés-Faz, D., Fjell, A. M., Johansen-Berg, H., Madsen, K. S., Nyberg, L., Penninx, B. W. J. H., Sexton, C., Walhovd, K. B., Zsoldos, E. & Budin-Ljøsne, I. (2020). Are People Ready for Personalized Brain Health? Perspectives of Research Participants in the Lifebrain Consortium. The Gerontologist.

Hansen, A. L., Boraxbekk, C-J., Petersen, E. T., Paulson, O. B., Siebner, H. R. & Marsman, A. (2020). Regional glia-related metabolite levels are higher at older age and scale negatively with visuo-spatial working memory: A cross-sectional proton MR spectroscopy study at 7 tesla on normal cognitive ageing. Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. 36 p., 864496.

Karalija, N., Jonassson, L., Johansson, J., Papenberg, G., Salami, A., Andersson, M., Riklund, K., Nyberg, L. & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2020). High long-term test-retest reliability for extrastriatal 11C-raclopride binding in healthy older adults.
Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism.

Wheeler, M. J., Green, D. J., Ellis, K. A., Cerin, E., Heinonen, I., Naylor, L. H., Larsen, R., Wennberg, P., Boraxbekk, C-J., Lewis, J., Eikelis, N., Lautenschlager, N. T., Kingwell, B. A., Lambert, G., Owen, N. & Dunstan, D. W. (2020).
Distinct effects of acute exercise and breaks in sitting on working memory and executive function in older adults: a three-arm, randomised cross-over trial to evaluate the effects of exercise with and without breaks in sitting on cognition.
British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Bangsbo, J., Blackwell, J., Boraxbekk, C-J., Caserotti, P., Dela, F., Evans, A. B., Jespersen, A. P., Gliemann, L., Kramer, A. F., Lundbye-Jensen, J., Mortensen, E. L., Lassen, A. J., Gow, A. J., Harridge, S. D. R., Hellsten, Y., Kjaer, M., Kujala, U. M., Rhodes, R. E., Pike, E. C. J., Skinner, T., Skovgaard, T., Troelsen, J., Tulle, E., Tully, M. A., van Uffelen, J. G. Z. & Viña, J. (2019). Copenhagen Consensus statement 2019: physical activity and ageing. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 53, 14, p. 856-858.

Bojsen-Møller, E., Boraxbekk, C-J., Ekblom, Ö., Blom, V. & Ekblom, M. M. (2019). Relationships between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Cognitive Functions in Office Workers.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16, 23, p. 1-15, 4721.

Düzel, E., Acosta-Cabronero, J., Berron, D., Biessels, G. J., Björkman-Burtscher, I., Bottlaender, M., Bowtell, R., Buchem, M. V., Cardenas-Blanco, A., Boumezbeur, F., Chan, D., Clare, S., Costagli, M., de Rochefort, L., Fillmer, A., Gowland, P., Hansson, O., Hendrikse, J., Kraff, O., Ladd, M. E., Ronen, I., Petersen, E., Rowe, J. B., Siebner, H., Stoecker, T., Straub, S., Tosetti, M., Uludag, K., Vignaud, A., Zwanenburg, J. & Speck, O. (2019). European Ultrahigh-Field Imaging Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EUFIND). Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 11, p. 538-549.

Hedlund, M., Lindelöf, N., Johansson, B., Boraxbekk, C-J. & Rosendahl, E. (2019). Development and Feasibility of a Regulated, Supramaximal High-Intensity Training Program Adapted for Older Individuals. Frontiers in physiology. 10, p. 1-12, 590.

Holm, S. K., Madsen, K. S., Vestergaard, M., Born, A. P., Paulson, O. B., Siebner, H. R., Uldall, P. & Baaré, W. F. C. (2019). Previous glucocorticoid treatment in childhood and adolescence is associated with long-term differences in subcortical grey matter volume and microstructure. NeuroImage. Clinical. 23, p. 1-11, 101825.

Jonasson, L. S., Nyberg, L., Axelsson, J., Kramer, A. F., Riklund, K. & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2019). Higher striatal D2-receptor availability in aerobically fit older adults but non-selective intervention effects after aerobic versus resistance training. NeuroImage. 202, p. 1-10, 116044.

Magnusson, P. O., Boer, V. O., Marsman, A., Paulson, O. B., Hanson, L. G. & Petersen, E. T. (2019). Gamma-aminobutyric acid edited echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) with MEGA-sLASER at 7T.
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 81, 2, p. 773-780.

Månsson, K. N. T., Lindqvist, D., Yang, L. L., Svanborg, C., Isung, J., Nilsonne, G., Bergman-Nordgren, L., El Alaoui, S., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Kraepelien, M., Högström, J., Andersson, G., Boraxbekk, C-J., Fischer, H., Lavebratt, C., Wolkowitz, O. M. & Furmark, T. (2019). Improvement in indices of cellular protection after psychological treatment for social anxiety disorder. Translational psychiatry. 9, p. 1-10, 340.

Marsman, A. & Pol, H. H. (2019). Glutamaterge neurotransmissie. Handboek schizofreniespectrumstoornissen. 2nd udg. De Tijdstroom/Boom, Bind 2019. p. 370-385..

Malmberg Gavelin, H., Eskilsson, T., Boraxbekk, C.J., Josefsson, M., Stigsdotter Neely, A., & Slunga Järvholm L. (2018). Rehabilitation for improved cognition in patients with stress-related exhaustion disorder: RECO – a randomized clinical trial. Stress.

Boraxbekk, C.-J. (2018). Non-invasive brain stimulation and neuro-enhancement in aging. Clinical Neurophysiology, 129, 464-65.

Baruël Johansen, L., Madsen, K. S., Andersen, K. W., Madsen, K. H., Siebner, H. R. & Baaré, W. F. C. (2017) Reduced orbitofrontal functional network centrality characterizes high neuroticism across childhood and adolescence.

Stomby, A., Otten, J., Ryberg, M., Nyberg, L., Olsson, T. & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2017). A Paleolithic Diet with and without Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Increases Functional Brain Responses and Hippocampal Volume in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 9, 391.

Jonasson, L. S., Axelsson, J., Riklund, K. & Boraxbekk, C.-J. (2017). Simulating effects of brain atrophy in longitudinal PET imaging with an anthropomorphic brain phantom.
Physics in Medicine and Biology. 62, 13, p. 5213-5227.

Gavelin, H. M., Neely, A. S., Andersson, M., Eskilsson, T., Järvholm, L. S. & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2017). Neural activation in stress-related exhaustion: Cross-sectional observations and interventional effects.
Psychiatry Research. 269, p. 17-25.

Flodin, P., Jonasson, L. S., Riklund, K., Nyberg, L. & Boraxbekk, C.-J. (2017). Does Aerobic Exercise Influence Intrinsic Brain Activity?: An Aerobic Exercise Intervention among Healthy Old Adults.Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 9, p. 267.

Eskilsson, T., Slunga Järvholm, L., Malmberg Gavelin, H., Stigsdotter Neely, A. & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2017). Aerobic training for improved memory in patients with stress-related exhaustion: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 17, 322, p. 1-10, 322.

Bas-Hoogendam, J. M., van Steenbergen, H., Nienke Pannekoek, J., Fouche, J. P., Lochner, C., Hattingh, C. J., Cremers, H. R., Furmark, T., Månsson, K. N. T., Frick, A., Engman, J., Boraxbekk, C.-J., Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., Fredrikson, M., Straube, T., Peterburs, J., Klumpp, H., Phan, K. L., Roelofs, K., Veltman, D. J., van Tol, M. J., Stein, D. J. & van der Wee, N. J. A. (2017). Voxel-based morphometry multi-center mega-analysis of brain structure in social anxiety disorder. NeuroImage: Clinical. 16, p. 678-688.

Jonasson, L.S., Nyberg, L., Kramer, A.F., Lundquist, A., Riklund, K., & Boraxbekk, C.-J. (2017). Aerobic exercise intervention, cognitive performance, and brain structure: Results from the physical influences on brain in aging (PHIBRA) study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience; 8, 336.

Boraxbekk, C.-J., Salami, A., Wåhlin, A., & Nyberg, L. (2016). Physical activity over a decade modifies age-related decline in perfusion, gray matter volume, and functional connectivity of the posterior default mode network - a multimodal approach. NeuroImage; 131, 133-141

Group Members

Naiara Demnitz

Group Leader

Sussi Larsen

External Collaborators

Prof. Erik Lykke Mortensen

Department of Public Health, Copenhagen University

Prof. Michael Kjær

Department of Clinical Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen

Prof. Gunhild Waldemar

Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet

Prof. Lars Nyberg

Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging