Iseult MRI, is an XXL machine that produces these crazy images of our brains

Medical research – simply extraordinary. The world’s most powerful MRI delivered its first images of the human brain this Tuesday, April 2, near Paris. It is now poised to better understand its function and certain neurodegenerative or psychiatric diseases.

A world first that Emmanuel Macron did not fail to greet X (ex-Twitter). “This is a major breakthrough and immense hope for our health studies. Congratulations to the Iseult Project Team »The head of state was applauded, celebrated “French Pride”.

It must be said that the success is remarkable. In 2021, researchers at the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission) located on the Saclé Plateau in Asson chose to start the machine with… a pumpkin. Health officials recently gave the green light for testing on human subjects.

Over the past few months, about twenty healthy volunteers have managed to enter the machine’s structure, which revealed the first images of their brains. “We have a level of intelligence never before reached at CEA”Alexandre Vigneaud, Physicist, welcomes Director of Research at CEA.

The magnetic field of this extraordinary magnet reaches 11.7 t (Tesla), which makes it possible to obtain ten times more precise images than currently produced in hospitals, where the power of MRI does not exceed 3 Tesla.

On Alexandre Vigneaud’s screen, images of parts of the brain are compared to those provided by a 3 or 7 Tesla MRI: “With this machine, we can see very small vessels supplying the cerebral cortex, or details of the cerebellum that were almost invisible until now”He comments.

“Their precision is almost unbelievable!cheered Research Minister Sylvie Ritaleau in a statement to AFP. This will make it possible to better detect and better treat brain pathologies in a world first”.

182 km reel

The machine, a 132-tonne magnet in a cylinder 5 meters long and 5 meters high, made of 182 kilometers of coils of wire, through which a current of 1,500 amps circulates, has an opening of 90 cm to accommodate the human body. This technological achievement, the result of a Franco-German partnership, required more than 20 years of research.

Baptized “IAlone”, the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Device) is the star of Neurospin, the CEA brain imaging research center, directed by neuroscientist Stanislaus Dehaene.

Two competing projects in the United States and South Korea have similar ambitions but have not yet reached the critical phase of imaging in humans. One of the goals of this extraordinary MRI is to improve understanding of the brain’s anatomy and the areas that are activated when performing certain tasks.

Scientists already know that different types of images that we are able to recognize (faces, places, words, etc.) activate specific regions of the cerebral cortex. With MRI at 11.7 t, “When we read a book or perform mental calculations, for example, we can better understand the relationship between brain structure and cognitive functions.”assures Nicolas Boulant, CEA’s director of research and scientific manager of the project.

Previous diagnosis

But it would also be a question of elucidating the mechanisms at work in neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s type) or psychiatric conditions (depression, bipolarity, schizophrenia, etc.).

“We know, for example, that a certain area – the hippocampus – is involved in Alzheimer’s disease, so we hope to be able to understand the organization and function of cells in this part of the cerebral cortex”, explains Anne-Isabel Etiennever, Director of Basic Research at CEA. Researchers also hope to be able to map the distribution of certain drugs, such as lithium, used to treat bipolar disorder.

The machine’s very high magnetic field will actually make it possible to identify brain structures targeted by lithium in patients and distinguish those that respond more or less well to treatment. “If we understand these very effective diseases better, we will be able to diagnose them earlier, and therefore treat them better”says Anne-Isabel Etiennevre.

Iseult will be dedicated to basic research for many years. “The device is not intended to be a clinical diagnostic tool but we hope that the knowledge gained can be used in hospitals”Underlines Nicholas Boulant.

New healthy volunteers should be recruited by the end of summer. The brains of sick patients will not be studied for a few more years.

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