brain matter 1 2 3


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1 Professor Lord Robert Winston, flanked by co-directors Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci and Dr Diane Crawford, officially opening CRICBristol 2&4 The Siemens 3T Magnetom Skyra MRI scanner in operation 3 & 5 Worn during sleep, the 64-channel EEG cap records brain waves to index the stage of sleep the participant is in.


WhILe You WeRe sLeepIng


Bristol’s new £6.6m Clinical Research and Imaging Centre (CRICBristol) is a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the NHS, and boasts a state- of-the-art MRI scanner, as well as a two-room sleep laboratory and four clinical investigation suites.


THE CENTRE WILL support local, national and international research, with studies ranging from neonatal MR imaging and functional brain imaging, to sleep disorders in children, adults and clinical populations. With a direct link to St Michael’s maternity hospital, the facility has been purpose built and designed for studies in babies and children as well as adults. Te MRI scanner can be used for research into


mood disorders such as anxiety and depression; addictions to alcohol and drugs; and strokes and dementia. Tis it does by monitoring blood flow in the brain and identifying changes in brain activity. Research will also look into the use of stem cells in heart repair, and new cardiac surgery procedures to monitor the heart’s blood flow in children and adults. Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-


Ducci, Consultant Senior Lecturer at the School of


Clinical Sciences, and co-director of CRICBristol: “Te centre provides an exciting opportunity to study our bodies and learn more about how we can live healthy lives and develop better treatments for disease. We host innovative and collaborative research, both clinical and academic, with multi-disciplinary teams. Among its facilities, CRICBristol includes a high performance computer suite where workshops and tutorials on MRI analysis are organised. “Our students are sometimes invited to


volunteer to contribute to research studies. Already, undergraduate students in psychology and medicine have volunteered for MRI studies of the function of their brain while undertaking specific tasks. Also, postgraduates undertaking a masters in neuropsychology have been involved in research studies assessing cognitive impairment after brain injury for their dissertation.”


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SLEEP LABORATORIES How do they work? CRICBristol’s sleep rooms are fitted with polysomnographic recording equipment, which records biophysical changes in the subject during sleep. The rooms also include infrared video plus sound recording and monitoring facility. Light and sound protected ports connect each room to the monitoring and observation room which, among many other uses, make them suitable for use by patients who need overnight assistance with breathing.


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