Medical Imaging
Dr. Pike investigates magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods and applications for basic and clinical neuroscience research. As a primary focus, he detects and measures the physiological modulations that are associated in neuronal activation and inhibition. This technique is called functional MRI. It can detect changes in blood oxygenation and tissue perfusion with a high temporal and spatial resolution. It also provides a powerful tool for studying brain physiology in health and disease. Recently, he used his methods to determine, for the first time, the relationship between regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in the cortex over a broad range of activation and inhibition conditions in both healthy subjects and epilepsy patients. He has also developed a in vivo quantitative MR technique term magnetization transfer (MT) imaging that probes the magnetic interaction between macromolecules and water. Using MT imaging, his group has revealed focal pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients that precedes the development of conventional MRI visible MS lesions by up to 2 years. Dr. Pike has published more than 300 scientific papers and book chapters.