The image of a decade: 10,000 MRI scans to understand Alzheimer’s at the BBRC

The Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), the research centre of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, was founded in 2012 with a clear goal: to carry out research to achieve a future without Alzheimer’s. Since its creation, the centre has brought together the efforts of researchers, technicians, nurses and, above all, the thousands of volunteers who take part in its clinical studies, helping to understand how the disease begins and progresses before the first symptoms appear.

Today, the BBRC has reached the milestone of 10,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans carried out as part of its studies on disease prevention. This achievement consolidates the centre’s neuroimaging database as one of the most relevant worldwide for the study of the preclinical stage of the disease.

A key tool: magnetic resonance imaging

On 29 June 2016, the MRI scanner was installed: a fundamental piece of equipment for exploring the structural and functional changes in the brain associated with ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. MRI makes it possible to obtain images that can detect subtle alterations in brain tissue years before the first cognitive symptoms appear, which is essential for the preventive research that defines the centre’s mission.

The BBRC MRI Facility is dedicated exclusively to research projects, with protocols specifically designed for the study of the brain and the acquisition of high-quality imaging biomarkers. This specialisation, together with extensive experience in advanced neuroimaging and rigorous quality control aimed at ensuring the highest standards of excellence, consolidates the centre as a highly qualified environment for longitudinal studies and clinical trials that require maximum consistency and reproducibility in image acquisition.

In addition, the facilities and workflows are designed to take care of the experience of the people taking part in the studies, making their visits to the centre comfortable and efficient. Thanks to the commitment, effort and dedication of the volunteers, it has been possible to carry out around 3,400 MRI scans for the ALFA study, more than 500 for the BETA-AARC study and almost 300 for clinical trials, among other projects.

The BBRC Neuroimaging Facility will play a central role in the ALFA10 study. In this new stage of the ALFA cohort, additional MRI scans will be performed on participants to compare, over a period of fifteen years, the evolution of imaging biomarkers and clinical, biological and cognitive data, with the aim of developing a predictive algorithm for Alzheimer’s risk.

A resource at the service of the scientific community

Science advances when it is shared. Since its beginnings, the BBRC has made its Neuroimaging Facility available to other research centres. The team of specialists supports the design of protocols, data acquisition and preprocessing, adapting to the specific needs of each project.

Over the years, more than 20 external research groups have used the scanner to carry out more than 27 scientific studies covering different areas of research, all aimed at better understanding how the brain works.

The figures speak for themselves: of the 10,000 MRI scans performed, approximately 6,000 correspond to the BBRC’s own projects and around 4,000 to external research teams.

This achievement has helped position the BBRC and the Pasqual Maragall Foundation as international benchmark centres in the study of neurodegenerative diseases, with a research model based on long-term volunteer cohorts and a clear commitment to collaboration with the scientific community.

More information about the BBRC Neuroimaging Facility and its services is available here or by contacting mri@barcelonabeta.org.