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COMING MRI gives new meth recovery Methamphetamine addiction is one of Aotearoa’s most serious public health issues – and sadly, recruiting participants for research into its effects has not been difficult. “T here’s no shortage of people needing help,” says Dr Maryam Tayebi, lead researcher on the Methamphetamine Recovery Project (MERP) – the new phase of a study at Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne, which is imaging the brains of 40 people from the Tairāwhiti region living with methamphetamine addiction as they withdraw from the drug. The research, funded by the Neurological Foundation, will use ultra-high contrast (UHC) MRI imaging – being pioneered by the Mātai team and collaborators including Associate Professor Miriam Scadeng who co‑leads the project. The study aims to look for measurable signs of healing in the brain during recovery and, they hope, to detect markers that may indicate neuroinflammation, which would otherwise be invisible on standard scans. Maryam and her team are investigating several brain changes including possible signs consistent with neuroinflammation – increasingly recognised as a key factor in the long-term damage caused by methamphetamine use. Earlier work at Mātai detected signs of inflammation and shrinkage in the brains of some individuals with a history of methamphetamine addiction. “In our pilot study of people with long-term meth use, we found reduced volume in the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain involved in problem-solving and decision-making,” says Maryam. “That damage can make it harder for people to think clearly or control impulses. But what’s encouraging is that, in some cases, even after decades of use, we’ve seen signs of recovery. The outer thinking layer of the brain (the brain cortex) is thickening, and white matter changes appear to improve after only nine months of abstinence. We still need more data to determine with confidence what is happening in the brain and why. Once we know that, we can design treatment programmes to help give individuals better chances of recovery from meth addiction.” 6 Headlines THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY In a delightfully Kiwi twist, the project is a chance for Miriam to once again work alongside a New Zealander who is widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the development of modern MRI. While Professor Graeme Bydder may not be a household name, his work has shaped modern MR imaging more than almost anyone else. “Graeme is the humble genius behind many of the MRI sequences that have been developed over the last 40-plus years and are used in the clinic today,” says Miriam. Born and raised in Motueka, Graeme studied medicine at Canterbury and Otago Universities in the late 1960s before joining London’s Hammersmith Hospital. There, he helped to develop some of the first modern clinical MRI techniques for imaging the brain. These led to today’s most advanced screening methods, including the UHC technique employed by Miriam and her team. Also working on the UHC project is MRI physicist Dr Mark Bydder – Graeme’s son – making this a rare father–son collaboration at the cutting edge of brain imaging research. Mark is a mathematician and is responsible for optimising the sequence as well as helping researchers understand the reasons behind the image changes. Back at the CBR, the clinical applications of this technology have the potential to improve almost every aspect of the centre’s research. “These imaging tools can be incorporated into almost any project,” says Miriam. “Many of our research projects are working toward early detection and intervention as the best possible chance we have for treating brain disease. “From brain injury to cancer, from Parkinson’s to dementia, the ability to actually see what’s happening inside an individual’s brain then take a personalised approach to treatment is going to make a huge difference.” Ultra-High Contrast imaging reveals much more detail (right) than standard brain imaging (left).