With Three-dimensional Images, Looking into the Brain is Like 'Palm Reading' The era in which the inside of the human brain can be looked into like reading a palm with three-dimensional brain image filming has begun. As a result, it is forecasted that it will be possible to proactively diagnose the causes of brain-related diseases. On April 20, the Gachon University of Medicine and Science opened, and started operating the Brain Science Research Institute, which possesses the world's largest highest technology brain images equipment that has combined MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (Positron emission tomography), in the Incheon Gil Medical Center. This image system films, with threedimensional images, the functions of brain cells and molecular science changes and distinguishes the existence or non-existence of abnormalities of specific genes. It is called the 'dream equipment' that can diagnose the causes of brain diseases prior hand. It has combined the strong points of PET, which possesses the molecular science capability of early diagnosis, and MRI, which possesses excellent high resolution. On this day, the research center disclosed, for the first time in Korea, photographs of the inside of the brain with a super-high resolution (MRI 7.0T), taken with the core equipment, as the first product of this imaging system. Also, it disclosed fusion videos that have synthesized brain image pictures, thereby proving that the development of perfect fusion images will be achieved in the not-too-distant future. This development is forecast to take place at the end of the year 2008. The research institute stated that the fusion imaging system has been evaluated to be able to diagnose signs of disease on the genetic level about 3 to 5 years, on the average, earlier than the early diagnosis of cancer through MRI. Consequently, the development of perfect fusion imaging will make possible the early diagnosis of brain diseases due to brain neurological abnormalities, including the Alzheimer's disease, paralysis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, etc. The current medical science has the limitation of being able to diagnose brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and others, only after they have progressed to a certain extent. The development of fusion imaging will greatly improve brain therapy, immensely reduce medical costs, bring in royalty income from overseas, and others of the like. The Gachon University of Medicine and Science has invested 64 billion won for the creation of the research center.