| Project name: | Quantitative Structural and Functional Imaging of the Human Cholinergic System with Applications in Cognitive Science and Neurodegenerative Disorders |
| Acronym: | QUICH |
| ID code: | 25-18359M |
| Call: | GAČR Junior Star 2025 |
| Supported by: | Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) |
| Project duration: | 01/2025–12/2029 (60 months) |
| Principal investigator at CIIRC: | Ing. Milan Němý, Ph.D. |
| Coordinator: | Czech Technical University in Prague, CIIRC |
| Budget: | Total budget: CZK 23,684,000 Support for CIIRC CTU: 100 % |
Abstract:
The project aims to develop an advanced multimodal structural and functional imaging technique for in vivo quantification of the human brain’s cholinergic system. Building upon earlier work on modeling cholinergic pathways using diffusion MRI, the proposed research extends this into a longitudinal framework—tracking the development and degeneration of these systems over time.
The main application areas include normal and pathological aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. The project focuses on: (1) developing a longitudinal model of cholinergic pathway integrity, (2) assessing the role of vascular lesions within these pathways, and (3) mapping the functional reorganization of cholinergic cortical regions using fMRI during aging and neurodegeneration.
Findings are expected to improve diagnostics, disease monitoring, and guide therapeutic strategies, providing new biomarkers for neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders.
