Research on human development seeks to delineate the variable and invariant properties of age-graded changes in the organization of brain–behavior–environment systems. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have become indispensable tools for the noninvasive assessment of brain function, anatomy, microstructure, and metabolism. The Max Planck Research Group MR Physics seeks to ascertain and improve the measurement quality of standard brain imaging protocols and to complement the standard repertoire by additional methods that carry promise for understanding the ways in which brains change as a function of maturation, learning, and senescence.
Central questions in lifespan psychology often are about the range and direction of change and variability, be it longitudinal change observed over years and decades, intervention-induced change over weeks and months, or fluctuations that occur from day to day and from moment to moment. Random measurement error and systematic drifts can compromise the reliable measurement of change. Hence, the research group takes a special interest in exploring, safeguarding, and improving the precision and temporal stability of measurement.
The Max Planck Institute for Human Development has a magnetic resonance imaging scanner (Siemens TIM-Trio with a field strength of 3 Tesla). It is used to measure the structure and function of the brain.
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Selected Publications until 2023
Polk, S. E., Kleemeyer, M. M., Köhncke, Y., Brandmaier, A. M., Bodammer, N. C., Misgeld, C., Porst, J., Wolfarth, B., Kühn, S., Lindenberger, U., Wenger, E., & Düzel, S. (2022). Change in latent gray matter structural integrity is associated with change in cardiovascular fitness in older adults who engage in at-home aerobic exercise. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, Article 852737. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.852737
Wenger, E., Polk, S. E., Kleemeyer, M. M., Weiskopf, N., Bodammer, N. C., Lindenberger, U., & Brandmaier, A. M. (2022). Reliability of quantitative multiparameter maps is high for magnetization transfer and proton density but attenuated for R1 and R2* in healthy young adults. Human Brain Mapping, 43(11), 3585–3603. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25870
Bender, A. R., Keresztes, A., Bodammer, N. C., Shing, Y. L., Werkle-Bergner, M., Daugherty, A. M., Yu, Q., Kühn, S., Lindenberger, U., & Raz, N. (2018). Optimization and validation of automated hippocampal subfield segmentation across the lifespan. Human Brain Mapping, 39(2), 916–931. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23891
