Supercomputer-enhanced functional MRI of the human brain

To promote grid-computing technology, the Central Institute for Applied Mathematics (ZAM) at the Research Centre Juelich performed an advanced case study in metacomputing using real-time functional magnetic resonance tomography to assess human brain functions. ZAM runs the large-scale computing facilities of the John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC), a German supercomputing center. ZAM works in cooperation with the Institute for Medicine at the Research Centre Juelich and the Institute for Media Communication at the GMD-National Research Centre for Information Technology. ZAM's study is based on the large-scale parallel computers and the virtual reality systems at NIC-ZAM and GMD and on the communication facilities and functions of the Gigabit Testbed West, a pilot project in gigabit-technology networking between ZAM and GMD. The German Research Network funded the Gigabit Testbed West to prepare for the German Gigabit Science Net, which will start in April 2000.