Workshop on Cerebral Perfusion and Brain Function

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Workshop on Cerebral Perfusion and Brain Function: Novel Techniques and Applications Bahia Othon Palace Hotel Salvador da Bahia, Brazil 28 July - 1 August 2007
Overview:
Cerebral blood flow is a fundamental and essential physiological entity of critical importance for the survival of brain tissue because it supports brain’s energy metabolism for sub serving normal function. Through the well-regulated cerebral circulation, blood delivers essential nutrients for energy metabolism and hormones to brain tissue and carries away metabolic waste products while regulating temperature. Unlike any other organ of the body, the brain is particularly dependent on a normal and continuous delivery of blood and critically vulnerable to compromises in blood supply because of the extremely high energy demand of brain. It is now generally agreed that the human brain, which comprises only 2% of the body’s mass but consumes approximately 20% of the body’s energy in the form of oxygen consumption, efficiently uses the energy to support its function. For these reasons, measurements of blood flow and brain function, in general, are very important ways of assessing brain tissue viability, both under normal and pathologic states. This workshop will encompass many novel techniques and applications used for measuring cerebral perfusion and brain function, both under normal physiology and disease. To this end, the aim is to describe: (i) clinical diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases; (ii) new and quantitative measurements of brain metabolism and function; (iii) the most up-to-date conventional and non-conventional methods that measure brain perfusion and function.
Educational Objectives:
- List the major MRI and MRS techniques to measure cerebral blood flow and brain function - Describe the latest technical advances in arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) techniques to measure cerebral blood flow and to discuss their current limitations - Describe the current status of methods to quantify perfusion and perfusion-related parameters in the presence of an intact blood brain barrier, and to compare the methodology to that required for robust quantification when there is BBB leakage - Describe the latest advances in parallel imaging and ²³Na imaging of the brain at high magnetic fields - Recognize the utility of MRI of brain perfusion to the diagnostics and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain tumors, and to list its use in pediatric applications - List non-conventional methods to measure brain function, understand and discuss their current limitations and predict their future applicability - Understand and select appropriate MRI/MRS techniques to quantify brain function in basic science and clinical applications - Recognize the huge impact methods to measure perfusion and brain function can play on studies in animal models. - Identify current issues in understanding the physiological basis of the resting baseline and to list techniques to measure electrophysiological brain signals - Describe the latest technical advances in ¹³C and ¹⁷OMRS to measure cerebral metabolism and to discuss their current limitations
Audience Description:
This multidisciplinary workshop will be aimed at MR physicists and engineers, neurophysiologists, neuroscientists and clinicians who work with MRI/MRS techniques to measure cerebral blood flow and brain function. The course is aimed at both new and experienced researchers and clinicians. It is expected that many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will attend. A very basic knowledge of the MRI/MRS methodology to measure cerebral blood flow and brain function will be preferable. However, the workshop will also appeal to researchers with prior experience in one of these techniques, who are interested in acquiring knowledge of complementary methods.
The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.