WEEKEND EDUCATIONAL COURSE
Advanced MR Brain Imaging

Organizers: Alberto Bizzi, M.D. and Pia Maly Sundgren, M.D.
Skill Level: Intermediate - Advanced

Saturday, 3 May 2008

Overview:

This one day course will provide a comprehensive overview of the most recent use of MR imaging in diagnosis of pediatric and adult brain diseases, with particular emphasis on application of new methods (diffusion tensor imaging and fibertracking, functional MRI).

In the last session, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about some of the most innovate MRI methods that are in the pipeline waiting to enter the clinical arena.

Educational Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

  • Select and identify patient management conditions in which MR techniques are clinically useful and appropriate.
  • Recognize the technical requirements and potential pitfalls of advanced MR techniques such  as parallel imaging, diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI.

  • List the strengths and weaknesses of individual advanced brain imaging techniques and compare relative merits of different approaches;

  • Describe the practical nuts and bolt required to apply these methods in clinical practice or clinical research;  and

  • Describe the potential and the challenges of the most innovative MR techniques awaiting introduction into clinical practice.

    Audience Description:

    The course is aimed at neuroradiologists, neurologists, neuroscientists, neuroimaging researchers, biomedical engineers and imaging physicists interested in broadening their knowledge of the state-of-the-art in neuroimaging techniques. The level of the course in intermediate; it is designed for participants with a basic to intermediate understanding of the topics involved.

         
      Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging  
    08:30 Pediatric Brain Malformations Andrea Rossi, M.D.
    09:00 Diffusion and Spectroscopy of White Matter in Metabolic Diseases Susan Blaser, M.D.
    09:30 Diffusion and Spectroscopy of Gray Matter in Metabolic Diseases Zoltán Patay, M.D., Ph.D.
    10:00 Break  
    10:00 - 10:15 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Diffusion Tensor Imaging  
    10:30 Experimental Design and Data Analysis for Multi-Center DTI Studies Carlo Pierpaoli, M.D.
    11:00 The Challenges and Potential Role of DTI in the Developing Brain Ellen Grant, M.D.
    11:30 Building a White Matter Atlas with Tractography Susumu Mori, Ph.D.
    12:00 Virtual Tractography and Dysconnection Syndromes Marco Catani, M.D.
    12:30 Break  
    12:30 - 12:45 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Functional Imaging  
    14:00 fMRI of Language for Surgical Planning Susan Bookheimer, Ph.D.
    14:30 Advanced Imaging for Acute Stroke Therapy Vincent P. Mathews, M.D.
    15:00 fMRI and DT Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis: Focus on Spine Massimo Filippi, M.D.
    15:30 Break  
    15:30 - 15:45 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Challenges at Higher Field  
    16:00 Carotid Imaging: from Lumenology to Function Jonathan Gillard, M.D.
    16:30 Imaging of Cellular Macrophage in CNS Vincent Dousset, M.D., Ph.D.
    17:00 Ultrastructural Brain Anatomy at 7T Jeff Duyn, Ph.D.
    17:30 What's Next in the MRI Pipeline Roland Bammer, Ph.D.
    18:00 Adjournment  
    18:00 - 18:15 Meet the Teachers