September 30
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
Translational neurovascular fMRI throughout the central nervous system
Molly Bright, D.Phil.
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences
Northwestern University
Abstract:
Functional MRI offers unique promise for non-invasively mapping activity throughout the central nervous system, yet numerous challenges have kept it from clinical translation. Our lab seeks to address these challenges, using fMRI to characterize individual neuropathophysiology and to support the optimization and personalization of rehabilitative interventions. To achieve this, we have developed bespoke MRI-compatible devices to administer controlled, repeatable, and quantitative motor tasks during scanning. Acknowledging that such tasks will induce large head-motion artifacts, particularly in patient populations, we have pioneered innovative multi-echo fMRI approaches to mitigate these confounds and boost the sensitivity and specificity of our activation mapping. Because motor control involves neural pathways that span the central nervous system and connect the brain with the body, we are pushing fMRI methodology to map sensorimotor activity in the cortex, subcortex, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. We combine this work with our lab’s long-standing expertise in fMRI of vascular function to better understand the role of vascular dysfunction in neurodegeneration and functional impairment. This effort has led to the first fMRI characterization of spinal cord hemodynamics in humans. Our ongoing work deploys all of these techniques to bring fMRI closer to clinical impact, relating new imaging metrics to existing gold-standard measurements and evaluating neurovascular responses to emerging therapeutic interventions.
Print PDF