John Csernansky wants to take your measurements. Not the circumference of your chest, waist and hips. No, this doctor wants to stretch a tape measure around your hippocampus, thalamus and prefrontal cortex.
OK, maybe not literally a tape measure, but he does want to chart the dimensions of the many structures in the human brain. From those measurements -- obtained from an MRI scan -- Csernansky will produce a map of the unique dips, swells and crevasses of the brains of individuals that he hopes will provide the first scientific tool for early and more definite diagnosis of mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Diagnosing the beginning stage of mental disorders remains elusive, although this when they are most treatable.
The shapes and measurements of brain structures can reveal how they function. Thus, Csernansky hopes his brain maps will reveal how the brains of humans with and without major mental disorders differ from each other and the time frame over which those differences develop.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Biomarkers of Illness and Treatment
Research on biological markers of disease process and treatment response were highlighted at the 48th annual New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit meeting, “New Research Approaches for Mental Health Interventions,” convened by the NIMH, May 27-30 in Phoenix.
In a workshop on biomarkers, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics, Michael Henry, MD, of Caritas St Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, indicated that technological improvements in scanner design, along with increasing understanding of neuropathophysiology, “offer an unprecedented opportunity for utilizing brain imaging techniques to improve the precision of clinical trials.”
Henry foresees the application of technologies such as MRI, PET, and single photon emission CT to reduce diagnostic variability in study populations, measure drug penetration of target sites, and establish biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy. Although imaging in clinical trials is most common in cardiology and oncology, Henry noted its recent use in trials of agents for dementia, depression, and psychosis.
Andrew Leon, PhD, of Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, agreed with the described potential of biomarkers to serve as primary end points in clinical trials but reminded conferees that the current status is either as secondary end points or “hypothesized moderators of outcome.” To go forward, he asserted, clinical trials will need to include validity testing of putative biomarkers.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
In a workshop on biomarkers, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacogenomics, Michael Henry, MD, of Caritas St Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, indicated that technological improvements in scanner design, along with increasing understanding of neuropathophysiology, “offer an unprecedented opportunity for utilizing brain imaging techniques to improve the precision of clinical trials.”
Henry foresees the application of technologies such as MRI, PET, and single photon emission CT to reduce diagnostic variability in study populations, measure drug penetration of target sites, and establish biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy. Although imaging in clinical trials is most common in cardiology and oncology, Henry noted its recent use in trials of agents for dementia, depression, and psychosis.
Andrew Leon, PhD, of Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, agreed with the described potential of biomarkers to serve as primary end points in clinical trials but reminded conferees that the current status is either as secondary end points or “hypothesized moderators of outcome.” To go forward, he asserted, clinical trials will need to include validity testing of putative biomarkers.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
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