Development of biomarker for cognitive impairment based on a novel fMRI method for brain connectivity mapping

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461817
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Aso Toshihiko 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (50397543)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): URAYAMA Shin-ichi 京都大学, 大学院医学研究科, 助教 (10270729)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 機能的脳画像法 / 機能的MRI / 核磁気共鳴画像法 / 正常圧水頭症 / 認知症 / 脳血流

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Non-invasive measurement of brain function has been highly dependent on neurovascular coupling, a mechanism which itself suffer contamination of blood flow variation. To probe both neural activity and blood circulation, we aimed to combine an optimized acquisition method with a novel data analysis technique that can separate perfusion from neuro-vascular coupling. For extracting the former, we established a new algorithm to BOLD-based blood tracking (lag mapping). There is practical advantage in finding such components when one observes or removes the blood circulation information in the data. We chose idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, which is known as "treatable dememtia", because we can test the capability of the method to detect changes due to spinal tap test, a diagnostic and treatment procedure known to reverse the condition. Using lag mapping, we report the first observation of the precise location of abnormal venous drainage in this disease.

Free Research Field

神経内科