IMAGE ANALYSIS GROUP

Why Imaging Matters in GBM Trials Glioblastoma multiforme (#GBM) is a deeply challenging journey for patients and their families. It's an aggressive brain #tumor known for its rapid growth and the way it infiltrates surrounding brain tissue. Despite advancements in treatment options, managing GBM remains incredibly complex. #Researchers are tirelessly working to unravel the mysteries of GBM and develop new therapies that offer hope and better outcomes for those facing this insidious #disease. So, this is why imaging matters… Early Detection & Monitoring: Advanced #MRI and #PET imaging allows for early detection and precise monitoring of tumor progression and response to therapy. These technologies provide detailed insights that are crucial for making timely and informed decisions in the management of GBM. Differentiating Pseudoprogression: Advanced imaging at IMAGE ANALYSIS GROUP can distinguish between true disease progression and treatment-related changes, ensuring more accurate assessments. This capability is essential for correctly evaluating patient responses. Biomarker Discovery: High-resolution imaging helps identify potential biomarkers, paving the way for personalized treatment strategies. This is why imaging matters in the fight against GBM—offering hope through the discovery of personalized treatment pathways that aim to improve patient outcomes and advance the field of #neurooncology. #brainhealth #radiology #advancesinGBM #innovation #biotech #pharma #glioblastoma

The Dynamic Brain: Methods for Assessing Longitudinal Changes in Anatomy, Connectivity, and Function The human brain exhibits remarkable plasticity throughout life. Understanding how brain structure, connectivity, and function change over time is crucial for elucidating healthy development, aging processes, and disease progression. Here, I explore three powerful neuroimaging techniques employed to investigate longitudinal changes in the brain: 1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): - Technique: MRI provides high-resolution anatomical images, enabling researchers to measure brain volume, cortical thickness, and subcortical grey matter structures. - Longitudinal Change: Serial MRI scans acquired at different time points can reveal changes in brain volume over time, potentially indicating neurodegeneration or neuroplasticity. 2. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI): - Technique: DTI probes white matter microstructure by measuring the diffusion of water molecules. This allows for the mapping of white matter fiber tracts, forming the foundation of the brain's structural connectome. - Longitudinal Change: Changes in DTI metrics, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), over time can reflect alterations in white matter integrity, potentially associated with learning, disease progression, or recovery from injury. 3. Resting-State Functional MRI (rsfMRI): - Technique: rsfMRI measures spontaneous fluctuations in brain activity even in the absence of a specific task. These fluctuations reveal functional connectivity networks, indicating how different brain regions interact. - Longitudinal Change: Changes in rsfMRI network properties over time can provide insights into functional reorganization, potentially reflecting adaptation to environmental demands or disease progression. Integration and Applications: By combining these techniques, researchers can gain a comprehensive picture of how brain structure, connectivity, and function evolve longitudinally. This approach holds promise for: - Understanding healthy brain development and aging. - Investigating the neuropathological basis of neurodegenerative diseases. - Monitoring treatment efficacy and tracking disease progression. - Developing predictive biomarkers for disease risk and prognosis. The ongoing development of advanced MRI analysis techniques and statistical models is further refining our ability to detect subtle and complex longitudinal changes in the brain. This paves the way for a deeper understanding of brain dynamics across the lifespan and in health and disease. #neuroimaging #MRI #DTI #rsfMRI #brain #longitudinal #structuralconnectome #functionalconnectome #neuroplasticity #neurodegeneration https://lnkd.in/eWVvpJjF

Sexual Dimorphism in #PERI-#Articular Tissue Anatomy – MORE Keys to Understanding Sex-Differences in Osteoarthritis? by Felix Eckstein, Reinhard Putz, and Wolfgang Wirth Find the #PDF of this Part 2 of our review here → https://lnkd.in/dMBMCNbE It’s a great please to see this Part 2 of our #sexual #dimorphism #review on #Osteoarthritis #Morphotypes published in Osteoarthritis Cartilage Open. This part is now focusing on #bone size & shape, #subchondral & #subarticular bone, #synovial #membrane & infra-patellar fad-pad (#IPFP), #muscle & #adipose tissue, and eventually peri-articular tissue #response to #treatment. Relevant #sex_differences are described for 3D #bone_shape and IPFP size, even after normalization to #body_weight. Presence of #effusion- and #Hoffa_synovitis are found to be associated with greater risk of #incident #knee osteoarthritis in #overweight #women, but not in men. When normalized to bone size, men exhibit greater muscle and women greater adipose tissue cross-sectional-areas (#CSAs) relative to the opposite sex. Reduced thigh #muscle #specific_strength is associated with greater incident knee osteoarthritis and knee replacement in women, but not in men. These observations potentially explain why women with muscle strength #deficits have a poorer prognosis than men, and why women may suffer from greater incidence in #knee_pain and osteoarthritis than men. The findings stress our previous request based on observations in articular tissues that the “#one_size_sex_fits_all” approach must be urgently abandoned in #osteoarthritis_research, that sex differences in articular and peri-articular tissue properties and #pathology must be consistently reported in the biomedical literature, and that #interventional_studies should always look at sex-strata separately to identify a potentially #differential_response. Find the PDF of Part 1 of our review focussing on articular sex differences here → https://lnkd.in/dSMKY6Am We are tremendously grateful to the many #colleagues who supported us in identifying and reporting these data: #Part_1: #Gerard_Ateshian francis berenbaum Flavia Cicuttini Martin Englund Ali Guermazi, MD, PhD David Hunter Mylène Jansen Gabby Joseph, PhD, PStat Thomas M. Link Malcolm Logan Michael Nevitt Frank W. Roemer, M.D.   #Part_2: Kim Bennell francis berenbaum Mikael Boesen Alan Brett PhD Ali Guermazi, MD, PhD David Hunter Gabby Joseph, PhD, PStat Dr. Olga Kubassova Virginia Kraus Thomas M. Link #Steve_Messier Ralph Mueller Michael Nevitt Andrew Pitsillides Frank W. Roemer, M.D. Kathryn Stok Also thanks to... for continued support: PROTO Horizon Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Arthritis and Rehabilitation OA-BIO Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Chondrometrics GmbH

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 🧠 🤯 💫 Watch this incredible video showing the differentiation of a stem cell into a neuron, marking the birth of a brain cell! Stem cells are special types of cells that have the ability to differentiate into other cell types in the body. They have the potential to become specialized cells, such as muscle cells, nerve cells, or blood cells. Stem cells can be found in various parts of the body, including bone marrow, blood, and umbilical cord blood. Special thanks to PromoCell for kindly providing the cells and reagents :) #neuroscience #stemcells #biotechnology #research #technology #sciencecommunication #medtech #innovation #cellimaging #medicine

DTI: White Matter Connectivity in Health and Disease DTI is a powerful tool in the neuroimaging armamentarium, providing unparalleled insights into white matter (WM) pathways. Its journey to becoming a mainstay technique is marked by a technological evolution. Early Explorations: Pioneering work in the late 1980s faced significant challenges. Lengthy acquisition times (hours) hampered patient compliance and compromised data quality. Moreover, early analysis techniques were computationally demanding and time-consuming, limiting its widespread adoption. Modern Era: Technological advancements have revolutionized DTI. Acquisition times have decreased to minutes, significantly enhancing data quality and patient comfort. Additionally, software packages have streamlined analysis workflows, making DTI an accessible and user-friendly tool for researchers and clinicians. DTI in CNS Disorders DTI's ability to map WM fiber tracts offers invaluable insights into the pathophysiology of various CNS disorders. It can reveal: - Disruptions in structural connectivity associated with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. - Microstructural alterations in white matter integrity observed in dementia and neurodevelopmental disorders. - Brain reorganization following neurosurgical interventions or traumatic brain injury. Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders: Researchers employ DTI to investigate the WM architecture in psychiatric and mood disorders such as depression and schizophrenia; studying how these pathways differ in healthy individuals, may pave the way for development of novel therapeutic strategies. Guiding Precision Medicine Tractography – a technique that reconstructs the course of WM pathways – is instrumental in surgical planning for various neurological conditions. It plays a crucial role in: - Minimally invasive neurosurgery for brain tumors (e.g. GBM) by identifying eloquent WM tracts near the tumor and allowing for their preservation. - Resection planning in epilepsy by identifying the epileptogenic zone while minimizing damage to crucial functional pathways. - Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting for conditions like Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, major depressive disorder (MDD), and obesity, by enabling the precise targeting of neural circuits associated with these disorders. Structural Connectomics The continuous development of even more sophisticated DTI techniques holds immense promise for the field of structural connectomics. This emerging area aims to map the entire anatomical network of white matter pathways within the brain, providing a comprehensive understanding of how brain regions are interconnected. By elucidating these connections in health and disease, DTI deepens our understanding of brain function and dysfunction, potentially leading to the development of more targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. #DTI #neuroimaging #structuralconnectomics #brainconnectivity

Site Burden! One of the many topics highlighted in the insightful article "Accelerating clinical trials to improve biopharma R&D productivity" by McKinsey & Company. https://lnkd.in/eDdiY-pn Is it just me, or are more and more people discussing the challenges of increasing site engagement in clinical trials? Having spent over 15 years of my career working in healthcare at clinical sites, both as a Radiographer and in management roles—with some of those imaging services providing support for clinical trials—I truly empathize with the challenges sites face. I recognize the paramount importance of a strong CRO-site relationship, not just at the start-up but throughout the entire duration of the study. Have you considered that contracting your Imaging CRO (iCRO) directly rather than subcontracting through a CRO can help addressing many of these challenges? If you’re not familiar with the benefits this can bring to your already challenging clinical projects, please reach out—I would love to learn of any needs you might have, and perhaps challenges you've faced, and to present IMAGE ANALYSIS GROUP solutions for in-flight trials, collect-hold data, retrospective data analysis, rescue studies and more. Reach-out to me here or at [email protected] #medicalimaging #cro #biotech #clinicaltrials #clinicalresearch