Imaging Neurodegeneration and Repair in Multiple Sclerosis
June 15 - 16, 2012 The New York Academy of Sciences
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was once difficult to diagnose, yet breakthroughs in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) now enable physicians to visualize newly forming lesions, give a diagnosis of MS, and start treatments with minimal invasiveness and greater accuracy. While conventional MRI studies have been able to establish white matter lesion formation as the major diagnostic criterion for MS, autopsy, animal models and newer imaging methods have shown that this damage is just the tip of the iceberg. Recent advances in imaging allow for the detailed visualization of grey matter, myelin, regional connectivity, and metabolic changes that provide vital clues to the extent MS can impact the central nervous system, and reveal neurobiological targets for new treatments.
This 1.5-day conference will provide an overview of the currently accepted and newly emerging imaging techniques for diagnosis and monitoring of MS. Participants will examine the benefits and limitations of standard and non-conventional imaging based on evidence from basic science research and clinical findings. Pharmacological treatments will be covered, with an emphasis on how imaging may be used to investigate treatment outcomes, including neuroprotection, remyelination, and neural repair, culminating in an open discussion devoted to integrating new imaging procedures in the clinic.
