Comparison between BOLD signal and ASL perfusion maps from somatosensitive cortex in frontal lobe epilepsy

• Grant number: 12/03769-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date until: April 16, 2012
• End date until: July 15, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Cendes
• Grantee: Clarissa Lin Yasuda
• Supervisor: Denis Schluppeck
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Nottingham, University Park, England

Abstract

The frontal lobe epilepsy is associated with refractory seizures and it is difficult to identify the origin of the epileptogenic focus for these patients. In addition, the surgical prognosis is generally worse when compared to temporal lobe surgery, a fact often due to the difficulty in detecting structural abnormalities on imaging studies. The investigation of these more complex cases often requires invasive monitoring with cortical electrodes, which carries all the risks inherent to the craniotomy. As a complement to non-invasive investigation of the epileptogenic focus in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy, we intend to use the technique known as functional magnetic resonance ASL (arterial spin labeling) to locate areas of reduced blood flow during the interictal period. Moreover, the study has the potential to evaluate changes in the somatosensory cortex in the motor area. As part of the international project we also intend to continue the development of the software VMTK (http://www.dca.fee.unicamp.br/projects/mtk/wu/vmtk2.html), which is being developed as part of my postdoctoral fellowship in collaboration with Professor Ting from DCA, Faculty of Electrical Engineering at UNICAMP. We are planning to integrate the visualization of both structural and functional images, with the collaboration from group of Nottingham. The project will be developed in cooperation with the group of the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre from the University of Nottingham, England. The group is internationally recognized for pioneering studies with magnetic resonance imaging, emphasizing the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2003.We believe the international fellowship with the renowned group will provide a unique learning opportunity and the establishment of an international collaboration with a group that conducts advanced studies in the field of MRI. (AU)