Advances In The Preclinical Study Of Ischemic Stroke

This book reports innovations in the preclinical study of stroke, including - novel tools and findings in animal models of stroke, - novel biochemical mechanisms through which ischemic damage may be both generated and limited, - novel pathways to neuroprotection. Although hypothermia has been so far the sole "neuroprotection" treatment that has survived the translation from preclinical to clinical studies, progress in both preclinical studies and in the design of clinical trials will hopefully provide more and better treatments for ischemic stroke. This book aims at providing the preclinical scientist with innovative knowledge and tools to investigate novel mechanisms of, and treatments for, ischemic brain damage.

This book presents innovations in the preclinical study of stroke, comprising of new tools and findings in animal models of stroke, new biochemical mechanisms through which ischemic injury may be both formulated and confined. Although hypothermia has been

This book presents innovations in the preclinical study of stroke addressing new pathways to neuroprotection. Although hypothermia has been so far the only "neuroprotection" cure that has endured the translation from preclinical to clinical studies, developments in both preclinical studies and in design of clinical trials will hopefully give more and better treatments for ischemic stroke. This book focuses on supplying the preclinical scientists with creative knowledge and instruments to examine new mechanisms of ischemic brain damage and its cure.

The successful treatment of acute stroke remains one of the major challenges in clinical medicine. Over the last decades, the understanding of stroke pathophysiology has greatly improved, while the therapeutic options in stroke therapy remain very limited. Today, hyperacute mechanisms of damage, such as excitotoxicity, can be discriminated from delayed ones, such as inflammation and apoptosis. Targeting of inflammation has already been successfully applied in various stroke models, but translation into a clinically efficacious strategy has not been achieved so far. In this book, leading experts in basic cerebrovascular research as well as stroke treatment review the current evidence for and against an important role for inflammation in stroke, and explore the potential of treating or modulating inflammation in stroke therapy.

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a ‘go-to’ reference for methods and applications of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, with specific sections on Relaxometry, Perfusion, and Diffusion. Each section will start with an explanation of the basic techniques for mapping the tissue property in question, including a description of the challenges that arise when using these basic approaches. For properties which can be measured in multiple ways, each of these basic methods will be described in separate chapters. Following the basics, a chapter in each section presents more advanced and recently proposed techniques for quantitative tissue property mapping, with a concluding chapter on clinical applications. The reader will learn: The basic physics behind tissue property mapping How to implement basic pulse sequences for the quantitative measurement of tissue properties The strengths and limitations to the basic and more rapid methods for mapping the magnetic relaxation properties T1, T2, and T2* The pros and cons for different approaches to mapping perfusion The methods of Diffusion-weighted imaging and how this approach can be used to generate diffusion tensor maps and more complex representations of diffusion How flow, magneto-electric tissue property, fat fraction, exchange, elastography, and temperature mapping are performed How fast imaging approaches including parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting can be used to accelerate or improve tissue property mapping schemes How tissue property mapping is used clinically in different organs Structured to cater for MRI researchers and graduate students with a wide variety of backgrounds Explains basic methods for quantitatively measuring tissue properties with MRI - including T1, T2, perfusion, diffusion, fat and iron fraction, elastography, flow, susceptibility - enabling the implementation of pulse sequences to perform measurements Shows the limitations of the techniques and explains the challenges to the clinical adoption of these traditional methods, presenting the latest research in rapid quantitative imaging which has the possibility to tackle these challenges Each section contains a chapter explaining the basics of novel ideas for quantitative mapping, such as compressed sensing and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting-based approaches

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the state of the art in precision medicine in stroke. It starts by explaining and giving general information about precision medicine. Current applications in different strokes types (ischemic, haemorrhagic) are presented from diagnosis to treatment. In addition, ongoing research in the field (early stroke diagnosis and estimation of prognosis) is extensively discussed. The final part provides an in-depth discussion of how different interdisciplinary areas like artificial intelligence, molecular biology and genetics are contributing to this area. Precision Medicine in Stroke provides a practical approach to each chapter, reinforcing clinical applications and presenting clinical cases. This book is intended for all clinicians that interact with stroke patients (neurologists, internal medicine doctors, general practitioners, neurosurgeons), students and basic researchers.

The brain is the most complex organ in our body. Indeed, it is perhaps the most complex structure we have ever encountered in nature. Both structurally and functionally, there are many peculiarities that differentiate the brain from all other organs. The brain is our connection to the world around us and by governing nervous system and higher function, any disturbance induces severe neurological and psychiatric disorders that can have a devastating effect on quality of life. Our understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of the brain has improved dramatically in the last two decades. In particular, the critical role of cations, including magnesium, has become evident, even if incompletely understood at a mechanistic level. The exact role and regulation of magnesium, in particular, remains elusive, largely because intracellular levels are so difficult to routinely quantify. Nonetheless, the importance of magnesium to normal central nervous system activity is self-evident given the complicated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the concentration of this cation within strict limits essential for normal physiology and metabolism. There is also considerable accumulating evidence to suggest alterations to some brain functions in both normal and pathological conditions may be linked to alterations in local magnesium concentration. This book, containing chapters written by some of the foremost experts in the field of magnesium research, brings together the latest in experimental and clinical magnesium research as it relates to the central nervous system. It offers a complete and updated view of magnesiums involvement in central nervous system function and in so doing, brings together two main pillars of contemporary neuroscience research, namely providing an explanation for the molecular mechanisms involved in brain function, and emphasizing the connections between the molecular changes and behavior. It is the untiring efforts of those magnesium researchers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mysteries of magnesiums role in biological systems that has inspired the collation of this volume of work.

In recent years research on ischemic stroke has developed powerful therapeutic tools. The novel frontiers of stem cells therapy and of hypothermia have been explored, and novel brain repair mechanisms have been discovered. Limits to intravenous thrombolysis have been advanced and powerful endovascular tools have been put at the clinicians' disposal. Surgical decompression in malignant stroke has significantly improved the prognosis of this often fatal condition. This book includes contributions from scientists active in this innovative research. Stroke physicians, students, nurses and technicians will hopefully use it as a tool of continuing medical education to update their knowledge in this rapidly changing field.