Biomedical Brain Imaging
Full course description
Neuroimaging techniques provide powerful insights into the distribution, binding, and other biological effects of pharmacological agents. For example, positron emission tomography can be used to directly assess the relationship between drug plasma concentration and target occupancy. Neuroimaging thus enables the possibility to test whether a new chemical entity reaches brain target tissue in sufficient amounts to be pharmacologically active, and to alter disease processes. This workshop will focus on how and whether neuroimaging techniques can yield biomarkers and surrogate endpoints that can aid the prediction of disease progression and (treatment) outcome.
The final assessment for this course is pass or fail - and not a numerical grade between 0,0 and 10,0.
Course objectives
Using the available literature, student presentations, and lectures, students will be able to understand and explain:
- the basic principles of various brain imaging methods (PET, SPECT, MRI, fMRI, MRS);
- how these approaches are typically used in clinical drug development stages (target identification, distribution, pharmacokinetics, target binding, drug efficacy, safety, personalized medicine);
- opportunities and challenges of biomedical imaging techniques during the different phases of drug development.
- D.M.J. Hernaus