[984]Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Innovative Molecular Tracers
Our research focuses on the use of molecular neuroimaging for the clinical and physiopathological evaluation of neurological and psychiatric diseases, with a specific interest for neurodegenerative pathologies associated with dementia.
This research activity develops mainly on two axes:
- A clinical and application oriented axis: the validation and optimization of new imaging or analytical techniques, for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation. Specifically, we study established diagnostic biomarkers, such as the evaluation of brain metabolism by PET-FDG and of dopamine transporters by SPECT with Ioflupane, as well as several innovative specific tracers, for example specific for amyloid plaques or tau protein aggregates, or for neuroinflammation.
- An axis of physiopathological research, namely for the investigation of the cognitive reserve phenomenon. Specifically, our laboratory analyse the correlates by functional imaging of this phenomenon in patients with dementia, mainly in the early phases, evaluating for example the involvement of the cholinergic system or the role of the reserve in the compensation of degenerative pathology associated with tau protein deposits.