Clinical Research Imaging
The Clinical Research Imaging team has performed much of its research on elderly subjects. This is largely due to the significant number of participants enrolled in the ASPREE study and our capacity to conduct sub-studies that make use of that elderly cohort. MBI also has a significant interest in kidney imaging, of which our team plays a major part.
Microbleeds in the healthy elderly
Nicholas Ferris, Parnesh Raniga, John McNeil, Robyn Woods, Elsdon Storey, Stephanie Barnes, Gary Egan
Our collaboration with the ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial continued in 2014, with the completion of baseline imaging for the ASPREE Neuro sub-study in 557 subjects. The ASPREE Neuro project aims to assess the effect of normal ageing on several putative biomarkers of cerebrovascular disease, as well as any modification of these effects by low-dose aspirin treatment.
Quantitative susceptibility mapping in the healthy elderly
Parnesh Raniga, Nicholas Ferris, John McNeil, Robyn Woods, Elsdon Storey, Stephanie Barnes; Olivier Salvado (CSIRO), Gary Egan
Iron deposition in certain parts of the brain is known to be a feature of normal ageing, but until recently it has been difficult to systematically quantify this throughout the brain. SWI is very sensitive to iron deposition (this is also why it is sensitive to micro-haemorrhages), and the resulting images can be post-processed to yield maps of magnetic susceptibility in the brain; tissue magnetic susceptibility is strongly related to iron content. Patterns of brain iron deposition will be followed over the three years of the ASPREE Neuro study, and compared between subject groups.
Imaging assessment of transplant kidneys
Victor Puelles Rodriguez, Roger Evans, Bill Mulley, David Nikolic-Paterson, Peter Kerr, John Bertram, James Pearson, Nicholas Ferris, Parnesh Raniga
Transplanted kidneys are vulnerable to adverse events including rejection and ureteric obstruction, particularly in the early months after surgery. In particular rejection can lead to loss of the transplant, and it is therefore important to detect it early. Until now, the only reliable means of detecting early rejection has been to perform needle biopsies of the transplanted kidney, an uncomfortable procedure, which in itself carries a small risk to the transplant.