Hanzhang Lu, PhD – Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Brain imaging provides an important opportunity for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Imaging biomarkers have evolved substantially over the past decade. Overt clinical lesions such as white matter hyperintensities and lacunar infarcts are the classic markers of small vessel disease. Microstructural damages using diffusion MRI have also demonstrated considerable potential. A recent trend is to move the biomarker development to earlier and potentially more sensitive cerebrovascular imaging assessments. The brain’s vasodilatory capacity, measured by cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), represents an important physiological parameter of vascular health. In this talk, Dr. Hanzhang Lu discusses a potential framework of biomarkers for the classification of VCID, specifically describing CVR as a candidate biomarker in small vessel disease related VCID.

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