Combined structural, microvascular and functional mapping of brain tumors for improved diagnosis and treatment planning

During recent years, the department of radiology at Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet (RR) Medical Center has had a strong focus on functional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) research; including perfusion/ diffusion MRI and spectroscopy, with the aim of br inging novel MR techniques into early clinical use. As a result, RR can today offer a battery of advanced MR based neuro-imaging techniques on a routine basis. Still, many of the new techniques are at an early developmental stage and further research and development is essential to fully exploit their potential. The recent decision to acquire a dedicated 3 Tesla research MR scanner at the Intervention Centre at RR will also have a significant impact on the possibilities to further exploit and develop thes e new techniques. This is in compliance with the desire to characterize disease with imaging techniques at a molecular level (Molecular Imaging). The department of neurosurgery at RR performs approximately 450 operations of intra-cranial lesions each year . The large patient volume enables rapid identification of the most promising research areas with respect to new MR-based imaging methods. Based on initial findings, a multidisciplinary long-term project was established in 2005. Focus will be on four new MR based neuro-imaging techniques (morphometry, BOLD-fMRI, perfusion MRI, diffusion MRI) with respect to MRI of intra-cranial lesions. Since the four methods are complementary and provide independent channels of information, a comprehensive approach inclu ding all four techniques is considered essential in order to take full advantage of what these new methods have to offer. Both national and international research collaborations have been initiated and care will be taken to establish dynamic collaboration s between senior and junior researchers through already initiated sub-studies.