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Section: Partnerships and Cooperations
European Initiatives
Collaborations in European Programs, except FP7
Project title: Arterial spin labelling Initiative in Dementia
Other partners: Ghent University (BE), Liege University (BE), Hospital Cantonal de Geneve (CH), Fraunhofer MEVIS (D), Freiburg University (D), Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive & Brain Sciences (D), Glostrup Hospital (DK), Hospital Santa Creu I Sant Pau (ES), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (ES), University of Narvarra (ES), INSERM U836 Grenoble (FR), University of Rennes I (FR), Centro San Giovanni di Dio - Fatebenefratelli (IT), Fondazione Instituto Neurologico Besta (IT), Leiden University Medical Center (NL), UMC Utrecht (NL), VU University Medical Centre (NL), Instituto Superior Técnico (PT), University of Porto (PT), Lund University Hospital (SE), Uppsala University Hospital (SE), Skane University Hospital (SE), Bogazici University (TR), King's College London (UK), University College London (UK), University of Nottingham (UK), University of Oxford (UK)
Abstract: Dementia is a major clinical challenge with care costs approaching 1% of global GDP. Recent estimates suggest that delaying disease onset by 5 years would halve its prevalence. As new disease-modifying treatments will be specific to causative diseases, expensive and bear significant side effects, early diagnosis of dementia will be essential. Current diagnostic criteria include the use of image-based biomarkers using radiotracers. The AID Action aims at coordinating the development of an alternative and cost-effective tool based on an MRI technique, Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL), to obtain reproducible brain perfusion measurements in dementia patients by bringing together scientists and clinicians from across Europe through the flexibility of the COST mechanism. The scientific program is centered around four work packages and three workgroups aiming at developing standards, improving the reliability of the technique and as establishing it as a possible clinical trial outcome measure. Development of MRI methods, post-processing tools, protocols of cross-validation, statistical analyses and launch of clinical and comparative studies will be undertaken. The main benefit of this Action will be to provide a cost-effective alternative to radiotracer-based biomarkers, and help care providers throughout Europe balancing the need for early diagnosis of dementia with the necessary healthcare cost containment.