范德堡大学丁肇华博士访问我院并做学术报告

报告题目：Visualizing ‘Dark Matter’ in the Human Brain Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Methods and Applications

报告时间：2019年4月26日上午10:30(星期五)

报告地点：东南大学四牌楼校区中山院112室

报告摘要：Functional magnetic resonance imaging based on blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast has proven to be effective in detecting neural activity in brain cortices. Due to reduced vascular density in white matter, BOLD signals therein tend to be weak, which renders white matter to be functionally ‘dark matter’in the human brain. We have demonstrated that BOLD signals acquired at resting state exhibit structure-specific temporal correlations along white matter tracts, and thus proposed the concept of spatio-temporal correlation tensors to characterize the directional preferences of temporal correlations in white matter BOLD signals. We found that the spatio-temporal correlation tensors are able to visualize both long range white matter tracts and short range sub-cortical fibers imaged at rest, that evoked functional activities enhance visualization of relevant neural circuits in white matter, and that pathological conditions alter correlational profiles of BOLD signals along related white matter tracts.

  This lecture will consist of five major parts. First, methodological details that include protocols for image acquisitions and processing and approaches for constructing spatio-temporal correlation tensors from BOLD time series will be described. Second, illustrative examples demonstrating the anisotropy of spatio-temporal correlations in resting state BOLD signals and directional consistency with white matter tracts depicted using structural imaging will be presented. Third, effects of functional loading, including visual stimulations and performance of reading tasks, in selectively visualizing relevant neural circuitry will be demonstrated. Fourth, major reported and unreported evidence gleaned from a plethora of research groups that attests to the measurability of BOLD signals in white matter will be summarized. And finally, applications of the proposed spatio-temporal correlation tensors to clinical studies of the impact of neurological disorders on correlational profiles of BOLD signals in relevant neural circuits will be exemplified with pontine stroke and Alzheimers disease. The lecture will conclude with an outline of potential technical issues and future directions for continued technical development.

报告人简介：丁肇华博士是具有20多年生物医学工程和成像专业经验的资深专家。拥有生物医学工程本科、硕士和博士学位以及计算机硕士学位。先后在美国俄亥俄州立大学、耶鲁大学和范德堡大学学习和工作。目前担任范德堡大学成像科学研究所，电气工程和计算机系，以及生物医学工程系研究副教授，博士和博士后导师。是国际电气工程师学会资深会员，任十余家国际期刊、会议和美国国家卫生部基金评审委员。在国际期刊和会议发表论文200余篇，包括PNAS，Nature Communications, IEEE TPAMI, TMI和TIP等知名期刊，论文被他引7000余次。主要研究医学磁共振及其在人脑功能结构关系中的应用，在几个重要方向上属国际领先。2013年首创了功能张量成像概念，在国际学术界引起了广泛关注。2014年荣膺国际电气工程师学会颁发的最佳论文奖。