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EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF RADIOLOGY 2013 | www.myESR.orgFoundation Courseon Neuroimaging:All you need to know in18 easy lessonsBy David ZizkaFoundation Course:NeuroimagingFriday, March 8,08:30–10:00E³ 420:The orbit, the petrousbone and the sellaFriday, March 8,10:30–12:00E³ 520c: PaediatricFriday, March 8,14:00–15:30E³ 620:Trauma and vascularityFriday, March 8,16:00–17:30E³ 720b:Infection andinflammationSaturday, March 9,08:30–10:00E³ 820b:Metabolic andneurodegenerativedisordersSaturday, March 9,10:30–12:00E³ 920b:Tumours andphacomatosisSaturday, March 9,12:15–13:15Self assessment testNeuroimaging – which includes techniques that enableus to directly or indirectly image, visualise and measureaspects of brain anatomy and physiology in living humans– may be one of the most fascinating, and yet least exploredfields in radiology today. It has not only become an essentialdiscipline within medicine, but has also revolutionisedother fields such as cognitive neuroscience and psychology,where it allows us to ask questions about the brain-behaviourrelationship, inconceivable just a decade or two ago.The ECR 2013 foundation course on neuroimaging, chaired by Prof. Maria Argyropouloufrom the Medical School at the University of Ioannina in Greece, will be primarily aimed ateducating, and young radiologists, especially, will be able to learn new things, and gain a clearerunderstanding of information they may have misunderstood.“Additionally, hints and brief introductions will be given for the modern, more advanced andstate-of-the-art techniques, which have appeared in the field lately. Experienced radiologists willhave the chance to refresh their basic knowledge and get informed of the recent advances. Wehave all worked hard to prepare an interesting and rewarding session, following the success ofprevious ECR neuroimaging sessions,” said Prof. Argyropoulou, describing some aspects of thefoundation course.When asked about the basics of neuroimaging Prof. Argyropoulou explained that she wouldstart with the two categories of neuroimaging – structural and functional imaging. Structuralimaging deals with the structure and morphology of the brain. It mainly provides detailed staticimages of the anatomical features. On the other hand, functional imaging maps brain processesrelated to metabolism, blood flow, regional chemical composition and absorption. It providesdynamic or temporal brain maps, revealing physiological activities. One could say that structuralimaging shows what the brain looks like, whereas functional imaging shows what the brain actuallydoes or how it works. Both descriptions are helpful because they provide complementary informationand in many cases they are closely related to the general biological principle of ‘structuredetermines function.’ Neuroimaging has also shown, in many cases of brain injury, how structuraldamage affects cognitive function and reorganises neuronal networks.Neuroimaging has become significantly important in other fields of medicine such as neurointerventionalprocedures. Advances in neuroimaging modalities such as digital subtractionangiography, transcranial and intravascular ultrasonography, interventional dynamic 64-slicecomputed tomography, (intravascular) magnetic resonance imaging, and molecular and cellularneuroimaging using microbubbles have helped to improve existing therapies and pioneer new110ECR 2013 | Preliminary Programme EdiciÓn Invierno