Neuro

The focus within neuroscience has been to reveal functional and structural changes in the brain caused by disease or aging, the main goal is to understand basal mechanisms of disease. The group has initiated two studies financed by the Helse Nord health authorities. Five projects are initiated by other groups at UiT and UNN while one multi-center study is initiated by Akershus University Hospital. A main activity has been connected to the Tromsø 7 study, between 2015 and 2017 approximately 2.000 cerebral MRI scans were performed in collaboration with the research group led by Ellisiv Mathisen. A large amount of data has been collected and three PhD students are participating in the study, one of the PhD students belongs to the MIRS. Much of the data will also be used by other researchers in the Tromsø 7 study. A pilot study financed by Helse Nord is performed to evaluate the usefulness of PET-MR in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. A PET tracer visualizing amyloid deposits in the brain is used with a focus on modern MRI techniques and analyzing methods, such as machine learning and supercomputing in specific models for diffusion weighted imaging.