Baycrest

THE BRAIN: DRAW THE MAP, FIND THE CURE Today scientists can point to regions involved in language, vision, hearing, memory, planning and emotions. Every time we learn something new, play a fast game of hockey or utter a sentence, scientists have a front row seat to the electromagnetic maelstrom taking place between our ears. If we hope to preserve or repair functions such as memory, attention, language acquisition and use, learning, problem-solving and decision-making, scientists must first figure out how all the pieces work together. Our Rotman scientists are pursuing bold new approaches to early diagnosis and treatment with promising results. We are pleased to introduce you to some of the Rotman scientists who are dedicated to improving brain health and discovering interventions that can one day prevent or further delay the onset of dementia. USING fMRI IN NEW WAYS Dr. Jean Chen's work is focused on fluctuations in blood flow and oxygen in the brain. Why? Scientists have shown that blood flow to our brain declines with age, and that vascular disease is present in over 90 per cent of patients with dementia on autopsy. Nearly six years ago, Dr. Chen was the first scientist to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the link between blood flow decline and brain shrinkage during aging. She wants to know why blood flow to the brain decreases over time. • Does the aging brain slow down and need less blood? Or, • Do the blood and oxygen needs of an aging brain stay unchanged while the blood vessels have a harder time delivering? To answer these questions, Dr. Chen has pioneered the use of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine vascular changes in the brain that could underlie various forms of dementia. This includes studying the elasticity of blood vessels in the brain. It is such a unique approach that it has resulted in a patent application and attracted interest from leading clinical researchers around the world. The answers she finds will lead to a way of measuring how various treatments and therapies could impact the brain. Once our scientists can do that, we can focus on the treatments and therapies that benefit patients the most. DR. JEAN CHEN Filed a patent application for her fMRI technique to investigate the link between the loss of vascular elasticity (a measurement linked to vascular health) in the brain and dementia. 5

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