Bioengineering and Neuroimaging Laboratory LNB

Bioengineering and Neuroimaging Laboratory LNB

In Ecuador the life expectancy is similar to most of developed countries. The mental and behavioral disorders have a high impact on Ecuadorian society (World Health Report 2010). These problems can affect from childhood to adulthood. Thus in older people, common problems are neurodegenerative and cerebro-vascular diseases. The main problems observed in Ecuadorian children are epileptic syndromes and tropical diseases. These issues are being considered from the point of view of engineering, to get a better understanding of the disease, in order to find engineering solutions to improve the patient quality life. We work in close relationship with hospitals of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute.

In our recent created laboratory, the research lines are related to functional magnetic resonance imaging which are focused mainly in neurological disorders. Our work includes: Voxel Based Morphometry, Diffeomorphic co-registration, artifact correction, image data segmentation and statistical analysis. We are also interested in the neural mechanisms that underlay subthalamic lessions, which are useful for parkinsonian patients who do not respond to other types of treatment

Other approaches include the development of peripheral stimulation devices in order to assist in stopping the continuation of the disease in patients with Parkinson.

Future plans:

·         The development of algorithms for automatic and specific brain tissue segmentation, in order to improve the localization of deep, difuse and small brain structures..

·         Magnetic resonance elastography and 3D image data fusion.

·         Our plan is also work with epilepsy patients, especially those who do not respond to treatment (refractory epilepsy). Our objective is to work in the development of automatic tools to improve the diagnostic and localization of seizures.

Keywords:

fMRI. Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, image data analysis, mechatronics

Collaborations:

Center for Applied Medical Research, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Spain.

Clínica University of Navarra, Department of Neurology and Department of Plastic Surgery, Spain

University College London,  Institute of Neurology, UK.

Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, Lyon, France.

 

People

Group leader: Francis Loayza P., PhD

Eduardo Orcés P., MSc

 

Recent Work:

Title: Impact of unilateral subthalamotomy in fMRI (BOLD signal) in Parkinson’s disease during a stop signal task (SFN congress 2013).

I. Obeso1,5 F. Loayza2,7 , R. Gonzalez 3,4,  F. Villagra3 J. Guridi3,4, M.C. Rodriguez-Oroz3,4,6, M. Jahanshahi5 J. A. Obeso3,4,  M. A. Pastor,2,4

1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, Lyon, France; 2Neuroimaging Laboratory and 3Movement Disorders Laboratory, CIMA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; 4CIBERNED, Instituto Carlos III, Spain; 5UCL Institute of Neurology, UK; 6BioDonostia Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain; 7Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Litoral Polytechnic University (ESPOL), Guayaquil, Ecuador.

 

Title: Gender differences in cortico-subcortial network coupling during facial expressions (SFN congress 2013).

F. Loayza1,3, J. Buendia2,  F. Villagra1,  M. Celorrio2, B. Hontanilla2, M. A. Pastor1,2

1 Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra and 2 Clinica Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; 3 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Litoral Polytechnic University (ESPOL), Guayaquil, Ecuador.