Download Clinical Neuroscience Sagol

The Sagol School of Neuroscience invites you to its
new course
New Horizons in Clinical Neuroscience
In cooperation with the Human Brain Project
Venue: Shreman Building, Hall 03, Life Sciences Faculty, Tel Aviv
University
Date: Sunday; 16:00-18:00
Date
Title
Lecturer
28.2.2016
The Natural History of Neurodegenerative
disease: Can We Modify it?
Clinical neuroanatomy
Vascular aspects of brain disorders – stroke
Epilepsy and EEG
Neuroimmunology
Systems biology of addiction
Neuropsychiatric disorders
Clinical aspects of brain imaging
Therapeutic strategies
Prof. Nir Giladi
13.3.2016
27.3.2016
10.4.2016
1.5.2016
15.5.2016
29.5.2016
19.6.2016
26.6.2016
Dr. Eitan Auriel
Prof. Natan Bornstein
Prof. Miri Neufeld
Prof. Anat Achiron
Prof. Alois Saria
Prof. Hilik Levkoviyz
Prof. Dafna Ben Bashat
Dr. Ralph Laufer
Lecture 1: The Natural History of Neurodegenerative disease: Can We Modify it?
Lecture Description:
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body
dementia, Huntington's disease and motor neuron disease have similar
pathophysiologies of protein misfolding, accumulation of protein aggregates and a
slow, progressive course of neuronal cell death. In addition, these and other
disorders have a long prodromal stage, when the pathological process is slowly
progressing but clinically unrecognized. Better characterization of new and highly
sensitive biological markers now enables the detection of subjects at risk or in the
earliest prodromal stages of the disease. Early detection of neurodegeneration will
enable future medicine to apply new concepts of intervention, moving from the
current symptomatic and palliative approaches to disease-modifying therapy and
even disease prevention.
Prof. Nir Giladi, Chairman, Tel Aviv Institute of Neurology, Sieratzki Chair in
Neurology, Director of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Sackler School
of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University.
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Lecture 2: Clinical neuroanatomy
Lecture Description:
Clinical consequences of neurological diseases often depend on the involved
anatomical territory in the central or peripheral nervous system. For instance, the
characteristics of motor weakness resulting from a spinal lesion differ from those
resulting from a root lesion. By the same token, a stroke involving the posterior
circulation has a different clinical presentation than one in the anterior circulation.
By understanding and applying simple neuroanatomical rules, one can localize the
damage along the neuroaxis, the first crucial step toward making the correct clinical
diagnosis and initiating treatment.
Dr. Eitan Auriel, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Medical Center.
Lecture 3: Vascular aspects of brain disorders – stroke
Lecture Description:
Stroke remains the second most common cause of death and the major cause of
severe disability, including physical and cognitive–behavioral consequences.
In the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the prevention and
acute treatment of stroke, as well as in advanced neuroimaging. The most dramatic
progress is seen in the widespread introduction of intravenous thrombolysis as
standard therapy for acute ischemic stroke and very recently, the positive results of
5 clinical trials with intra-arterial clot retrieval within a short time after the onset of
symptoms.
Today, we have much better diagnostic tools for various subtypes of stroke, which
are enabling us to better tailor new therapeutics and preventive measures to avoid
recurrent events.
Prof. Natan Bornstein
Professor of Neurology at Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine
Head of Stroke Unit at Tel Aviv Medical Center, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel
Aviv University, Chairman of the Israeli Neurological Association, Vice President of
the World Stroke Organization (WSO).
Lecture 4: Epilepsy and EEG
Lecture Description:
Epilepsy is characterized by an enduring tendency for recurrent unprovoked seizures
and by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this
condition. Advances in the understanding, investigation and treatment of epilepsy
are continuing apace.
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Genome analysis is providing insight into the causes of the individual epilepsy
syndromes and is helping to target appropriate treatments. The number of antiepileptic drugs with novel mechanisms of action has risen, adding to the
pharmacological armamentarium of epilepsy. Major technical advances have
contributed to our ability to map the brain and identify the part responsible for
seizure generation, which can then be surgically removed. Neurostimulation for
epilepsy continues to evolve rapidly, including the development of implantable
devices aimed at interfering with seizure-related processes in the brain. Current
therapy aims to prevent seizures; the goal of future research is to intervene with the
natural history of the epileptic process and prevent epilepsy and its co-morbidities.
Prof. Miri Neufeld, Director of EEG and Epilepsy Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical
Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv
University.
Lecture 5: Neuroimmunology
Lecture Description:
The immune system can target and attack the nervous system to produce
autoimmune responses that may result in diseases such as multiple sclerosis,
neuromyelitis and lupus cerebritis manifested by motor, sensory and cognitive
impairments. Despite the fact that the brain is an immune-privileged site,
autoreactive lymphocytes producing proinflammatory cytokines can cause active
brain inflammation, leading to myelin and axonal loss. Recent research demonstrates
that immune manipulations and restoration of aberrant apoptotic processes can
benefit neuroimmunological disorders.
Prof. Anat Achiron, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center, Sheba Medical Center.
Lecture 6: Systems biology of addiction
Lecture Description:
The diagnostic criteria of substance dependence (addiction), which include
tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, increased time spent getting hold of substances,
giving up social or occupational activities and a set of additional psychological and
physical problems indicate adaptive brain mechanisms with common pathways in
complex neural networks. A number of different brain regions appear to be involved
and among them, the "reward circuit" has been postulated as a common pathway for
all addictive substances. Moreover, numerous studies in molecular and cellular
neurobiology have revealed details of biochemical changes that are common to drugs
that, on the other hand, differ radically in their pharmacological properties.
However, the complexity of these dynamic networks is not yet understood and
therefore, the outcome of pharmacological treatments for addiction remains
disappointing. Recent attempts have been made to describe the biological systems as
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theoretical (computational) models; these could provide a better understanding of
addiction at the cellular and network levels in the future.
Prof. Alois Saria, Center of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry
Unit, Innsbruck University, Innsbruck, Austria
Lecture 7: Neuropsychiatric disorders
Lecture Description:
Psychiatry includes the assessment, treatment, and prevention of complex brain
disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and
developmental disorders (e.g., autism). Its core mission is to prevent and alleviate
the distress and impairment caused by these disorders, which account for a
substantial part of the global burden of illness-related disability. Psychiatry is
grounded in clinical neuroscience. Its core mission, now and in the future, is best
served within this context because advances in assessment, treatment, and
prevention of brain disorders are likely to originate from studies of etiology and
pathophysiology based in clinical and translational neuroscience. In this lecture I will
present and discuss the neuroscientific aspects of psychiatric disorders and suggest
new approaches to understanding their neurobiological bases.
Prof. Hilik Levkoviyz, Head of Continuing Medical Education (CME), School of
Medicine, Deputy Director, Beer Yaakov & Ness Ziona Mental Health Center of the
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.
Lecture 8: Clinical aspects of brain imaging
Lecture Description:
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – basic principles and various methods
• Routine clinical protocols
• Advanced MRI methods: from localized imaging to network analysis
• Applications for patients with brain tumors
• Applications for patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders
Prof. Dafna Ben Bashat, Dept. of Radiology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Functional
Brain Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel
Aviv University.
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Lecture 9: Therapeutic strategies
Lecture Description:
The development of efficient therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders
poses several unique challenges. Many CNS diseases are complex multigenic disorders
with poorly understood underlying mechanisms. Available small animal models are
poor predictors of clinical efficacy. Furthermore, the blood–brain barrier impedes
access of potential therapeutic agents to the CNS.
Nevertheless, modern genetic and genomic research, together with advances in
molecular biology, systems biology and big data analysis are providing a better
understanding of disease mechanisms and the identification of novel targets and
therapeutic approaches. Examples of novel treatment strategies include targeting
common mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, stem-cell therapy and genesilencing technology.
Dr. Ralph Laufer, TEVA's Discovery and Product Development SVP.
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