Dr. Lori Ray (Dept. of Chemical & Biological Engineering, MSU)

3/7/2024  3:10pm

Abstract: 

Brain health and performance ranging from cognition to neurodegeneration have been linked to efficient clearance of molecular waste from the brain. The brain looks to have a rapid and anatomically organized system for molecular transport, the glymphatic system, that is in the early stages of being understood and may rely on healthy sleep for optimal function. In the presented work, transport models are applied to current experimental data to quantify fundamental parameters describing glymphatic function. As glymphatic study moves from mice to humans, minimally invasive imaging techniques present challenges and opportunities. Human MRI data from hourly scans up to 22 hours post intravenous (IV) gadobutrol contrast (GBC) infusion are analyzed from two complimentary perspectives: a system-wide approach utilizing compartment modeling (CM) and a brain-tissue-focused approach using physics-informed neural-network models (PINN). This analysis will provide a baseline for normal glymphatic function. Next steps include analysis of experimental data following sleep deprivation and interventions that enhance sleep behavior. The goal is the development of transport models that enable extrapolation of brain region-resolved glymphatic function across a wide range of physiological conditions based on a limited number of neuroimaging studies in humans.