Biomarkers Flashcards
What is a biomarker?
A measured characteristic which may be used as an
indicator of some biological state or condition.
What are biomarkers used for?
Often measured and evaluated to examine normal biologic processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention.
How are biomarkers used in drug effect?
- Disease diagnosis
- Prognostic determination
- Selection of appropriate therapy
- Maximize efficacy
- Minimize toxicity
- Selection of correct dose
- Monitoring outcomes
What are the 3 groups of biomarkers?
CSF biomarkers
Imaging biomarkers PET
Blood Biomarkers
How do we neuroimage biomarkers for dementia?
- Structural imaging
- Functional imaging
- Molecular imaging
What is the function of structural imaging?
Provides information about the shape, position or volume of brain tissue
What is the function of functional imaging?
Reveals how well cells in various brain regions are working by showing how actively the cells use sugar or oxygen.
What is the function of molecular imaging?
Uses highly targeted radiotracers to detect cellular or chemical changes linked to specific diseases.
What kind of damage does structural brain imaging detect?
Vascular damage
White matter signal changes
Atrophy
What kinds of functional imaging is there?
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Dopamine transporter scanning
Functional MRI (fMRI)
What is the function of positron emission tomography (PET)?
Allows for visualisation and quantification of patterns of brain hypometabolism and hypoperfusion.
What is the function of dopamine transporter scanning?
Used to determine central dopaminergic depletion, as well as a range of other movement disorders.
What is the function of functional MRI?
Measures alterations in regional cerebral blood flow using a linked blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal change in the magnetic properties of cerebral venous blood.
