This lecture will focus on variations in cerebral blood flow in preterm neonates, visualized using a non-invasive MRI technique known as Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL). We will discuss age-related changes in cerebral perfusion during the earliest phases of post- and pre-natal life, highlighting the rapid developmental transitions that characterize this period. Particular attention will be given to methodological considerations and practical challenges of implementing perfusion MRI in the clinical setting for this vulnerable population. Finally, we will explore the potential clinical relevance of ASL-derived perfusion measures, including their role in guiding therapeutic strategies and improving our understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying brain development in early life.

Speaker: Yeva Prysiazhniuk, Ph.D. is a postdoc at the Department of Pathophysiology, the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Ulm

Contact at IPHYS: Martin Balaštík, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, martin.balastik@fgu.cas.cz