THE MALAWI-MSU MRI PROJECT: AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF CNS ABNORMALITIES

描述（由申请人提供）：由于前所未有的公私合作伙伴关系，MRI技术最近已在马拉维用于研究，临床和教育目的。缺乏规范性数据被证明是在这种环境下使用MRI的主要障碍。Malawi-MSU MRI研究项目将招募一个基于社区的马拉维儿童代表性样本进行临床和脑MRI评价，以开发马拉维人群CNS图像的规范性数据。还将筛查研究对象是否有马拉维常见的产前、创伤、感染或环境暴露史，这些可能是中枢神经系统损伤的风险因素。将评估特定潜在风险因素与特定和非特定结构异常之间的相关性。这项流行病学评估的结果将为马拉维未被识别的神经系统残疾和疾病的负担和性质以及这些疾病的可能病因提供见解。在开展这项工作期间，将充分开发和实施一个定制的、网络兼容的软件程序（NeuroInterp），该程序旨在使放射科医生能够以系统的、可量化的格式提供脑部MRI解释。将加强对马拉维的磁共振成像技术人员的培训，并为在资源有限的情况下继续发展学术放射学提供支持。 公共卫生相关性：叙述式磁共振成像（MRI）最近在马拉维可用-这是撒哈拉以南非洲地区第一次有这种先进的成像技术用于教学、教育和研究。Malawi-MSU MRI研究项目将从马拉维儿童社区人群中获得脑MRI，以确定这一从未研究过的人群中明显的结构异常范围，因为需要这些信息来有效地使用MRI技术在撒哈拉以南非洲地区。通过MRI回顾和临床评估，该项目将评估神经损伤的性质及其在这一脆弱人群中的潜在病因。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Due to an unprecedented public-private partnership, MRI technology has recently become available in Malawi for research, clinical and educational purposes. The lack of normative data is proving a major barrier to the use of MRI in this environment. The Malawi-MSU MRI Research Project will recruit a community-based, representative sample of Malawian children for clinical and brain MRI evaluations to develop normative data for CNS images in the Malawian population. Study subjects will also be screened for a history of antenatal, traumatic, infectious, or environmental exposures common in Malawi which may be risk factors for CNS injuries. The association between specific potential risk factors and specific, as well as non-specific structural abnormalities will be assessed. Findings from this epidemiologic assessment will provide insights into the burden and nature of unrecognized neurologic disability and disease in Malawi and possible etiologies for these conditions. During the conduct of this work, a customized, web compatible software program (NeuroInterp) designed to allow radiologists to provide brain MRI interpretations in a systematic, quantifiable format will be fully developed and implemented. Training for MRI technicians in Malawi will be enhanced and support provided for the continued development of academic radiology in this resource limited setting. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Narrative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has recently become available in Malawi--the first time such advanced imaging technology has been accessible for teaching, education and research in a sub-Saharan African region. The Malawi-MSU MRI research project will obtain brain MRIs from a community-based population of Malawian children to establish the range of structural abnormalities evident in this never-before-studied population since this information is needed to effectively use MRI technology in the sub-Saharan African region. Through MRI reviews and clinical assessments, the project will evaluate the nature of neurologic injuries and their potential etiologies in this vulnerable population.