Three-day scientific conference to be held April 18-20, 2012

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DESCRIPTION: Brain energy requirements are exceedingly high. Most, if not all neurological disorders manifest abnormalities in brain energy metabolism, but remarkably little is known about how these abnormalities in brain energy metabolism contribute to neurological disorders. This knowledge gap stems in part from the high degree of complexity and heterogeneity of brain energetic pathways and mechanisms. The goal of this meeting is to identify tractable knowledge gaps in this area, with special emphasis on new technologies now becoming available for high-resolution imaging of energy metabolism in vitro and in vivo. To this end we will invite speakers with expertise in brain bioenergetics, relevant cutting-edge technology, and specific disease pathophysiology. We propose a program that pulls together, in a very interactive forum, investigators from research areas who would otherwise have little interaction: clinicians, neuroscientists, mitochondrial physiologists, and technology pioneers. New imaging technologies now permit cell-type specific and single cell resolution of brain energy metabolism in experimental disease models, and non-invasive imaging methods continue to improve our ability to evaluate metabolic and functional changes associated with disease and aging in vivo. To facilitate progress in this field it is important that the technology pioneers present these advances to a critical audience, and that disease-oriented researchers become educated as to the availability, capacities, and limitations of these new methodologies. There is no other meeting or conference that serves this purpose. The ICBEM meeting we propose here will provide a unique venue for these cross-disciplinary interactions: e.g. for in vivo imaging specialists to converse with experts in neurological diseases and with hard-nosed basic scientists who may challenge some assumptions inherent in vivo imaging; for basic scientists with expertise in mitochondrial physiology and brain energetics to critique human genetics studies assigning cause- effect relationships to mitochondrial and other gene mutations; and for basic scientists and technology pioneers to take away the key questions being addressed by the disease-focused researchers. Outline of Sessions/Topics: I. Intercellular compartmentalization of brain energy metabolism in normal neurotransmission. II. Emerging technologies for measuring brain bioenergetics. III. Effects of normal aging on brain energetics. IV. Brain energetics in neurological disorders - acute & chronic inflammation - Alzheimer's diseases- microvascular dementia - Parkinsons' and related diseases PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research conference will promote our understanding of how changes in energy metabolism affect brain function in neurological disease and normal aging. The conference will provide a forum for neuroscientists and disease-focused investigators to learn about and critique emerging technologies in high resolution brain metabolism imaging, and will allow technology pioneers to learn about the key questions facing neuroscientists and disease-focused investigators. These interactions are important for facilitating progress in these research areas. Disclaimer: Please note that the following critiques were prepared by the reviewers prior to the Study Section meeting and are provided in an essentially unedited form. While there is opportunity for the reviewers to update or revise their written evaluation, based upon the group's discussion, there is no guarantee that individual critiques have been updated subsequent to the discussion at the meeting. Therefore, the critiques may not fully reflect the final opinions of th individual reviewers at the close of group discussion or the final majority opinion of the group. Thus the Resume and Summary of Discussion is the final word on what the reviewers actually considered critical at the meeting.