Advanced Information Processing for Healthy Life

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The objective of the research program is to better understand brain activity in healthy aging and to shed light on factors predicting conversion to neurodegenerative disease. Indeed, understanding neuronal activity, brain metabolism and the patho-physiological process will enable the development of innovative mathematical models (non-linear ordinary differential equation system) by or for combining biological and biomedical images from the basic modelling of the brain's anatomo-functional circuits to models of tau protein accumulation in the human brain (partial differential equation formalism). In such “virtual brain activity and pathology” environment, the outcome of brain disease development for individual subjects can be foreseen by simulations. Numerical simulation tools would allow for the prediction of the progress of the disease as well as an understanding of its causes, which remain uncertain. This numerical approach is a new paradigm of the study of the patho-physiological process in healthy aging of subjects at-risk for neurodegenerative disease. This approach, referred to as “predictive physiopathology”, offers better health through prevention. To achieve these objectives we will develop a new Neuro-Glia-Vascular computational model (NGV-model) both at the local and at the network brain level, representing the relationship between local neuronal activity measured by Electroencephalography and the Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) changes measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Positron Emission Tomography and introducing an astrocytes cells contribution to the neuronal and CBF activation. In the continuity of our neuronal modeling work including astrocytes and their metabolic role, we use a computational model accounting for neurotransmitters exchanges. An important focus and emphasis will be placed on the interaction between the NGV-model at a large-scale network and the neurodegenerative diseases model. Numerical simulation tools would allow prediction of the progress of the disease as well as an understanding of its causes, which remain uncertain. This numerical approach is a new paradigm of the study of the patho-physiological process in subjects at-risk for neurodegenerative disease. It is paramount that the dynamical nature of the patho-physiological processes and factors that may contribute to cognitive decline be addressed as their characterization are essential for the definition of possible intervention strategies based on early diagnostic of the disease. This problem has not yet reached the reliability level required for better understanding the factors that promote a healthy lifestyle and contribute to the longevity of a healthy brain.