Improving neurologic outcome measurement for interventional research in Ibadan

描述(申请人提供)：尼日利亚迫切需要旨在建设研究能力的医学教育计划，以减轻神经疾病的负担。严重的公共健康问题威胁着生命各个阶段的大脑和认知功能--在子宫、婴儿期、儿童期、成年期和衰老阶段。本申请是对RFA-TW-11-004(医学教育合作伙伴计划相关奖项(MEPI)-R25)的回应，概述了一项创新的研究教育计划，该计划涉及来自伊巴丹的伊巴丹大学/大学学院医院(UI/UCH)的神经学家和神经放射科医生与来自芝加哥西北大学的临床医生和科学家组成的多学科团队。该计划结合了脑研究方法学的正规教育、成人和儿科神经病学的强化临床研究培训机会以及远程学习。此外，加州大学伯克利分校临床上使用的尚未用于研究的主要成像设备将扩大用于大脑成像研究。由于成像技术可以用来研究几乎任何受伤或完整的大脑在生命的任何阶段，这将代表着在建立神经学研究能力方面的重大进步。这项计划将为成人(中风)和儿童的主要目标公共卫生问题带来好处 (癫痫)神经病学。然而，重要的是要认识到，这些工具将在建设研究能力方面产生广泛的回报，其益处延伸到许多神经和精神公共卫生威胁，包括脑血管疾病、神经退行性疾病、脑创伤、中枢神经系统感染、神经发育障碍、药物成瘾和精神障碍。在本计划中获得的技能可用于设计可行的调查，以确定有效的预防策略，改进诊断， 评估神经结果和评估旨在神经保护、维持认知功能和生活质量的干预措施。 这一培训计划将大大加强联合大学现有的医学教育体系，该大学是尼日利亚的旗舰公立大学和历史最悠久的高等学府。参与的医生将能够通过指导同事、当地合作者以及未来一代学生、住院医生和研究员来进一步建设神经学研究能力。该计划将对尼日利亚的神经学研究能力产生持续和不断扩大的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Medical education programs aimed at building research capacity are urgently needed to relieve the burden of neurological disease in Nigeria. Serious public health issues threaten the brain and cognitive function at all stages of the lifespan -- in utero, infancy, childhood, adulthood and with aging. This application, submitted in response to RFA-TW-11-004 (The Medical Education Partnership Initiative Linked Awards (MEPI) - R25), outlines an innovative research education plan involving a partnership between neurologists and neuroradiologists from the University of Ibadan/University College Hospital (UI/UCH) in Ibadan and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and scientists from Northwestern University in Chicago. The plan combines formal education in methodology for studies of the brain, intensive clinical research training opportunities in adult and pediatric neurology and remote learning. In addition, major imaging equipment in clinical use at UI/UCH that has not yet been exploited for research will be scaled up for imaging studies of the brain. Because imaging technology can be used to study nearly any injured or intact brain at any stage of the lifespan, this will represent a significant advance in building neurological research capacity. This program will yield benefits for our primary targeted public health concerns in adult (stroke) and pediatric (epilepsy) neurology. It is important to appreciate, however, that these same tools will yield broad returns in building research capacity, with benefits that extend to many neurological and psychiatric public health threats including cerebrovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, brain trauma, central nervous system infections, neurodevelopmental disorders, drug addiction and psychiatric disorders. The skills acquired in this program can be used to design feasible investigations for identifying effective prevention strategies, improving diagnostics, for evaluation of neurological outcome and for evaluating interventions aimed at neuroprotection, preservation of cognitive function and quality of life. This training program will significantly strengthen the existing medical education system at the UI/UCH, which is the flagship public university and oldest institution of higher learning in Nigeri. Participating physicians will be able to build neurological research capabilities further by mentoring colleagues, local collaborators and future generations of students, residents and fellows. This program will yield a sustained and expanding impact on neurological research capabilities in Nigeria.