FC scans 'can predict seriousness of brain injuries'RSS Feed

Scientists in the US have said it may be possible to use resting-state functional connectivity (FC) scans to predict the effects of strokes and other brain injuries.

The scanning approach was originally designed for the study of brain organisation but could shed new light on the health of brain networks that enable different parts of the brain to work together, according to the neurologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis.

They point out that previous studies have shown that damage to these networks helps explain why damage in one area of the brain can apparently cause problems in activities associated with another brain region.

Maurizio Corbetta, professor of radiology and neurobiology, said the ability to predict the effects of a brain injury would be useful in determining a patient's treatment.

"This study shows that FC scans are a potentially useful way to get that kind of information," he added.

Washington University in St Louis, which was founded in 1853, offers more than 90 programmes and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor's degrees and master's and doctoral qualifications across a spectrum of disciplines.

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