Responsible:
Pierallini Alberto
The Diagnostic Imaging Department makes use of state-of-the-art radiological machines installed during the past year: these are an MRI operating at field intensity of 3 Tesla (GE Hero), a 512 slices CT (GE Revolution) dedicated to research activity and a 1.5 Tesla MRI (Siemens Sempra), dedicated to routine diagnostic activity. Two ultrasound sections and an X-ray room complete the department’s equipment.
The main fields of interest of the research area are related to neurological and cardiological rehabilitation and are mainly focused on diagnosis and identification of possible prognostic factors of neurological, cardiovascular and developmental age rehabilitation outcome.
Research activities are mainly in the field of developmental neuroscience, in collaboration with the department headed by Prof. Vigevano, and rehabilitation in collaboration with the department headed by Prof. Rossini. In the latter area, studies are underway to identify lesion patterns identifiable on MRI with advanced and functional techniques that may be predictive of clinical outcome and may also indicate the most appropriate rehabilitation pathways.
Collaborations are also ongoing with Prof. Stocchi’s group on neurodegenerative diseases and Prof. Barbanti’s group on headaches.
Another important field of interest is cardiology, which makes use of a 512-slice CT scan that enables rapid and noninvasive evaluation of the coronary tree in patients with coronary artery disease. MRI additionally provides perfusion data, allowing precise identification of site and extent of infarcted areas. The data set from CT and MRI is used in cardiology research activities, mainly directed at rehabilitation outcome.
