Software Program Allows Neurosurgeons to Understand
Blood Flow Using MRI
The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch
(CINN) is one of two sites participating in a
free study utilizing innovative technology.
CINN is seeking Chicago-area volunteers to help
determine the normal range of blood flow to the
brain in healthy individuals. The study results
will give physicians a better understanding of
how blood flow in the brain is affected by stroke,
aneurysm and other cerebrovascular disorders,
some of the most debilitating and deadly diseases
society faces. In fact, stroke is the third leading
cause of death in the United States, causing approximately
150,000 deaths per year.
The study utilizes a test called Non-invasive
Optimal Vessel Analysis (NOVA) from VasSol, Inc.
NOVA is the first technology to allow physicians
to quantify blood flow in vessels non-invasively.
NOVA takes the images from a magnetic resonance
scan and creates a three-dimensional view of the
patient’s vascular tree. According to Demetrius
Lopes, MD, Medical Director of the neurovascular
program at CINN and one of the leading neurosurgeons
in the country in diagnosing and treating neurovascular
disease, NOVA allows surgeons to map the major
blood vessels in the brain, as well as many of
the smaller, connecting branches, and to ascertain
actual flow rates. This information is used to
diagnose neurovascular disease and take appropriate
action to prevent the onset of stroke, or rupture
of an aneurysm, for example.
CINN is one of only 12 sites in the country to
offer NOVA to help diagnose and treat stroke and
cerebrovascular disease.
Volunteers participating in the free study will
undergo an MRI of the brain and a NOVA test, which
will take about an hour. To be eligible, volunteers
must be between the ages of 18 and 80. After the
test, Lopes and his team will review the results.
Only those volunteers whose results warrant further
medical follow up will be contacted and referred
back to their primary care physician for treatment.
Anthony Curcio, CEO of VasSol, Inc, indicated
that previous studies using NOVA have shown that
about five percent of those undergoing the test
were found to have a previously undetected aneurysm.
A brain aneurysm is a bulging area on the wall
of a brain artery very much like a thin balloon
or weak spot on an inner tube.
Curcio pointed out that NOVA is helping to improve
the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease
by providing additional information not available
through any other current diagnostic test. In
some cases, NOVA may also provide an alternative
to more invasive tests. After a surgical intervention,
many patients undergo a catheter angiogram, a
test that requires both injection of contrast
dye and radiation exposure. With the availability
of NOVA, some patients may only need to have a
non-invasive MRI.
To find out about participating in the free study
at the CINN, contact Michelle Catalano at (773)
250-0422.
The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch
is one of the nation’s leading organizations
for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation
of people with brain and spine disorders. Originally
founded in 1987, CINN is one of the Midwest’s
largest teams of neurosurgeons known for their
pioneering treatments in minimally invasive techniques.
Through a network of seven hospitals throughout
Chicagoland, CINN treats more patients with brain
tumors and spine disorders than any other physician
group in Illinois
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