Neuroinflammation is the inflammatory response initiated in the central nervous system (CNS) by resident cells or triggered by infiltrating immune cells, which causes the neuronal dysfunctions observed in inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the CNS. The NI session mainly focuses on basic and clinical research in multiple sclerosis (MS), Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and other inflammatory diseases of the CNS that have a significant impact on the lives of young adults. Although the scientific discoveries of recent decades have improved the therapeutic approaches used for the treatment of such pathologies, many questions still remain unanswered. The aim of the NI session is to discuss the basic pathogenic mechanisms governing CNS inflammation, the role of immune system in CNS autoimmunity, and the importance of genetic and environmental factors in the development of neuroinflammatory diseases, with a patient-centered focus.

The physiology dealing with the functions of the central nervous system and the naturally occurring adapting to anatomical and environmental changes in central nervous system will be addressed in the new scientific session of BraYn 2020. Follow the session to be updated on new research activities in the field.

Neuro-oncology is an emerging field of investigation that studies nervous system tumors, which may cause severe nervous system damage. Neuro-oncology represents a trending research area in neuroscience, which may identify the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor pathogenesis. This would ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of life-threatening diseases such as low- and high-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, oligodendroglioma and ependymoma. Preclinical models of brain tumors, potential innovative treatments, the role of tumor microenvironment and the description of molecular and physiological changes that take place during tumor development will be discussed in depth during this session.

Neuroimaging exploits various techniques to image the structure, function, or physiology of the nervous system. Two main NI approaches exist: i) structural imaging, which evaluates the structure of the nervous system and allows the diagnosis of large-scale intracranial diseases (such as tumors, multiple sclerosis lesions, and stroke) and injuries (like traumatic brain injury); ii) functional imaging, which is used to diagnose metabolic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and for neurological and cognitive psychology research, as well as for building brain-computer interfaces. The most commonly used techniques for neuroimaging are Computed Tomography (CT), Diffuse Optical Imaging (DOI), Event-Related Optical Signal (EROS), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), Electroencephalography (EEG), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and cranial or functional ultrasound imaging. In this session, we will discuss the use of these techniques, both alone and in combination, to investigate, detect, and understand various aspects of neurological diseases.

Neurodegeneration is a key aspect of a large number of diseases characterized by progressive damage of the nervous system that leads to irreversible neuronal death, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). PD is a slowly progressive syndrome that begins insidiously, gradually worsens in severity, and usually affects one side of the body before spreading to involve the other side. Rest tremor is often the first symptom recognized by the patient, but the illness sometimes begins with bradykinesia, and in some patients, tremor may never develop. AD is the most common type of dementia and it is an irreversible, neurodegenerative and progressive central nervous system disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and, eventually, other mental abilities. Other examples of neurodegenerative diseases are tauopathies, narcolepsy, depression and psychiatric disorders. During the BraYn conference we will be updated on the more recent advances in the field.