BioMed Research International

Special Issue on

Advances in Molecular Imaging of the Central Nervous System

Call for Papers

In vivo imaging of the central nervous system (CNS) via molecular imaging techniques has enable researchers and clinicians worldwide to study and to understand different neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders in living subjects. Molecular imaging, defined as the in vivo characterization and measurement of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level, has also been paramount in the process of drug development. Molecular imaging techniques have established themselves as powerful and unique imaging biomarkers. Thus, it is not surprising to note the active and continuous advances in the molecular imaging arena. These advances include the introduction and rapid widespread use of micro-scanners for pre-clinical imaging; symbiotic clinical scanners that couple not only radionuclide imaging, such as single photon emission tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET), with computed tomography (CT) but also with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); ongoing efforts to develop novel imaging probes and paradigms for translatable imaging techniques, such as SPECT, PET, CT and MRI; and the increasing awareness that the CNS research can be significantly empowered by collaborative networking approaches that aim at fostering multi-site and multi-group team work to more rapidly advance molecular imaging.

We invite investigators to contribute with original research and review manuscripts describing Advances in Molecular Imaging of the Central Nervous System with particular focus on receptor imaging, and the use of imaging in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders research. Experimental and theoretical papers are welcome. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Advances in molecular imaging instrumentation: SPECT, PET, CT, MRI, and so on
  • Development of novel radiotracers for SPECT and PET CNS imaging: target identification, lead molecule selection, preclinical research and clinical studies
  • Development of novel CNS imaging probes for CT and MRI
  • Investigation and application of novel imaging techniques, paradigms and modelling approaches (SPECT, PET, CT, MRI, etc.)
  • Applications of molecular imaging in the CNS research and in the drug development pipeline, ranging from preclinical research to large phase III multi-centre clinical trials
  • Initiatives to foster multi-site and/or multi-group collaborations to enhance the use of molecular imaging in CNS research

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/guidelines. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/login according to the following timetable:

Manuscript Due

28 February 2015

First Round of Reviews

31 May 2015

Publication Date

September 2015

Lead Guest Editor

João Manuel R. S. Tavares, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; tavares@fe.up.pt

Guest Editors

Adriana Alexandre S. Tavares, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; adriana_tavares@msn.com

David Wyper, Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE), Scotland, UK; dave.wyper@glasgow.ac.uk