Research Interests
Axons; Central Nervous System; Disease; inflammation; Injury; MRI; Myelin; Neurodegeneration
Major Findings:
Understanding and interpreting advanced MRI measures: Shannon’s research has helped improve understanding of quantitative imaging techniques and the underlying biology to which they are sensitive. This work has included comparisons between myelin water imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetisation transfer imaging, and spectroscopy, as well as non-MRI techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and positron emission tomography (PET).
Development of myelin water imaging for spinal cord: Recent work with Shannon’s graduate and honours students has focused on developing and optimising MRI acquisition protocols for quantitative myelin water imaging in spinal cord in clinically feasible scan times. This has been performed in healthy controls as well as various clinical cases. Spinal cord myelin water imaging will improve understanding of a wide range of neurological diseases, injuries, and developmental disorders in the spine.
Understanding myelin changes in disease progression: Myelin water imaging in both brain and spinal cord of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) revealed significant correlations between myelin measurements and clinical eloquent disability scores. These results highlighted the potential of myelin water imaging as a biomarker of progression that could be used for clinical trials as well as research studies. A current operating grant from the MS society of Canada is allowing Shannon’s group to further explore this possibility within a much larger population and following participants over time.
Application to clinical trials of new therapies: Promising preliminary results have led to interest from pharmaceutical companies in conducting sub-studies of advanced imaging measures such as myelin water imaging in clinical trials of new therapies for diseases such as MS and neuromyelitis optica. Shannon’s group has demonstrated treatment effects on myelin water measurements in groups of less than 50 participants, providing further evidence of the efficacy of treatment as well as improved understanding of the underlying changes driving clinical improvement.
Techniques employed in the labs:
Quantitative MRI
Conventional MRI
PET
TMS
Cognitive testing
Data analysis technique development