Clinical neurosciences is that branch which focuses at the diseases of the brain. The mechanisms that damage the brain and the mechanisms involving its repair, forecasting the outcomes and developing effective pharmacological and non pharmacological treatments and interventions. It is essentially a translational research.
Translational research is something that should be translated in to clinical application in diagnosis, prognosis or therapeutics. On the other side basic science research need not directly target a translatable purpose but may indirectly be useful or be translated at a later point of time. In my view I do not see a big difference as ultimately everything needs to be translated to human welfare. But at the start , both differ in terms of the approaches and the apparent primary objectives.
I think the whole focus in this decade is shifting towards translational research. Newer academic programs and industries focused on translational research are emerging up and funding agencies are tending to support projects more of direct translational potential. Because of which doctors have to play a key role in collaborating with basic scientists. Doctors are the best people to generate questions which are useful to the patient. As a consequence of this raised importance and market drift, every other branch of science is extending its wings for collaborations into medical fields say the engineers in supplying technology, the software applications in calibrating machines, development of algorithms to use device (say imaging), using tools like MATLAB to design artificial prosthesis for the handicapped people.
Key components and approaches in clinical neurosciences As I mentioned , brain can be studied at different levels starting from molecules to behavior and anything can be translated for brain welfare. Here Brain not only refers to just brain but its extensions (spinal cord and the nerves).
Studying clinical phenotypes, correlating with lab findings like genetic markers, blood bio markers, (bio markers can also be behavioral), imaging bio markers and outcomes with certain drugs or non pharmacological management (including rehabilitation- an effect of plasticity) is one straight huge area for a beginner, which is endless and can be done extensively. But this offers little scope for experimentation. We can not aggressively experiment with living brains or living beings.
To circumvent this we can use computational models to study brains, animal models to study everything that we can do to humans with a little limitation for behavioral study. We have animal models for many diseases like AD, PD, and what not? knock out mice for every monogenic brain disease can be well developed.
The latest discover of IPSC offers a huge potential to develop neuronal cell lineages from non neuronal cells like lymphocytes etc and subject them to different chemical , physical milieu, study their properties including their membrane characteristics, firing patterns and observe their morphology if the developed lines are containing a a known or suspected mutation of brain disease.
Besides all these, a clinical researcher by actively involving in clinical care, looking patients in depth wearing research spectacles that regular treating physicians do not wear (because of the work load an their primary objective of treating) and postulate the phenomenology of the lesions, like description of mirror agnosia, phantom limbs etc by Dr. V.S Ramachandran.
I found this article really interesting and methodical in presentation for fundamental ideas about neuroscience research. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/lighting-the-brain
Translational research is something that should be translated in to clinical application in diagnosis, prognosis or therapeutics. On the other side basic science research need not directly target a translatable purpose but may indirectly be useful or be translated at a later point of time. In my view I do not see a big difference as ultimately everything needs to be translated to human welfare. But at the start , both differ in terms of the approaches and the apparent primary objectives.
I think the whole focus in this decade is shifting towards translational research. Newer academic programs and industries focused on translational research are emerging up and funding agencies are tending to support projects more of direct translational potential. Because of which doctors have to play a key role in collaborating with basic scientists. Doctors are the best people to generate questions which are useful to the patient. As a consequence of this raised importance and market drift, every other branch of science is extending its wings for collaborations into medical fields say the engineers in supplying technology, the software applications in calibrating machines, development of algorithms to use device (say imaging), using tools like MATLAB to design artificial prosthesis for the handicapped people.
Key components and approaches in clinical neurosciences As I mentioned , brain can be studied at different levels starting from molecules to behavior and anything can be translated for brain welfare. Here Brain not only refers to just brain but its extensions (spinal cord and the nerves).
Studying clinical phenotypes, correlating with lab findings like genetic markers, blood bio markers, (bio markers can also be behavioral), imaging bio markers and outcomes with certain drugs or non pharmacological management (including rehabilitation- an effect of plasticity) is one straight huge area for a beginner, which is endless and can be done extensively. But this offers little scope for experimentation. We can not aggressively experiment with living brains or living beings.
To circumvent this we can use computational models to study brains, animal models to study everything that we can do to humans with a little limitation for behavioral study. We have animal models for many diseases like AD, PD, and what not? knock out mice for every monogenic brain disease can be well developed.
The latest discover of IPSC offers a huge potential to develop neuronal cell lineages from non neuronal cells like lymphocytes etc and subject them to different chemical , physical milieu, study their properties including their membrane characteristics, firing patterns and observe their morphology if the developed lines are containing a a known or suspected mutation of brain disease.
Besides all these, a clinical researcher by actively involving in clinical care, looking patients in depth wearing research spectacles that regular treating physicians do not wear (because of the work load an their primary objective of treating) and postulate the phenomenology of the lesions, like description of mirror agnosia, phantom limbs etc by Dr. V.S Ramachandran.
I found this article really interesting and methodical in presentation for fundamental ideas about neuroscience research. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/lighting-the-brain
hello sir, :)
ReplyDeleteIs computational neuroscience a field for MBBS students.? How can one pursue it.? what exactly would be the difference between pursuing a phd from nimhans vs one from IISC.
regards