Harnessing Neuroimaging Capability in Pediatric Stroke: Proceedings of the Stroke Imaging Laboratory for Children Workshop

Abstract

On June 5, 2015 the International Pediatric Stroke Study and the Stroke Imaging Laboratory for Children cohosted a unique workshop focused on developing neuroimaging research in pediatric stroke. Pediatric neurologists, neuroradiologists, interventional neuroradiologists, physicists, nurse practitioners, neuropsychologists, and imaging research scientists from around the world attended this one-day meeting. Our objectives were to (1) establish a group of experts to collaborate in advancing pediatric neuroimaging for stroke, (2) develop consensus clinical and research magnetic resonance imaging protocols for pediatric stroke patients, and (3) develop imaging-based research strategies in pediatric ischemic stroke. This article provides a summary of the meeting proceedings focusing on identified challenges and solutions and outcomes from the meeting. Further details on the workshop contents and outcomes are provided in three additional articles in the current issue of Pediatric Neurology.

The development of the pediatric stroke neuroimaging platform (PEDSNIP)

“…We published ten peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented 20 scientific abstracts in key journals, meetings and conferences worldwide. These include four seminal publications ( Dlamini et al, 2017 , Domi et al, 2017 , Lee et al, 2017 , Mirsky et al, 2017 ) that defined consensus neuroimaging guidelines for the management of neonatal ( Lee et al, 2017 ) and childhood ( Mirsky et al, 2017 ) stroke. Finally, we have conducted the first-ever, multisite, harmonized research-acquired neuroimaging study in a prospective cohort of children (n = 30 patients presenting with acute stroke and n = 30 controls, followed across four-time points over one year (see Table 2 ).…”

“…Following this, we published a roadmap for how to utilize neuroimaging to advance pediatric stroke ( Dlamini et al, 2017 ), consensus-based standardized neuroimaging protocols for acute and follow-up management of neonatal ( Lee et al, 2017 ), and childhood stroke ( Mirsky et al, 2017 ). Key Opinion Leaders and site-specific knowledge of resources and practices of the network informed these neuroimaging protocols.…”

“…Three neuroimaging-focused priorities were identified in 2015, including developing and harmonizing multisite clinical protocols and pathways and developing the infrastructure and methods among sites to import, store and organize the large accrued clinical neuroimaging dataset that enables central searchability, and develop, apply and test the feasibility of implementing prospective, research-based pediatric neuroimaging protocols in a multisite study. To provide the infrastructure to support these priorities, PEDSNIP was initiated, and funding from Brain Canada in 2016 enabled the development of the Platform, a conduit to address these challenges in pediatric stroke ( Dlamini et al, 2017 , Domi et al, 2017 , Lee et al, 2017 , Mirsky et al, 2017 ). Having built this Platform, we are in a position to utilize the largest neuroimaging and clinical data pool on pediatric stroke data worldwide.…”