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SUMMARY:Advances in MRI techniques for early detection and characterizatio
 n of brain tumors: A medical physics and biophysical perspective
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260325T120000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260325T122000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260426T163502Z
UID:indico-contribution-10341@events.saip.org.za
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Nyasha Njanji (University of Zimbabwe)\nEarly detect
 ion of brain tumors is essential for improving clinical outcomes and guidi
 ng effective therapeutic interventions. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) p
 lays a central role in neuro-oncology due to its non-invasive nature and s
 uperior soft-tissue contrast. Recent developments in MRI technology\, driv
 en by advances in medical physics and biophysical modeling\, have signific
 antly improved the sensitivity and specificity of brain tumor detection an
 d characterization. This study reviews key advanced MRI techniques\, inclu
 ding diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)\, perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI)\,
  and functional MRI (fMRI) and their contributions to understanding tumor 
 physiology and microstructure. Diffusion-weighted imaging quantifies the m
 icroscopic motion of water molecules\, providing biophysical information a
 bout cellular density and tissue architecture that helps distinguish tumor
  tissue from normal brain parenchyma. Perfusion-weighted imaging evaluates
  tumor vascularity and hemodynamic parameters\, offering insights into ang
 iogenesis and tumor grading. Functional MRI utilizes blood-oxygen-level-de
 pendent (BOLD) signal changes to map neural activity\, supporting the pres
 ervation of critical functional regions during neurosurgical planning. Fro
 m a medical physics perspective\, advancements in MRI acquisition protocol
 s\, signal modeling\, and quantitative imaging biomarkers have improved im
 age quality\, diagnostic reliability\, and reproducibility. The integratio
 n of these advanced MRI methods provides a comprehensive framework for ear
 ly tumor detection\, improved treatment planning\, and monitoring of thera
 peutic response. Continued progress in MRI physics and biophysical analysi
 s is expected to further enhance the role of imaging in precision neuro-on
 cology.\nKeywords: Medical Physics\, biophysics\, magnetic resonance imagi
 ng\, brain tumors\, diffusion-weighted imaging\, perfusion MRI\, functiona
 l MRI.\n\nhttps://events.saip.org.za/event/272/contributions/10341/
LOCATION:
URL:https://events.saip.org.za/event/272/contributions/10341/
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