The concept of neurobiological reserve and the impact in stroke recovery
Dafin Muresanu, Chairman Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Stroke is a major global health problem and a leading cause of long-term adult disability worldwide.
Only a small proportion of stroke survivors (approximately 14%) achieve full recovery of activities of daily living, while 25–50% require some assistance, and approximately half experience long-term dependency.
Biological reserve is the most important parameter which determines brain capacity resilience to various lesional mechanism. Biological reserve can be assessed by using biomarkers that describe structural and functional features of the brain, key clinical parameters of the patient and molecular characteristics that measure the underlying cellular processes (that may be difficult to measure directly in humans) and structural and functional connectivity.
These could be used to understand outcome, or predict recovery or treatment response.
In practical terms, biomarkers should improve our ability to predict long-term outcomes after stroke across multiple domains. This is beneficial for: patients, caregivers and clinicians; planning subsequent clinical pathways and goal setting; identifying whom and when to target, and in some instances at which dose, with interventions for promoting stroke recovery.
This presentation briefly reviews the current and future considerations on this therapeutic strategy.
Short Bio
Professor of Neurology, Senior Neurologist, Chairman of the Neurosciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, President of the European Federation of Neurorehabilitation Societies (EFNR), Chairman of the EAN Communication Committee and Member of the Board, Co-Chair EAN Scientific Panel Neurotraumatology, Past President of the Romanian Society of Neurology, President of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy, Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Romania, secretary of its Cluj Branch.
He is member of 17 scientific international societies (being Member of the American Neurological Association (ANA) – Fellow of ANA (FANA) since 2012) and 10 national ones, being part of the executive board of most of these societies. Professor Dafin F. Muresanu is also a specialist in Leadership and Management of Research and Health Care Systems (specialization in “Management and Leadership, Arthur Anderson Institute, Illinois, USA, 1998”; “MBA – Master of Business Administration – Health Care Systems Management, The Danube University – Krems, Austria, 2003”). He has performed valuable scientific research in high interest fields such as: neurobiology of central nervous system (CNS) lesion mechanisms; neurobiology of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration of CNS; the role of the Blood-brain barrier (BBB) in CNS diseases; developing comorbidities in animal models to be used in testing therapeutic paradigms; nanoparticles neurotoxicity upon CNS; the role of nanoparticles in enhancing the transportation of pharmacological therapeutic agents through the BBB; cerebral vascular diseases; neurodegenerative pathology; traumatic brain injury; neurorehabilitation of the central and peripheral nervous system; clarifying and thoroughgoing study on the classic concepts of Neurotrophicity, Neuroprotection, Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis by bringing up the Endogenous Defense Activity (EDA) concept, as a continuous nonlinear process, that integrates the four aforementioned concepts, in a biological inseparable manner.
Professor Dafin F. Muresanu is coordinator in international educational programs of European Master (i.e. European Master in Stroke Medicine, University of Krems), organizer and co-organizer of many educational projects: European and international schools and courses (International School of Neurology, European Stroke Organisation Summer School, Danubian Neurological Society Teaching Courses, Seminars – Department of Neurosciences, European Teaching Courses on Neurorehabilitation) and scientific events: congresses, conferences, symposia (International Congresses of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) & Global College for Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration (GCNN) Conferences, Vascular Dementia Congresses (VaD), World Congresses on Controversies in Neurology (CONy), Danube Society Neurology Congresses, World Academy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatolgy (AMN) Congresses, Congresses of European Society for Clinical Neuropharmacology, European Congresses of Neurorehabilitation). His activity includes involvement in many national and international clinical studies and research projects, over 500 scientific participations as “invited speaker” in national and international scientific events, a significant portfolio of scientific articles (209 papers indexed on Web of Science-ISI, H-index: 22) as well as contributions in monographs and books published by prestigious international publishing houses.
Prof. Dr. Dafin F. Muresanu has been honored with: „Dimitrie Cantemir” Medal of the Academy of The Republic of Moldova in 2018, Ana Aslan Award 2018 – “Performance in the study of active aging and neuroscience”, for the contribution to the development of Romanian medicine, National Order “Faithful Service” awarded by the President of Romania in 2017; “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Medicine, the “Iuliu Hatieganu Great Award 2016” for the best educational project in the last five years; the Academy of Romanian Scientists, “Carol Davila Award for Medical Sciences / 2011”, for the contribution to the Neurosurgery book “Tratat de Neurochirurgie” (vol.2), Editura Medicala, Bucuresti, 2011; the Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca “Octavian Fodor Award” for the best scientific activity of the year 2010 and the 2009 Romanian Academy “Gheorghe Marinescu Award” for advanced contributions in Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity.
