At the 6th BaCI (Basic Clinical and Multimodal Imaging) Conference hosted by Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Prof. Dr. Maheen Adamson, a neurosurgeon at Stanford School of Medicine, drew attention to gender differences in brain injury. Adamson stated that current studies show women experience more depression even before brain injury occurs globally, saying, ''Damage occurring in the brain triggers depression and dementia. One of the oldest ways to say 'Yes, you might have dementia' is that you've hit your head. This means, once traumatic brain injury occurs, different symptoms emerge in women.''
Prof. Dr. Maheen Adamson, highlighting how the development of neuroimaging technology can be used to create individualized treatment, stated the following in her conference speech:
''Everyone's brain functions are different. Brain functions are also dependent on genetics and the environment you are in. Therefore, the brain is a type of organ that particularly responds to the environment because we act in response to stimuli from the environment. The way women react to a situation also differs from men, and this can be observed in the brain.''
Does brain injury differ by gender?
Prof. Dr. Adamson, also touching upon gender differences in the brain in case of injury, continued her words as follows:
''The data we have obtained show that women report more cognitive problems such as vertigo and balance issues compared to men. Furthermore, they suffer more from psychiatric illnesses. This is truly interesting because current studies show that globally, women experience more depression even before brain injury occurs. Additionally, women can experience more dementia than men.
Damage occurring in the brain triggers depression and dementia, and I describe this as a tsunami effect. One of the oldest ways to say 'Yes, you might have dementia' is that you've hit your head. This means, once traumatic brain injury occurs, different symptoms emerge in women.
Even 10 years after a brain injury, the cortical thickness in women does not return to its original size, but it does in men. What is the reason for this? For now, I do not know. There are other differences in terms of treatment; women do not respond to this as well as men due to EEG reports.''
Prof. Dr. Maheen Adamson also provided information on virtual and augmented reality, stating that augmented reality could be used in the treatment for people with trauma.
''The real issue is how we deliver imagination-based techniques to patients''
Another speaker at the conference, Prof. Dr. Martin Arns, a Neuroscientist from Maastricht University, addressed the relationship between depression and the heart in his speech, touching upon how neuroimaging technologies could contribute to patient treatment in the future.
Prof. Dr. Arns emphasized that studies on this topic are ongoing on a theoretical basis, stating, ''Actually, the real issue is how we deliver imagination-based techniques to patients.''
The Congress, with its theme for 2023 set as 'The Meeting Point of Neuroelectrophysiology and Genetics,' brought together international experts and enthusiasts from the fields of neuroelectrophysiology and genetics.
60 international researchers from 12 different countries participated
At the conference held between September 03-07, 2023, at Üsküdar Üniversitesi NP Health Campus, 60 international researchers from 12 different countries discussed the latest developments in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine.
Within the scope of the program, an honorary doctorate was also presented to Prof. Monte Buchsbaum, who is considered a pioneer in neuroimaging technologies.
All information regarding the Basic Clinical and Multimodal Imaging (BaCI) Congress can be accessed at https://baci-conference2023.com/.