NEW ANIMAL MODELS TO UNDERSTAND THE BRAIN

This symposium will present new insights on neurophysiology and in vivo neuroimaging in sheep and pigs. These animals present serious advantages compared to rodents, because in addition to their larger size, their brain is gyrencephalic. Therefore, sheep and pigs are interesting alternative to non-human primates, even more with in vivo imaging tools that are now available to investigate such large animals. By this way, it is possible to perform longitudinal studies to investigate the impact of environment on brain development, these animal models offering new ways for preclinical and therapeutic investigations.
The aim of this symposium is to demonstrate how these animals are suitable experimental models to perform preclinical studies in alternative to non-human primates. Parkinson disease, stroke and brain development will be illustrated.

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Organization Committee
Elodie Chaillou (Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR Inra-CNRS-Université François-Rabelais Tours),
Frédéric Andersson (Imagerie et Cerveau, UMR Inserm U930 - Université François-Rabelais Tours),
Martine Migaud (Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR Inra-CNRS-Université François-Rabelais Tours),
Yves Tillet (Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, UMR Inra-CNRS-Université François-Rabelais Tours).

Contact and information : elodie.chaillou@inra.fr

PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME:

8:45 - Coffee
9:15 - Introduction of the meeting. E. Chaillou (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly)

Session 1 – Diffusion MRI. F. Andersson (INSERM Imagerie et Cerveau, Tours)
9:35 - Diffusion MRI. T. Dyrby (DIG, Copenhagen - Denmark)
10:10 - Impact of early rearing experience on brain development in sheep infant. E. Chaillou (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France)
10:45 - Sheep brain connectivity. C. Poupon (NeuroSpin, CEA Saclay, France)

11:15 - Coffee

Session 2 – Technical developments H. Adriaensen (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France)
11:40 - Use of MPIOs as a contrast agent in sheep. L. Butruille (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France)
12:05 - Adenoassociated virus vector for brain manipulations. D. Zelena (Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary)
12:30 - Segmentation of sheep brain images using local probabilistic atlases coupled with topological information G. Galisot (Laboratoire d’Informatique, Université François Rabelais de Tours)
12:55 - Virtual slides for big brain : Services and system. B. Damart (Excilone® Elancourt France)
13:05 - Stereotactic neurosurgery based on 3D imagery (m2e, Inomed, Inra, Inserm). C. Destrieux (INSERM, Imagerie et Cerveau, Tours, France)

13:15 - Lunch

Session 3 – Model of neurological troubles
14:35 - Sheep, a model for Batten disease; J. Morton (Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom)
15:10 - Sheep, a model for neurovascular pathology; B. Nitzsche (Fraunhofer Institute, Leipzig Germany).

Session 4 – Brain anatomy Y .Tillet (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France)
15:45 - The Göttingen minipig telencephalon. C. Bjarkam (Department of neurobiology, University of Aarhus, Denmark)
16:20 - Atlas of the sheep cortex. S. Love (INSERM, Imagerie et Cerveau, Tours, France)

Conclusion
16:45 - M. Migaud (INRA - Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Nouzilly, France)