The objective of the iCRIN is to develop interactions and sharing of expertise between the stakeholders of the Department of Medical-University (DMU) of Neurosciences of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital and the research teams of the Brain Institute. The projects were evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Board of Paris Brain Institute on the expertise, performance, quality and visibility of the structure. 13 projects have been selected and officially started in 2019, backed by the Clinical Investigation Centre of Paris Brain Institute.
By placing the patient at the heart of its concerns, Paris Brain Institute pursues one objective: to develop innovative therapeutic solutions that revolutionize the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Bringing basic and clinical research together to maximize the chance of a discovery being translated into treatment is therefore paramount and integral to the Institute’s model. It is from this clear perspective that the unique iCRIN model was created. The objective of these structures is to develop shared expertise between the caregivers of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital and the research teams of Paris Brain Institute.
Stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, neurogenetics, neuro-oncology… Organized around 13 key themes exploring all fields of the fight against brain diseases, iCRIN is an accelerator of success for the many clinical research projects of the care services of the ecosystem of Paris Brain Institute.
Alzheimer's Disease
In collaboration with the Institute for Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IM2A), this project aims to: identify new cognitive markers and group specific populations of patients with Alzheimer’s disease; develop clinical applications, increasing preclinical and clinical trials, and proof of concept studies. To this end, iCRIN is building and monitoring cohorts of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, whose clinical, biological and neuroimaging data will be organized into databases.
8 single-theme iCRIN
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Charcot Disease)
Professor Gaëlle BRUNETEAU, Neurologist
The objective of iCRIN is to identify specific biomarkers of the prodromal phase of the patient in order to allow therapeutic management even before the first symptoms. For this iCRIN aims to increase the number of therapeutic trials evaluating new molecules and innovative therapies such as gene therapy but also to test existing treatments.
Alzheimer's disease
Professor Richard LEVY, Neurologist
The iCRIN aims to identify the physiological mechanisms of motivation in order to develop new treatment strategies to improve apathy, a common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of the ECOCAPTURE programme is to develop simple, objective and easily identifiable behavioural signatures of this process, which will make it possible to evaluate behaviour in real life or at the bedside and eventually to offer remote therapeutic management based on the identification of behavioural disorders detected at home.
Moreover, the objective is to identify plasma biomarkers, more accessible than those of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), to diagnose the disease at an early stage, even before the first symptoms and neuronal degeneration.
More about Alzheimer's disease
Neurosurgery
Professor Alexandre CARPENTIER, Neurosurgeon
ICRIN has several objectives. Evaluate the effectiveness of focussed ultrasound for opening the blood-brain barrier to optimize the treatment of brain tumours and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Conduct a therapeutic trial to evaluate MRI-guided focused ultrasound therapy in resistant epilepsy not eligible for conventional surgery. To test the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of pathologically violent patients. Conduct a cohort study on pain and its management in aggressive meningitis.
Epilepsy
Professor Vincent NAVARRO, Neurologist
The main objective of iCRIN is to better characterize the electro-clinico-biological characteristics of the various forms of epilepsy, such as epilepsy, autoimmune epilepsy, encephalitis and rare epilepsy, in order to develop new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of these pathologies and to develop new targeted therapies. In addition, iCRIN aims to develop digital solutions to help patients, in collaboration with the linivng-lab of the Brain Institute, such as rEPI which helps to choose outdoor activities, according to simple criteria or even EpiDay which allows to detect days at high risk of seizures using a self-questionnaire.
For more information on epilepsy
Adult Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Professor Hélène VULZER, Psychiatrist
The iCRIN has three main objectives, to study Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in women, under-studied due to sex ratio and therefore under-diagnosed. In particular, the project will identify features of the cerebral anatomy and evaluate the communication and emotional processing disorders in a cohort of women aged 18 to 30 with ASD using MRI.
It also aims to identify clinical and brain characteristics that predict the development of ASD-associated psychiatric disorders, particularly in women.
Learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder
Head injuries
Professor Eléonore BAYEN, Neurologist
Through ICRIN, expert clinicians, research teams of excellence in neuroscience, and leading-edge technologies will build and monitor a multi-year brain injury cohort in which clinical, socio-economic, brain imaging (MRI), and biological data are collected. Through this follow-up, and the analysis of this data, the objective is to predict the course of each patient’s sequelae and to adapt his or her management.
iCRIN also aims to develop and validate rehabilitation tools and protocols using neuromodulation or therapeutic video games in collaboration with rehabilitation specialists, speech therapists, neuropsychologists, motor psychologists and the living lab engineers of the Institut du Cerveau.
Learn more about head injuries
Biomarkers and therapies for Parkinson's disease
Professor David GRABLI, Neurologist
The first objective of iCRIN is to build a patient cohort enriched with familial forms of the disease to continue the search for new genes associated with the disease. The collection of clinical and imaging data and the collection of biofluids (blood and CSF) will be systematized in order to identify diagnostic and early prognostic markers even before the appearance of symptoms. Furthermore, the search for biological mechanisms responsible for triggering the disease will be strengthened in persons at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
For more information on Parkinson's disease
Orthopaedic surgery
Professor Hugues PASCAL-MOUSSELARD, Orthopaedic Surgeon
iCRIN has three main objectives. To study by MRI and biological analyses the abnormalities underlying the development of camptocormia, the extreme flexion posture of the body, presented by 2-8% of patients with Parkinson's disease.
Analyze neurological recovery and identify prognostic factors in polytraumatized patients with spinal fractures in order to identify recommendations for better management.
Link surgical, interventional radiology and radiotherapy management to the survival and quality of life of patients with cancer metastases in the rachis.
STARE and DECLIC programmes
Together with iCRIN, the STARE and DECLIC programmes bring basic and clinical research closer together and promote dialogue between clinicians, researchers and patients.
The STARE program, recognized as a Teaching Unit at Sorbonne University, enables medical students each year to discover the daily realities of neuroscience research and the importance of the role of clinician-scientist, an essential actor in the development of clinical research.
The DECLIC program invites researchers to discover the clinical problems of neurological diseases for a few days or weeks in a hospital ward.
In addition, interface contracts allow award-winning academic hospital practitioners to reduce their hospital workload in order to have 3-5 years of dedicated research time. The funding of these contracts allows a financial contribution to the hospital to replace the clinician for 5 half-days per week.
