Enjoy lunch while taking a deep dive into one of two critical topics – contrast media and Alzheimer’s care – with the CAR 2026 Accredited Symposia.
CAR 2026 offers two distinct accredited learning opportunities taking place during the lunch breaks on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.
The symposium on Friday is titled The Critical Role of Imaging in Alzheimer’s and ARIA Diagnosis and is co-developed with Eisai.
“Given the requirement of multiple MRI scans in patient selection and management, radiologists play an essential role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease patients receiving these therapies,” said Dr. Manish Joshi, the symposium’s expert speaker. “The symposium will cover brief background information on Alzheimer’s disease, the imaging appearance, grading and diagnosis of ARIA (including its pathomechanism), how imaging is used in patient selection, disease management, and details regarding imaging protocols and departmental workflows.”
Dr. Joshi says it is an important topic to cover because Alzheimer’s disease is devastating and common in the elderly population with significant morbidity and burden for patients and their families, not to mention the burden of long-term care and overall quality of life.
“Up until now, we did not have therapies that slowed disease progression. However, that has changed recently as we are in a new era where we have treatments that are available that slow disease progression. The side effect of ARIA, where patients are often asymptomatic, requires that patients receiving these therapies be carefully selected and monitored using MRI scans. There are very specific imaging and reporting requirements that radiologists must be aware of if they are looking at MRI scans of patients receiving therapy. Radiologist reporting of presence/absence of ARIA, in conjunction with clinical assessment, is critical to determining if a patient can receive their first/next dose as ARIA can (albeit rarely) lead to serious complications if not detected.”
The symposium taking place on Saturday focuses on contrast media and is titled The Changing Landscape of MRI Contrast. This session, co-developed with Bayer, examines the rapid evolution that MRI contrast agents are undergoing, driven by advancing molecular design, heightened attention to patient safety, and more. It specifically focuses on next-generation high-relaxivity gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), targeted MRI contrast agents, and non-gadolinium alternatives such as manganese-based agents.
Following an evidence-based approach, featured speaker Dr. Kate Hanneman will explore how newer contrast agents can achieve equivalent or improved diagnostic performance at lower administered doses, with the potential to reduce gadolinium exposure, shorten scan times, and lessen environmental impact.
Attendance for each symposium is included in your CAR 2026 registration. Sign up for the symposium of your choice to save your spot!