Neuroradiology
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Human subthalamic nucleus: evaluation with high-resolution MR imaging at 3.0 T.
The purpose of this study was to compare the visibility of the normal subthalamic nucleus (STN) between fast spin-echo T2-weighted (FSE T2-W) images and fast short inversion time inversion-recovery (FSTIR) images, and to assess the age-related changes of the STN at 3.0 T. ⋯ The combined reading of both FSE T2-W and FSTIR images at 3 T will improve the identification of the STN. The age-related positional change of the STN should be considered in target determination for deep brain stimulation procedures.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Quantitative analysis of the effects of donepezil on regional cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease by using an automated program, 3DSRT.
Donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been reported to have an effect that improves cerebral blood flow (CBF) alongside its primary effect on memory function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term, low-dose donepezil therapy on blood perfusion in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by using a fully automated regional CBF quantification program named 3DSRT. ⋯ Thus far, no direct cerebrovascular effects have been reported for donepezil. We hypothesize that these CBF-promoting effects of donepezil might be related to increased neuronal activity and enhanced connection of neurons.