Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) affects the optic nerves and spinal cord but can also cause focal brain inflammation. Subcortical pathology may contribute to the etiology of cognitive deficits in NMOSD. Using myelin water imaging, we investigated cerebral normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and thalamic metrics and their association with cognition in NMOSD participants compared to healthy controls (HC). ⋯ NAWM in NMOSD demonstrates diffuse abnormalities with increased water content and demyelination, suggesting a diffuse disease process overlooked by focal inflammation measures. Increased water content, as a biomarker for diffuse thalamic pathology, may partially explain cognitive impairment in NMOSD.
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Different types of physical training can lead to changes in brain activity and function, and these changes can vary depending on the type of training. However, it remains unclear whether there are commonalities in how different types of training affect brain activity and function. The purpose of this study is to compare the brain activity states of professional athletes with those of ordinary university students and to explore the relationship between training and differences in brain activity states. ⋯ The study results indicate that long-term physical training is associated with changes in brain activity in athletes, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral performance in professional athletes.
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The absence of a consensus data quality control (DQC) process inhibits the widespread adoption of MR spectroscopy. Poor DQC can lead to unreliable clinical diagnosis and irreproducible research conclusions. Currently, manual visual assessment or the standard quantitative metrics of signal-to-noise, linewidth, and model fit are used as classifiers, but these measures may not be sufficient. To supplement standard metrics, this paper proposes a novel automated DQC pipeline named Visual Evaluative Control Technology Of Resonance Spectroscopy (VECTORS). ⋯ Standard quantitative metrics may not account for all DQC artifacts as they are not monotonic to the manual ratings. However, manual ratings are labor intensive, subjective, and irreproducible. VECTORS addresses these issues and should be used in conjunction with standard quantitative metrics.
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Lateral elbow pain is quite common in everyday life. Lateral epicondylitis and radial tunnel syndrome are the most common causes of lateral elbow pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of neuromuscular ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis versus radial tunnel syndrome. ⋯ The present study highlights the importance of the neuromuscular ultrasound's diagnostic role in differentiating radial tunnel syndrome from lateral epicondylitis in the clinical scenario of lateral elbow pain.
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Neuropathic pain (NP) is a debilitating condition following spinal cord injury (SCI). The role of periaqueductal gray (PAG) in NP development following SCI remains underexplored. Using resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), our study aimed to demonstrate the alterations in functional connectivity (FC) of PAG in NP following SCI. ⋯ Altered FC between PAG and right anterior insula, VPL, DRN, RN, SN, cerebellar vermis lobules IV and V, frontal cortex, and PCC was associated with NP sequelae of SCI. Additionally, SCI was independently associated with decreased FC between PAG and right posterior insula, cerebellar lobules IV and V, and cerebellar vermis lobules III, IV, and V.