Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Neurological and neurodegenerative diseases can affect the spinal cord (SC) of pediatric patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for in vivo quantification of SC atrophy via cross-sectional area (CSA). The study of CSA values in the general population is important to disentangle disease-related changes from intersubject variability. This study aimed at providing normative values for cervical CSA in children, extending our previous work performed with adults. ⋯ We present CSA normative values in a large cohort of children, reporting on sources of intersubject variability and how to reduce them applying normalization methods previously developed.
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Differences in the microstructure of fronto-parietal white matter tracts have been associated with mathematical achievement. However, much of the supporting evidence relies on nonspecific diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, making it difficult to isolate the role of myelin in math ability. ⋯ Our results suggest that in typically developing youth, brain myelination contributes to individual differences in basic math achievement. In contrast, youth with learning challenges appear to have less capacity to leverage myelin to improve math achievement.
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Microcystic meningiomas (MM) are a distinctive, rare subtype of Grade I meningiomas with limited radiological descriptions. We intend to identify unique imaging phenotypes and seek radiopathological correlations. ⋯ We have elucidated varied neuroimaging features and highlighted pathological substrates of crucial imaging findings of MM. MM ought to be considered as an imaging possibility in an extra-axial lesion with a marked hypodensity on noncontrast computed tomography, markedly T2-hyperintense/T1-hypointense signal, and a storiform/reticular pattern on T2W/GdT1w//DWI.
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Hypertension is an important risk factor for age-related cognitive decline and neuronal pathologies. Studies have shown a correlation between hypertension, disruption in neurovascular coupling and cerebral autoregulation, and cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms behind this are unclear. ⋯ This study shows that, while cerebral autoregulation is impaired in acute hypertension, the blood oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) response remains unaltered until later stages. At this stage, the consistent NAA and glutamate signals show that neuronal death has not occurred, and that neuronal activity is not affected at this stage. This suggests that neuronal activity and viability is not lost until much later, and changes observed here in BOLD activity are due to vascular effects.
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Covid-19, initially described as a respiratory system's infection, is currently more and more recognized as a multiorganic disease, including neurological manifestations. There is growing evidence about a potential neuroinvasive role of SARS-CoV-2. The purpose of this study is to describe new findings, in the form of cerebral microbleeds affecting different brain structures, observed in MRIs of critically ill patients. ⋯ Brain MRI raised evidence that Covid-19 or its related treatment may involve the brain with an unusual pattern of microbleeds, predominantly affecting the corpus callosum. The mechanism of this finding is still unclear but the differential diagnosis should include thrombotic microangiopathy related to direct or indirect-through the cytokine cascade-damage by the SARS-CoV-2 on the endothelium of brain's vessels, as well as mechanisms similar to the hypoxemia brain-blood-barrier injury.