Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Brain lesions converting to chronic T1 hypointensities ("chronic black holes" [CBH]), indicate severe tissue destruction (axonal loss and irreversible demyelination) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two mechanisms by which fingolimod could limit MS lesion evolution include sequestration of lymphocytes in the periphery or direct neuroprotective effects. We investigated the effect of fingolimod on the evolution of acute gadolinium-enhancing (Gd+) brain lesions to CBH in patients with MS. ⋯ This pilot study shows a trend of fingolimod on reducing the conversion rate from acute to chronic destructive MS lesions. Such an effect awaits verification in larger randomized prospective studies.
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Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) is frequently associated with atypical clinical presentations and its early detection remains a challenging issue. In this study, we used arterial spin labeling (ASL), a noninvasive perfusion MRI sequence, and [(18)F]-FDG-PET to detect the perfusion and metabolic features in patients with EOAD. ⋯ ASL and [(18)F]-FDG-PET detected pathological areas of similar distribution mainly located in the inferior parietal lobules and local zones in the temporal cortex in patients with EOAD. Our preliminary study showed that ASL and [(18)F]-FDG-PET may have a complementary role in combination with structural MRI for the assessment of suspected EOAD.
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To evaluate whether breath-holding (BH) blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI can quantify differences in vascular reactivity (VR), as there is a need for improved contrast mechanisms in gliomas. ⋯ BH maps based on peak-to-trough can be used to characterize VR in brain tumors. VR maps in brain tumor patients appear to be caused by a different mechanism than gadolinium enhancement.
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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous syndrome that is characterized by overlapping clinical symptoms involving behavior, personality, language and/or motor functions and degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes. The term frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is used to describe the proteinopathies associated with clinical FTD. ⋯ In this review, we overview recent research on the study of FTD syndromes as connectivity disorders in symptomatic patients as well as genotype-specific changes in asymptomatic FTD-related gene mutation carriers. Characterizing brain network breakdown in these subjects using neuroimaging may help anticipate the diagnosis and perhaps prevent the devastating impact of FTD.
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To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of central nervous system (CNS) infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei. ⋯ Spread of microabscesses along white matter tracts and frequent trigeminal nerve involvement are unique imaging characteristics of CNS melioidosis. These findings may provide insight into potential mechanisms for B. pseuodomallei entry into the CNS through direct axonal transport in cranial nerves bypassing the blood brain barrier. Prompt recognition of the neuroimaging features of this potentially fatal infection may allow for early microbiological culture and treatment.