Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Comparative Study
Comparison of magnetic resonance angiography scans on 1.5, 3, and 7 Tesla units: a quantitative study of 3-dimensional cerebrovasculature.
Although multiple studies demonstrate benefits of high field imaging of cerebrovasculature, a detailed quantitative analysis of complete cerebrovascular system is unavailable. To compare quality of MR angiography (MRA) acquisitions at various field strengths, we used 3-dimensional (3D) geometric cerebrovascular models extracted from 1.5 T/3 T/7 T scans. ⋯ Our approach differs from standard approaches based on visual assessment and signal (contrast)-to-noise ratio. It also measures absolute acquisition performance, provides a unique length-volume relationship, and predicts length/volume for intermediate teslages.
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Investigating the heritability of brain structure may be useful in simplifying complicated genetic studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A preliminary study is presented to determine if volume deficits of candidate brain structures present at a higher rate in unaffected siblings than controls subjects. ⋯ The findings suggest an overlap in the neurodevelopmental genes responsible for both brain structure and the expression of the disease. Further work is ongoing to confirm these findings.
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Internal carotid artery (ICA) elongation (coiling and kinking) has been suggested as a risk factor for carotid dissection. Since vasomotion is known to be impaired in spontaneous cervical vessel dissection, we investigated whether endothelial-dependent vasodilation in subjects with carotid coiling and kinking is compromised. ⋯ Among subjects with carotid elongation, those with severe kinking have an impaired endothelial-dependent vasodilation and might be prone to carotid dissection.
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High-level gait disorder (HLGD) is a debilitating disorder causing mobility decline in the elderly. Although its clinical characteristics are well described, its anatomical and pathophysiological underpinnings are poorly understood. This study examined the anatomical distribution of white matter (WM) changes in patients with mild to moderate HLGD of the cautious/disequilibrium type, using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. ⋯ The anatomical distribution associated with HLGD of the cautious/disequilibrium type involves WM pathways that convey motor-related, cognitive and affective-related functions. The underlying pathological process leading to these changes most probably includes demyelination.
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Cortical microinfarcts (CMIs) are detected as small foci restricted to the cerebral cortex in autopsy brains. CMIs are thought to be caused by cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the elderly and may be a risk for dementia. We aimed to visualize CMIs, which remain invisible on conventional MRI, using double inversion recovery (DIR) and 3-dimensional fluid attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) on 3-Tesla MRI. ⋯ DIR and 3D-FLAIR images may open a way to visualize CMIs.