Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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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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Insonation of the occluded target vessel (sonothrombolysis) has been reported to increase the effect of intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke. Its use has predominantly been described in middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions. Sufficient insonation conditions are a mandatory precondition. The impact of these limitations on eligibility rates for sonothrombolysis has not been reported so far. ⋯ Conventional sonothrombolysis is restricted to a minority of stroke patients suitable for intravenous thrombolysis. Extending the applicability by utilization of ultrasound contrast agents and targeting non-MCA-occlusions warrants further evaluation.
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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.
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To prospectively evaluate longitudinal changes in white matter lesions (WMLs) in migraineurs with aura, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to correlate WMLs modifications with patients' clinical characteristics. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that in migraine with aura WMLs number can progress over time and suggests an association between aura features and WMLs progression. Studies with a higher number of patients are required to confirm these findings.
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Comparative Study
Contribution of high-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging in determination of brain ischemia in transient ischemic attack patients.
High-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (b = 2,000 and b = 3,000 second/mm(2)) offers theoretical advantages over DWI examinations at b = 1,000 second/mm(2) for detection of acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine whether high-b-value DWI are better than b = 1,000 images in TIA patients. ⋯ High-b-value DWI did not improve the conspicuity and distinction of the ischemic lesions.