Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Texture analysis (TA) is a branch of image processing, which attempts to convey "texture" information from digital images, such as magnetic resonance images (MRI). Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) affects mainly cerebellum and brainstem, but recent studies have shown that other cerebral structures may also be affected. ⋯ TA was capable of detecting tissue alterations in MRI of patients with MJD. These alterations were in areas already shown to be affected by histopathological studies. In addition, we confirmed the thalamic involvement in patients with MJD, which had only been demonstrated in volumetric studies.
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Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder the pathophysiology of which is incompletely understood. Four studies have examined structural differences between the brains of RLS patients and healthy controls, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). All 4 studies have provided different results. ⋯ The present study did not replicate (confirm) previous findings of structural brain changes in RLS, but instead supported the findings of a recent study showing a lack of gray matter alteration in an elderly RLS population. More specifically, the results do not support neuronal loss as an underlying disease mechanism in RLS. Potential limitations in the application of VBM are also discussed.
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Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging (SWI) is a relatively new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence relying on susceptibility differences between adjacent tissues to produce an image. It is extremely sensitive for detection of blood products (hemosiderin, ferritin), deoxygenated blood, calcium, iron, and small vein depiction. Little information is available in the literature to describe common findings seen using this imaging sequence. This article is an comprehensive review of appearances across the spectrum of brain pathology encountered in routine clinical practice. ⋯ SWI is an extremely useful adjunct to current MRI sequences of the brain and is advocated for inclusion into routine Neuroimaging protocols.
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We describe the essential diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings of right cerebral hemisphere infarctions and study whether the DTI parameters and neurological status differ in patients with visible wallerian degeneration (WD) or small hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in the chronic stage. ⋯ DTI reveals the changes after infarction in the lesion site and elsewhere. The patients with visible WD or HT have more changes in the DTI parameters and worse outcome scores.
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To evaluate the safety of thrombolysis with rt-PA in acute ischemic strokes during a 12-hour time window using an ultrafast MR protocol. ⋯ Our results demonstrated the safety of thrombolysis with rt-PA in selected stroke patients within a 12-hour time window using an ultrafast MR protocol.