Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Although ophthalmic complaints were mostly mentioned in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), emotional and psychological disturbances are increasingly concerned. We aimed to investigate the brain functional alteration in TAO patients by using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) methods. ⋯ Our findings indicated that TAO patients had brain functional alterations in the visual network, executive control network, sensorimotor network, and attention network, which may reflect potential visual and cognitive dysfunctions.
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To investigate the reorganization of the central nervous system provided by resting state-functional MRI (rs-fMRI), graph-theoretical analysis, and a newly developed functional brain network disruption index in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that rs-fMRI combined with advanced graph theoretical analysis and disruption indices is able to detect early and subtle functional changes of brain networks in HIV patients.
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The optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is a promising surrogate marker for the detection of raised intracranial pressure (ICP). However, inconsistencies in manual ONSD assessment are thought to affect ONSD and the corresponding ONSD cutoff values for the diagnosis of elevated ICP, hereby hampering the full potential of ONSD. In this study, we developed an image intensity-invariant algorithm to automatically estimate ONSD from B-mode ultrasound images at multiple depths. ⋯ Our algorithm has the potential to improve the accuracy of ONSD as a surrogate marker for elevated ICP because it has no intrinsic variability. However, future research should be performed to validate if the algorithm does indeed result in more accurate noninvasive ICP predictions.
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Observational Study
Right-to-left shunt detection using transforaminal insonation of the basilar artery.
Investigation for patent foramen ovale (PFO) is warranted in patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS), as PFO closure is recommended in select CS patients for secondary stroke prevention. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is noninvasive and has high sensitivity for PFO screening. However, 10% of the population has insufficient temporal bone windows to perform standard TCD monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs). Prior reports showed similar diagnostic accuracy between the basilar artery and MCAs insonation. Our objective was to assess the accuracy of transforaminal insonation of the basilar artery (TIBA) in diagnosis of right-to-left shunt (RLS) in patients with inadequate temporal windows. ⋯ PFO screening accuracy using TIBA was 75%. Prospective evaluation of CS patients with TIBA and comparison to the gold-standard TEE should be performed to further guide clinical practice.
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As human life expectancy increases, there is an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders and dementia. There are many ongoing research trials for early diagnosis and management of dementia, and neuroimaging is a critical part of such studies. However, conventional neuroimaging often fails to provide enough diagnostic findings in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. ⋯ Also, SWI is a useful sequence to detect the low signal intensity of precentral cortices in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Being familiar with SWI findings in neurodegenerative disorders is critical for an accurate diagnosis. In this paper, the authors review the technical parameters of SWI, physiologic, and pathologic iron deposition in the brain, and the role of SWI in the evaluation of neurodegenerative disorders in daily practice.