NeuroImage. Clinical
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2018
Exploring the multiple-hit hypothesis of preterm white matter damage using diffusion MRI.
Preterm infants are at high risk of diffuse white matter injury and adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. The multiple hit hypothesis suggests that the risk of white matter injury increases with cumulative exposure to multiple perinatal risk factors. Our aim was to test this hypothesis in a large cohort of preterm infants using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). ⋯ This study suggests multiple perinatal risk factors have an independent association with diffuse white matter injury at term equivalent age and exposure to multiple perinatal risk factors exacerbates dMRI defined, clinically significant white matter injury. Our findings support the multiple hit hypothesis for preterm white matter injury.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2018
Network-specific resting-state connectivity changes in the premotor-parietal axis in writer's cramp.
Writer's cramp is a task-specific dystonia impairing writing and sometimes other fine motor tasks. Neuroimaging studies using manifold designs have shown varying results regarding the nature of changes in the disease. ⋯ Abnormal resting-state FC in multiple networks with putative sensorimotor function may act as basis of preexisting observations made during task-related neuroimaging. Further, altered connectivity between the cerebellar and basal ganglia network underlines the important role of these structures in the disease.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2018
Microstructure of the superior temporal gyrus and hallucination proneness - a multi-compartment diffusion imaging study.
Previous studies reported that the volume of the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) is reduced in patients with schizophrenia and negatively correlated with hallucination severity. Moreover, diffusion-tensor imaging studies suggested a relationship between the brain microstructure in the STG of patients and auditory hallucinations. Hallucinations are also experienced in non-patient groups. ⋯ These findings suggest that there is a relationship between the volume and the microstructure of the left STG and hallucination proneness. Dendritic complexity (but not neurite density) is inversely related to hallucination proneness. Metrics based on multi-compartment diffusion models seem to be more sensitive for hallucination-related neural processes than conventional MRI-based metrics.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2018
Sex differences in white matter alterations following repetitive subconcussive head impacts in collegiate ice hockey players.
Repetitive subconcussive head impacts (RSHI) may lead to structural, functional, and metabolic alterations of the brain. While differences between males and females have already been suggested following a concussion, whether there are sex differences following exposure to RSHI remains unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and to characterize sex differences following exposure to RSHI. ⋯ The results of this study suggest sex differences in structural alterations following exposure to RSHI. Future studies need to investigate further the underlying mechanisms and association with exposure and clinical outcomes.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2018
Connectome analysis with diffusion MRI in idiopathic Parkinson's disease: Evaluation using multi-shell, multi-tissue, constrained spherical deconvolution.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects extensive regions of the central nervous system. In this work, we evaluated the structural connectome of patients with PD, as mapped by diffusion-weighted MRI tractography and a multi-shell, multi-tissue (MSMT) constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) method to increase the precision of tractography at tissue interfaces. The connectome was mapped with probabilistic MSMT-CSD in 21 patients with PD and in 21 age- and gender-matched controls. ⋯ Finally, probabilistic MSMT-CSD had superior diagnostic accuracy compared with conventional probabilistic SSST-CSD and deterministic SSST-CSD tracking. In conclusion, probabilistic MSMT-CSD detected a greater extent of connectome pathology in patients with PD, including those with cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical network disruptions. Connectome analysis based on probabilistic MSMT-CSD may be useful when evaluating the extent of white matter connectivity disruptions in PD.