NeuroImage. Clinical
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
White matter microstructural differences identified using multi-shell diffusion imaging in six-year-old children born very preterm.
The underlying microstructural properties of white matter differences in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) can be investigated in depth using multi-shell diffusion imaging. The present study compared white matter across the whole brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics in children born very preterm and full-term children at six years of age. We also investigated associations between white matter microstructure with early brain injury and developmental outcomes. ⋯ Children born very preterm exhibit lower FA and higher ODI than full-term children. NODDI metrics provide more biologically specific information beyond DTI metrics as well as additional information of the impact of prematurity and white matter microstructure on cognitive outcomes at six years of age.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Association of short-term cognitive decline and MCI-to-AD dementia conversion with CSF, MRI, amyloid- and 18F-FDG-PET imaging.
Disease-modifying treatment trials are increasingly advanced to the prodromal or preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and inclusion criteria are based on biomarkers rather than clinical symptoms. Therefore, it is of great interest to determine which biomarkers should be combined to accurately predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD dementia. However, up to date, only few studies performed a complete A/T/N subject characterization using each of the CSF and imaging markers, or they only investigated long-term (≥ 2 years) prognosis. ⋯ Patients with MCI converted to AD dementia at an annual rate of 31%, which could be best predicted by combining neuropsychological testing (visuospatial construction skills) with either MRI-based HV or 18F-FDG-PET. Combining all three markers resulted in 96% specificity and 92% sensitivity. Neither amyloid-PET nor CSF biomarkers could discriminate short-term converters from non-converters.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Clinical TrialCause or effect: Altered brain and network activity in cervical dystonia is partially normalized by botulinum toxin treatment.
Idiopathic cervical dystonia (CD) is a chronic movement disorder characterized by impressive clinical symptoms and the lack of clear pathological findings in clinical diagnostics and imaging. At present, the injection of botulinum toxin (BNT) in dystonic muscles is an effective therapy to control motor symptoms and pain in CD. ⋯ The changes in brain function and network activity in CD can be interpreted as related to the underlying cause, the effort to compensate or a mixture of both. Although BNT is applied in the last stage of the cortico-neuromuscular pathway, brain patterns are shifted towards those of healthy controls.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Visual input drives increased occipital responsiveness and harmonized oscillations in multiple cortical areas in migraineurs.
Migraineurs are hypersensitive for most sensory domains like visual, auditory or somatosensory processing even outside of attacks. This behavioral peculiarity is mirrored by findings of cortical hyper-responsivity already in the interictal state. ⋯ These data suggest harmonized oscillations of different cortical areas as a response to visual input which might be driven by the cuneus. Furthermore, the increased coupling is modulated by the current state of the migraine cycle as the coupling was significantly stronger in patients with longer interictal periods.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Dynamics of brain perfusion and cognitive performance in revascularization of carotid artery stenosis.
There is evidence suggesting a detrimental effect of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis on cognitive function even in the absence of ischemic cerebral lesions. Hypoperfusion has been suggested as pathophysiological mechanism causing cognitive impairment. We aimed to assess cognitive performance and cerebral perfusion changes in patients with carotid artery stenosis without ischemic lesions by arterial spin labeling (ASL) and contrast enhanced (CE) perfusion MRI before and after revascularization therapy. ⋯ We found evidence of traceable perfusion alterations in patients with high grade carotid artery stenosis in the absence of structural brain lesions, which proved fully reversible after revascularization therapy. In this cohort of asymptomatic patients we did not observe an association of hypoperfusion with cognitive performance.