Frontiers in neuroscience
-
Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2020
Abnormal Regional Spontaneous Brain Activity and Its Indirect Effect on Spasm Ratings in Patients With Hemifacial Spasm.
Three classical methods of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were employed to explore the local functional abnormalities and their effect on spasm ratings in hemifacial spasm (HFS) patients. ⋯ Our study revealed regional brain dysfunctions from different perspectives and an indirect effect of ReHo in right PCC on spasm ratings predominantly through the alteration of NVC.
-
Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2020
Feasibility of Glutamate and GABA Detection in Pons and Thalamus at 3T and 7T by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
Glutamate detection in pons and thalamus using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) after an intervention is of interest for studying various brain disorders. However, 1H-MRS in these brain regions is challenging and time-consuming, especially in longitudinal study designs. 1H-MRS of more cortical structures at the ultrahigh magnetic field strength of 7T yields an improved spectral output, including separation of the glutamate signal from the glutamine signal, in a shorter and more feasible scan time, as compared to conventional clinical field strengths. For this purpose, we compared the feasibility of 1H-MRS at 3T and 7T in pons and thalamus by applying a longitudinal study design of repeated measures on same day and three separate days at both field strength in five healthy participants. ⋯ In conclusion, 1H-MRS at 7T resulted in improved spectral quality while allowing shorter scan times than at 3T as well as estimation of the pure glutamate signal in pons and thalamus. This opens up the opportunity for multimodal study designs and multiregional subcortical 1H-MRS research. Glutamate and GABA measurement at 7T in pons and thalamus is advantageous for future investigations of excitatory-inhibitory mechanisms in brain disorders.
-
Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2020
In vivo Two-Photon Imaging Reveals Acute Cerebral Vascular Spasm and Microthrombosis After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion, is reported to interfere with cerebral blood flow and microcirculation in patients, but our current understanding is quite limited and the results are often controversial. Here we used longitudinal in vivo two-photon imaging to investigate dynamic changes in cerebral vessels and velocities of red blood cells (RBC) following mTBI. Closed-head mTBI induced using a controlled cortical impact device resulted in a significant reduction of dwell time in a Rotarod test but no significant change in water maze test. ⋯ We also observed formation and clearance of transient microthrombi in capillaries within 1 h post-mTBI. We concluded that in vivo two-photon imaging is useful for studying earlier alteration of vascular dynamics after mTBI and that mTBI induced reduction of cerebral blood flow, vasospasm, and formation of microthrombi in the acute stage following injury. These changes may contribute to early brain functional deficits of mTBI.
-
Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2020
Differential Atrophy in the Hippocampal Subfield Volumes in Four Types of Mild Dementia.
To investigate the bilateral hippocampal subfield volumetric differences in four types of mild dementia, namely typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), semantic dementia (SD), and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), to assist differential diagnosis. ⋯ Differential atrophy patterns in the bilateral hippocampal subfield volumes could serve the differential diagnosis in patients with different causes of mild dementia: left CA1 for tAD; left presubiculum for LSD; right CA4/DG, right presubiculum, and right subiculum for RSD; CA4/DG and right CA2/3 for DLB; right CA2/3 and right CA4/DG for PCA. Additionally, several hippocampal subfield volumes were significantly associated with memory scores, further highlighting the essential role of the hippocampus in memory decline.
-
Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2020
Evaluation of Risk Behavior in Gambling Addicted and Opioid Addicted Individuals.
Evidence suggests that both opioid addicted and gambling addicted individuals are characterized by higher levels of risky behavior in comparison to healthy people. It has been shown that the administration of substitution drugs can reduce cravings for opioids and the risky decisions made by individuals addicted to opioids. ⋯ The score and response time during the task were measured. It was also observed, in the basis of the whole IGT test, that individuals addicted to gambling make riskier decisions in comparison to healthy individuals from the control group but less riskier decisions in comparison to individuals addicted to opioids, before administration of methadone and without any statistically significant difference after administration of methadone-as there has been growing evidence that methadone administration is strongly associated with a significant decrease in risky behavior.