1.
Looi, Jeffrey C. L., et al.
(författare)
Morphometric analysis of subcortical structures in progressive supranuclear palsy: In vivo evidence of neostriatal and mesencephalic atrophy
2011
Ingår i: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-4927. ; 194:2, s. 163-175
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by gait and postural disturbance, gaze palsy, apathy, decreased verbal fluency and dysexecutive symptoms, with some of these clinical features potentially having origins in degeneration of frontostriatal circuits and the mesencephalon. This hypothesis was investigated by manual segmentation of the caudate and putamen on MRI scans, using previously published protocols, in 15 subjects with PSP and 15 healthy age-matched controls. Midbrain atrophy was assessed by measurement of mid-sagittal area of the midbrain and pons. Shape analysis of the caudate and putamen was performed using spherical harmonics (SPHARM-PDM, University of North Carolina). The sagittal pons area/midbrain area ratio (P/M ratio) was significantly higher in the PSP group, consistent with previous findings. Significantly smaller striatal volumes were found in the PSP group - putamina were 10% smaller and caudate volumes were 17% smaller than in controls after controlling for age and intracranial volume. Shape analysis revealed significant shape deflation in PSP in the striatum, compared to controls; with regionally significant change relevant to frontostriatal and corticostriatal circuits in the caudate. Thus, in a clinically diagnosed and biomarker-confirmed cohort with early PSP, we demonstrate that neostriatal volume and shape are significantly reduced in vivo. The findings suggest a neostriatal and mesencephalic structural basis for the clinical features of PSP leading to frontostriatal and mesocortical-striatal circuit disruption. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
2.
3.
van Westen, Danielle, et al.
(författare)
Magnetic Resonance Findings in the Pregeniculate Visual Pathways in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.
2011
Ingår i: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. - 1070-8022. ; 31, s. 48-51
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Two relatives, a 61-year-old man and the 21-year-old grandson of his sister, suffered from bilateral visual loss and were diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. In both cases, the diagnosis was molecularly confirmed with the 11778 mitochondrial mutation. MRI showed increased T2 signal not only in the optic nerves and chiasm but also in the optic tracts, extending to the lateral geniculate bodies. To our knowledge, the latter finding has not been described previously.
4.
Knutsson, Linda, et al.
(författare)
Absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow: correlation between dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI and model-free arterial spin labeling.
2010
Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5894 .- 0730-725X. ; 28:1, s. 1-7
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
PURPOSE: To compare absolute cerebral blood flow (CBF) estimates obtained by model-free arterial spin labeling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI), corrected for partial volume effects (PVEs). METHODS: CBF was measured using DSC-MRI and model-free ASL (quantitative signal targeting with alternating radiofrequency labeling of arterial regions) at 3 T in 15 subjects with brain tumor, and the two modalities were compared with regard to CBF estimates in normal gray matter (GM) and DSC-to-ASL CBF ratios in selected tumor regions. The DSC-MRI CBF maps were calculated using a global arterial input function (AIF) from the sylvian-fissure region, but, in order to minimize PVEs, the AIF time integral was rescaled by a venous output function time integral obtained from the sagittal sinus. RESULTS: In GM, the average DSC-MRI CBF estimate was 150+/-45 ml/(min 100 g) (mean+/-SD) while the corresponding ASL CBF was 44+/-10 ml/(min 100 g). The linear correlation between GM CBF estimates obtained by DSC-MRI and ASL was r=.89, and observed DSC-to-ASL CBF ratios differed by less than 3% between GM and tumor regions. CONCLUSIONS: A satisfactory positive linear correlation between the CBF estimates obtained by model-free ASL and DSC-MRI was observed, and DSC-to-ASL CBF ratios showed no obvious tissue dependence.
5.
Knutsson, Linda, et al.
(författare)
Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI with a prebolus contrast agent administration design for improved absolute quantification of perfusion.
2014
Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1522-2594 .- 0740-3194. ; 72:4, s. 996-1006
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Arterial partial-volume effects (PVEs) often hamper reproducible absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) obtained by dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI). The aim of this study was to examine whether arterial PVEs in DSC-MRI data can be minimized by rescaling the arterial input function (AIF) using a sagittal-sinus venous output function obtained following a prebolus administration of a low dose of contrast agent.
6.
7.
Lätt, Jimmy, et al.
(författare)
Regional values of diffusional kurtosis estimates in the healthy brain.
2013
Ingår i: Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. - : Wiley. - 1522-2586 .- 1053-1807. ; 37:3, s. 610-618
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
PURPOSE: To provide estimates of the diffusional kurtosis in the healthy brain in anatomically defined areas and list these along previously reported values in pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six volunteers (mean age = 33.1 years; range, 19-64 years) underwent diffusional kurtosis imaging. Mean kurtosis (MK), radial kurtosis (RK), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined in 26 anatomical structures. Parameter estimates were assessed regarding age dependence. RESULTS: MK varied from 1.38 in the splenium of the corpus callosum to 0.66 in the caudate head, MD varied from 0.68 to 0.62 μm(2) /ms and FA from 0.87 to 0.29. MK, and FA showed a strong positive correlation, RK and RD a strong negative correlation. Parameter estimates showed age correlation in some regions; also the average MK and RK for all WM and all GM areas, respectively, were negatively correlated with age. CONCLUSION: DKI parameter estimates MK and RK varied depending on the anatomical region and varied with age in pooled WM and GM data. MK estimates in the internal capsule, corpus callosum, and thalamus were consistent with previous studies. The range of values of MK and RK in healthy brain overlapped with that in pathologies. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
8.
Löve, Askell, et al.
(författare)
Hybrid iterative reconstruction algorithm in brain CT: a radiation dose reduction and image quality assessment study.
2013
Ingår i: Acta radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987). - : SAGE Publications. - 1600-0455 .- 0284-1851.
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms improve image quality and allow for radiation dose reduction in CT. Dose reduction is particularly challenging in brain CT where good low-contrast resolution is essential. Ideally, evaluation of image quality combines objective measurements and subjective assessment of clinically relevant quality criteria. Subjective assessment is associated with various pitfalls and biases.
9.
Mannfolk, Peter, et al.
(författare)
Assessment of spatial BOLD sensitivity variations in fMRI using gradient-echo field maps.
2010
Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5894 .- 0730-725X. ; 28:7, s. 947-956
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Clinical blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is becoming increasingly valuable in, e.g., presurgical planning, but the commonly used gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GE-EPI) technique is sometimes hampered by macroscopic field inhomogeneities. This can affect the degree of signal change that will occur in the GE-EPI images as a response to neural activation and the subsequent blood oxygenation changes, i.e., the BOLD sensitivity (BS). In this study, quantitative BS maps were calculated directly from gradient-echo field maps obtainable on most clinical scanners. In order to validate the accuracy of the calculated BS-maps, known shim gradients were applied and field maps and GE-EPI images of a phantom were acquired. Measured GE-EPI image intensity was then compared with the calculated (predicted) image intensity (pII) which was obtained from the field maps using theoretical expressions for image-intensity loss. The validated expressions for pII were used to calculate the corresponding predicted BOLD sensitivity (pBS) maps in healthy volunteers. Since the field map is assumed to be valid throughout an entire fMRI experiment, the influence of subject motion on the pBS maps was also assessed. To demonstrate the usefulness of such maps, pBS was investigated for clinically important functional areas including hippocampus, Broca's area and primary motor cortex. A systematic left/right pBS difference was observed in Broca's area and in the hippocampus, most likely due to magnetic field inhomogeneity of the particular MRI-system used in this study. For all subjects, the hippocampus showed pBS values above unity with a clear anterior-posterior gradient and with an abrupt drop to zero pBS in the anterior parts of hippocampus. It is concluded that GE field maps can be used to accurately predict BOLD sensitivity and that this parameter is useful to assess spatial variations which will influence fMRI experiments.
10.
Mårtensson, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
Spatial analysis of diffusion tensor tractography statistics along the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus with application in progressive supranuclear palsy
2013
Ingår i: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0968-5243 .- 1352-8661. ; 26:6, s. 527-537
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
The purpose of the study was to develop a method for analysis of diffusion parameters along white matter (WM) tracts, using spatial normalization based on anatomical landmarks, and to introduce the apparent area coefficient (AAC). The method's applicability was tested in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO) in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and healthy controls (HCs). A framework for analysis of diffusion parameters was developed. Spatial normalization of the tracts was performed using anatomical landmarks, to avoid deformations caused by cerebral atrophy. Initially, 38 HCs were used to optimize a threshold for the minimal size of regions that differ between groups. The fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, AAC, and the hemispheric asymmetry index (AI), were compared between 11 PSP patients and 15 HCs. The method was feasible for analysis of PSP patients and HCs. The AI showed that the observed hemispheric asymmetry of AAC was significantly larger in PSP patients compared with HCs in small regions of the IFO. The method was successfully employed for analysis of diffusion parameters along the IFO in a patient group. This method can be potentially useful in studies of WM diseases, with or without cerebral atrophy.
