| 1. |
- Howner, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Brain processing of fearful facial expression in mentally disordered offenders
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science. - Irvine, CA : Scientific Research Publishing. - 2160-5866 .- 2160-5874. ; 1:3, s. 115-123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Emotional facial expressions are important cues for interaction between people. The aim of the present study was to investigate brain function when processing fearful facial expressions in offenders with two psychiatric disorders which include impaired emotional facial perception; autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and psychopathy (PSY). Fourteen offenders undergoing forensic psychiatric assessment (7 with ASD, and 7 psychopathic offenders) and 12 healthy controls (HC) viewed fearful and neutral faces while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Brain activity (fearful versus neutral faces) was compared both between HC and offenders and between the two offender groups (PSY and ASD). Functional co-activation was also investigated. The offenders had increased activity bilaterally in amygdala and medial cingulate cortex as well as the left hippocampus during processing fearful facial expressions compared to HC. The two subgroups of offenders differed in five regions compared with each other. Results from functional co-activation analysis suggested a strong correlation between the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the left hemisphere only in the PSY group. These findings suggest enhanced neural processing of fearful faces in the amygdala as well as in other facial processing brain areas in offenders compared to HC. Moreover, the co-activation between amygdala and ACC in the PSY but not the ASD group suggested qualitative differences in amygdala activity in the two groups. Since the sample size is small the study should be regarded as a pilot study.
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| 2. |
- Karami, Azadeh, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in CSF cholinergic biomarkers in response to cell therapy with NGF in patients with Alzheimer's disease
- 2015
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's & Dementia. - : Wiley. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 11:11, s. 1316-1328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The extensive loss of central cholinergic functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is linked to impaired nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling. The cardinal cholinergic biomarker is the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which has recently been found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The purpose of this study was to see if EC-NGF therapy will alter CSF levels of cholinergic biomarkers, ChAT, and acetylcholinesterase. Method: Encapsulated cell implants releasing NGF (EC-NGF) were surgically implanted bilaterally in the basal forebrain of six AD patients for 12 months and cholinergic markers in CSF were analyzed. Results: Activities of both enzymes were altered after 12 months. In particular, the activity of soluble ChAT showed high correlation with cognition, CSF tau and amyloid-beta, in vivo cerebral glucose utilization and nicotinic binding sites, and morphometric and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging measures. Discussion: A clear pattern of association is demonstrated showing a proof-of-principle effect on CSF cholinergic markers, suggestive of a beneficial EC-NGF implant therapy.
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| 3. |
- Ceynowa, Dylan J., et al.
(författare)
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Morning Glory Disc Anomaly in childhood - a population-based study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Acta Ophthalmologica. - : Wiley. - 1755-375X .- 1755-3768. ; 93:7, s. 626-634
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To report prevalence, ocular characteristics and coexisting neurological, behavioural, somatic and neuroradiological abnormalities in children and adolescents with morning glory disc anomaly (MGDA).Methods: In a cross-sectional population-based study, 12 patients with MGDA, aged 2-20years, were identified. All 12 agreed to ophthalmological assessments including visual functions, refraction, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ocular motor score (OMS). Neurological examinations and behavioural/developmental screening were carried out. Data from previous or new neuroradiological investigations were collected.Results: The prevalence of MGDA was 2.6/100000. MGDA was unilateral in 11/12 patients with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the MGDA eye ranging from hand motion to 0.65 (median 0.06). Severe microphthalmus prevented unilaterality to be determined in one adolescent. All patients had a binocular BCVA of 0.5. OMS showed abnormalities in pupil response, vestibulo-ocular reflex, stereo visual acuity, strabismus and convergence. OCT revealed peripapillary or macular oedema in 5/8 patients and foveal aplasia in 3/8 patients. Three patients had extensive capillary hemangiomas, of which one had PHACES syndrome and one had additional cerebrovascular anomalies and corpus callosum agenesis. Neuroradiology showed craniovascular anomalies in two patients. Neurology was mostly normal. Behavioural/developmental screening showed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in one patient.Conclusions: The prevalence data, previously not reported, of morning glory disc anomaly was 2.6/100 000. Coexisting retinal peripapillary or macular oedema was common, as were cerebral abnormalities and/or cutaneous vascular malformations. The associated findings may not be discovered through routine ophthalmological examination why OCT and neuroimaging are called for.
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| 4. |
- Dahl, S., et al.
(författare)
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High prevalence of pituitary hormone deficiency in both unilateral and bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia
- 2019
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Ingår i: Acta Paediatrica. - : Wiley. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 108:9, s. 1677-1685
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim This study examined the prevalence of neurological impairment and pituitary hormone deficiency (PHD) in patients with unilateral and bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Methods A population-based cross-sectional cohort study of 65 patients (51% female) with ONH was conducted in Stockholm. Of these were 35 bilateral and 30 unilateral. The patients were below 20 years of age, living in Stockholm in December 2009 and found through database searching. The median age at the analysis of the results in January 2018 was 16.1 years (range 8.1-27.5 years). Neurological assessments and blood sampling were conducted, neuroradiology was reviewed and growth curves were analysed. Diagnoses of PHDs were based on clinical and biochemical evidence of hormone deficiency. Results Neurological impairments were identified in 47% of the patients and impairments in gross and fine motor function were more prevalent in bilateral ONH (p < 0.001). In addition, 9% had cerebral palsy and 14% had epilepsy. The prevalence of PHD was 29 and 19% had multiple PHD. Conclusion Children with ONH had a high risk of neurological impairment, especially in bilateral disease. Both unilateral and bilateral ONH signified an increased prevalence of PHD and all these children should be endocrinologically followed up until completed puberty.
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| 5. |
- Ek, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Decline in executive functions and speed in suspected low-grade gliomas : A 3-year follow-up of a clinical cohort
- 2018
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Ingår i: Applied Neuropsychology. Adult. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2327-9095 .- 2327-9109. ; 25:4, s. 376-384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Changes over time in information processing speed and executive functions (EFs) were studied in patients with suspected low-grade gliomas (LGG) 3 years after diagnosis. Using a person-oriented approach, the study aimed at focusing solely on two cognitive domains known to be significant in the understanding of the impact of white matter diseases. The Barkley’s hybrid model of EFs was used as a theoretical framework for the evaluation of EFs. The majority of the patients showed a decline in at least one of these two cognitive domains indicating that the progress of diffuse brain injury cannot be neglected in understanding neuropsychological changes over time in patients with LGG. In our sample, higher age and radiological signs of radiotherapy-induced brain atrophy were seen in patients with a decline in both domains.
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| 6. |
- Ek, Lena, 1961-, et al.
(författare)
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Early cognitive impairment in a subset of patients with presumed low-grade glioma
- 2010
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Ingår i: Neurocase. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1355-4794 .- 1465-3656. ; 16:6, s. 503-511
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated the presence of cognitive impairment, in adults with presumed low-grade glioma at early stage of disease prior to major treatments, in relation to neurological symptoms and radiological characteristics of the tumour. Sixteen patients were evaluated. A subset of patients was identified with clearly impaired cognition. Patients with cognitive impairment often had large tumours in the left frontal lobe, were relatively young, and most of them were males. We conclude that cognitive dysfunction may be present already at early stage of disease, and that early identification of patients at risk is warranted.
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| 7. |
- Forslin, Y., et al.
(författare)
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Gadolinium Retention in the Brain: An MRI Relaxometry Study of Linear and Macrocyclic Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents in Multiple Sclerosis
- 2019
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Ingår i: American Journal of Neuroradiology. - : AMER SOC NEURORADIOLOGY. - 0195-6108 .- 1936-959X. ; 40:8, s. 1265-1273
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain gadolinium retention is consistently reported for linear gadolinium-based contrast agents, while the results for macrocyclics are contradictory and potential clinical manifestations remain controversial. Furthermore, most previous studies are based on conventional T1-weighted MR imaging. We therefore aimed to quantitatively investigate longitudinal and transversal relaxation in the brain in relation to previous gadolinium-based contrast agent administration and explore associations with disability in multiple sclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-five patients with MS and 21 healthy controls underwent longitudinal and transverse relaxation rate (R-1 and R-2) relaxometry. Patients were divided into linear, mixed, and macrocyclic groups based on previous gadolinium-based contrast agent administration. Neuropsychological testing was performed in 53 patients. The dentate nucleus, globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, and thalamus were manually segmented. Repeatability measures were also performed. RESULTS: The relaxometry was robust (2.0% scan-rescan difference) and detected higher R-1 (dentate nucleus, globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, thalamus) and R-2 (globus pallidus, caudate nucleus) in patients receiving linear gadolinium-based contrast agents compared with controls. The number of linear gadolinium-based contrast agent administrations was associated with higher R-1 and R-2 in all regions (except R-2 in the thalamus). No similar differences and associations were found for the macrocyclic group. Higher relaxation was associated with lower information-processing speed (dentate nucleus, thalamus) and verbal fluency (caudate nucleus, thalamus). No associations were found with physical disability or fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Previous linear, but not macrocyclic, gadolinium-based contrast agent administration is associated with higher relaxation rates in a dose-dependent manner. Higher relaxation in some regions is associated with cognitive impairment but not physical disability or fatigue in MS. The findings should be interpreted with care but encourage studies into gadolinium retention and cognition.
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| 8. |
- Howner, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Thinner cortex in the frontal lobes in mentally disordered offenders
- 2012
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Ingår i: Psychiatry Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-1781 .- 1872-7123 .- 0925-4927. ; 203:2-3, s. 126-131
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antisocial and violent behaviour have been associated with both structural and functional brain abnormalities in the frontal and the temporal lobes. The aim of the present study was to assess cortical thickness in offenders undergoing forensic psychiatric assessments, one group with psychopathy (PSY, n = 7) and one group with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 7) compared to each other as well as to a reference group consisting of healthy non-criminal subjects (RG, n = 12). A second aim was to assess correlation between scores on a psychopathy checklist (PCL-SV) and cortical thickness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surface-based cortical segmentation were used to calculate cortical thickness. Analyses used both regions of interest and statistical maps. When the two groups of offenders were compared, there were no differences in cortical thickness, but the PSY group had thinner cortex in the temporal lobes and in the whole right hemisphere compared to RG. There were no differences in cortical thickness between the ASD group and RG. Across subjects there was a negative correlation between PCL-SV scores and cortical thickness in the temporal lobes and the whole right hemisphere. The findings indicate that thinner cortex in the temporal lobes is present in psychopathic offenders and that these regions are important for the expression of psychopathy. However, whether thinner temporal cortex is a cause or a consequence of the antisocial behaviour is still unknown.
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| 9. |
- Kristoffersen Wiberg, Maria
(författare)
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Magnetic resonance imaging in breast diagnosis
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- MRI of the breast has, since the introduction of gadolinium contrast agents, been increasingly used in breast investigations. MRI has been found to have a high sensitivity but a low specificity in cancer detection. The aim of this thesis was to study and establish the role of MRI in the clinical diagnosis of breast lesions. Which kind of lesions and which patients would benefit the most from MRI of the breast as an adjunct to other breast imaging modalities, and how should MRI be used in a clinical setting? In study I a comparison of the appearance of 27 lesions in two different T1-weighted 3D sequences regarding the contrast inherent in the sequences and following contrast enhancement was performed. Due to strong and widespread enhancement on the routine FLASH-sequence these lesions were examined with another T1-weighted sequence. The FLASH-sequence was found to have a high sensitivity, revealing contrast-enhancing areas, and therefore remains the first choice for routine examinations. The MPRAGE-sequence was found to increase the specificity by downgrading false positive lesions to true negatives. In study II the histological changes caused by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) that theoretically might affect the evaluation of breast lesions on semidynamic MRI was evaluated in 17 lesions. According to our result MRI can be performed irrespective of the time interval to a performed FNAB, as the evaluations were not impaired. In study III dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) was found to be a valuable adjunctive method to clinical examination, mammography and FNAB (triple diagnosis,TD) due to high sensitivity, but at the cost of a decreased specificity. This decrease was less pronounced in mammographically dense breasts, and hence these patients might benefit most from CE-MRI as an adjunctive investigation. In study IV lesion size at CE-MRI and mammography were compared to histopathological size. The size of a breast cancer is of importance in the choice of treatment, in particular when breast-conserving surgery is considered. CE-MRI and mammography were both good at measuring the size of detected invasive breast malignancies. The total sizes of malignant lesions were frequently underestimated by both methods. In study V the diagnostic accuracy of CE-MRI and scinti-mammography was compared, and the clinical value as an adjunct to mammography was evaluated. Dynamic CE-MRI and 99mTc-sestamibi scinti-mammography showed comparable diagnostic accuracy, but a better accuracy was found for the combination of CE-MRI and mammography when using ROC curves for evaluation. In lesions smaller than 10 mm in size 99mTc-sestamibi scinti-mammography was found to be less reliable due to the low spatial resolution. In conclusion, MRI is a useful tool in breast diagnosis, in particular due to its high sensitivity, the ability to exclude multifocality/multicentricity and accuracy in determining size and extent of a lesion. Due to the low specificity MRI is not to be recommended as a general screening tool, but as an adjunctive method in selected cases.
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| 10. |
- Liberg, Benny, et al.
(författare)
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Motor imagery in bipolar depression with slowed movement.
- 2013
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Ingår i: The Journal of nervous and mental disease. - 1539-736X. ; 201:10, s. 885-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We hypothesized that motor retardation in bipolar depression is mediated by disruption of the pre-executive stages of motor production. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate neural activity during motor imagery and motor execution to elucidate whether brain regions that mediate planning, preparation, and control of movement are activated differently in subjects with bipolar depression (n = 9) compared with healthy controls (n = 12). We found significant between-group differences. During motor imagery, the patients activated the posterior medial parietal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, the premotor cortex, the prefrontal cortex, and the frontal poles more than the controls did. Activation in the brain areas involved in motor selection, planning, and preparation was altered. In addition, limbic and prefrontal regions associated with self-reference and the default mode network were altered during motor imagery in bipolar depression with motor retardation.
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