Head Of Right Caudate Nucleus Research Articles

Assessment of cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction with T1 relaxation time measured by MP2RAGE sequence and cerebral hemodynamic by transcranial Doppler.

This study aimed to investigate early brain microstructural changes discovered using magnetization-prepared two rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP2RAGE) sequence and cerebral hemodynamic using TCD for cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction. We enrolled 43 patients with acute cerebral infarction and 21 healthy people in the study, who were subjected to cognitive assessments, the MP2RAGE sequence, and a cerebral hemodynamic examination. A total of 26 brain regions of interest were investigated. Furthermore, we used cerebral hemodynamics to explain brain microstructural changes, which helped us better understand the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction and guide treatment. T1 relaxation times in the left frontal lobe, right frontal lobe, right temporal lobe, left precuneus, left thalamus, right hippocampus, right head of caudate nucleus, and splenium of corpus callosum were substantially different across the three groups, which were significantly correlated with neuropsychological test scores. CI group patients had significantly lower cerebral blood flow velocity than those in the N-CI and Normal groups. The receiver operating curve analysis revealed that most T1 relaxation times had high sensitivity and specificity, especially on the right temporal lobe and right frontal lobe. There was a potential correlation between T1 relaxation times and MMSE scores through TCD parameters. The MP2RAGE sequence can detect alterations in whole brain microstructure in patients with cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction. Brain microstructural changes could influence cognitive function through cerebral hemodynamics. T1 relaxation times on the right temporal lobe and the right frontal lobe are expected to be a prospective biomarker of cognitive impairment after acute cerebral infarction.

Multivariate Pattern Classification of Primary Insomnia Using Three Types of Functional Connectivity Features.

Objective: To explore whether or not functional connectivity (FC) could be used as a potential biomarker for classification of primary insomnia (PI) at the individual level by using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA).Methods: Thirty-eight drug-naive patients with PI, and 44 healthy controls (HC) underwent resting-state functional MR imaging. Voxel-wise functional connectivity strength (FCS), large-scale functional connectivity (large-scale FC) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated for each participant. We used support vector machine (SVM) with the three types of metrics as features separately to classify patients from healthy controls. Then we evaluated its classification performances. Finally, FC metrics with significant high classification performance were compared between the two groups and were correlated with clinical characteristics, i.e., Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) in the patients' group.Results: The best classifier could reach up to an accuracy of 81.5%, with a sensitivity of 84.9%, specificity of 79.1%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 83.0% (all P < 0.001). Right anterior insular cortex (BA48), left precuneus (BA7), and left middle frontal gyrus (BA8) showed high classification weights. In addition, the right anterior insular cortex (BA48) and left middle frontal gyrus (BA8) were the overlapping regions between MVPA and group comparison. Correlation analysis showed that FCS in left middle frontal gyrus and head of right caudate nucleus were correlated with PSQI and SDS, respectively.Conclusion: The current study suggests abnormal FCS in right anterior insular cortex (BA48) and left middle frontal gyrus (BA8) might serve as a potential neuromarkers for PI.

Neuroradiological Findings in Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Image Report

30-years-old Egyptian male presented with 2 weeks history of dizziness and generalized fatigue. No significant past medical history. On examination, he was hypotensive with tachycardia, GCS was 15/15 with no neurological deficit but he was pale. Lab exam revealed low hemoglobin with increased reticulocyte counts. Peripheral smear showed normochromic normocytic anemia. Antinuclear Ab and Anti CTD titers were positive. Patient showed improvement with methylprednisolone, heparin and IV immunoglobulin (Figures 1-3). Multiple focal areas of diffusion restriction are noted at bilateral centrum semiovale and corona radiata regions, right frontal subcortical, left occipital cortical, head of right caudate nucleus and splenium of the corpus callosum consistent with recent ischaemic changes.

Analiza korelacije morfometrijskih karakteristika glave repatog jedra i intenziteta psihotičnih manifestacija kod shizofrenije

Introduction: One of the significant functional disorders of the central nervous system in patients with schizophrenia is the increased activity of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. By the nigrostriatal pathway, the caudate nucleus is closely related to other dopaminergic systems of the brain. Since the function of caudate nucleus relies on the action of Dopamine in the brain; the role of this anatomical structure in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia is not sufficiently clarified. The aim of this paper was to examine whether the caudate nucleus participates in the modulation of the intensity of psychotic manifestations in schizophrenia. Patients and Methods: The study included a total of thirty-one patients with schizophrenia. Diagnosis of the schizophrenia was based on the DSM-IV criterion (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition), and the intensity of psychotic manifestations was evaluated by using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The size of the caudate nucleus was determined on axial non-contrast CT images on the surface of the largest cross-section using AutoCAD 2007 digital morphometry. The statistical data were processed by the SPSS 16.0 program package. The statistical conclusions are presented on the basis of two-tail p &lt; 0.05. Results: In this study, we have observed a negative correlation between the area as well as the perimeter of the left caudate nucleus head section and the intensity of the psychotic manifestations (area: regression coefficient B = -0.17, p = 0.050, perimeter: regression coefficient B = -0.010, p = 0.012). On the right hemisphere of the brain we observed only a negative correlation of the intensity of the psychotic manifestations from the perimeter of the head section of caudate nucleus (regression coefficient B = -0.013, p = 0.011). Conclusion: In our research we found that the higher intensity of psychotic manifestations in schizophrenia was accompanied with the smaller area and the perimeter of left caudate head as well as the smaller perimeter of the head of right caudate nucleus. The finding of the dependence of the intensity of psychotic manifestations on the perimeter of the right caudate head and not on its area speaks in favor of the caudate head surface deformations as one of the markers of intensity of psychotic manifestations in patients with schizophrenia

Subcortical structures in progressive supranuclear palsy: vertex‐based analysis

To study the abnormalities of deep grey matter (GM) structures in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) using MR volumetry and shape analysis techniques. Twenty-eight patients with PSP and 25 matched controls (all were right handed) were evaluated using standard clinical scales. MRI was performed on a 3 tesla MRI scanner using standard protocol which included T1-3D Turbo Field-Echo images with 1-mm slice thickness. The volumes of GM and white matter, total brain and the deep subcortical GM structures, including hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus and thalamus were extracted using a fully automated tool. Univariate analysis of covariance, adjusted for intracranial volume (ICV), sex and age, was used to explore group differences. Shape analysis was also performed using automated software with age, sex and total brain volume as covariates of no interest in the statistical design at P<0.05 (FDR corrected). The patients with PSP had significantly lower volumes of bilateral thalami, hippocampus, pallidum and brainstem. Shape analysis of GM structures showed significant surface reduction in bilateral thalami and head of right caudate nucleus. MR volumetry showed abnormalities of various deep GM structures. Shape analysis also revealed focal surface contractions in multiple subcortical structures. Our study highlights the usefulness of this novel technique in detecting abnormalities of deep GM structures.

Unusual cause of dementia in an immunocompetent host: toxoplasmic encephalitis

A 69-year-old male was presented with a 2-month history of cognitive decline. The most profound deficit was observed in short-term verbal and visual memory and recognition. He was otherwise healthy, apart from atrial fibrillation diagnosed 5 months before. Brain MRI revealed T2 hyperintensities in the left thalamus, right pulvinar thalami, both putamina and right head of caudate nucleus without diffusion restriction on DWI sequences. CSF examination revealed elevated proteins. He was HIV negative. The course of the disease was complicated with gram negative sepsis and the patient died 14 days later. Autopsy revealed the brain lesions to have been caused by toxoplasmic encephalitis. Toxoplasmic encephalitis is an extremely rare cause of rapidly progressive dementia in immunocompetent patients. In patients with multiple lesions, hyperintense on T2 and hypointense on T1 weighted sequences, without diffusion restriction and some expansive effect, infectious causes should be considered, even in the absence of classical signs of infectious diseases and CSF pleocythosis.

Application of contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging in patients with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy

目的 用MR灌注成像技术评价亚临床肝性脑病(SHE)患者的脑血流灌注模式.方法 对12例经神经心理试验诊断为SHE的患者和10例年龄和教育程度相匹配的健康志愿者进行MR平扫和灌注成像,分别测量双侧尾状核头、苍白球、壳核、丘脑和额叶白质的脑血容量(CBV)、脑血流量(CBF)和平均通过时间(MTT),并以同侧额叶脑白质作为参照进行统计分析.结果 SHE患者各感兴趣区与白质的比值:CBV值分别是1.32±0.25、1.19±0.46、1.51±0.20、1.69±0.53;CBF值分别为1.64±0.50、1.61±0.65、2.06±0.61、2.23±0.75;MTT值分别是0.83±0.17、0.76±0.20、0.78±0.19、0.78±0.17.志愿者相应部位CBV值为1.32±0.33、1.02±0.29、1.44±0.37、1.66±0.57;CBF值为1.36±0.24、1.08±0.28、1.55±0.51、1.58±0.64;MTT值为0.95±0.18、0.91±0.19、0.93±0.15、0.93±0.13.SHE患者较正常组MTT明显缩短,双侧丘脑、右侧尾状核头达到统计学意义的降低(P＜0.05);CBF明显升高,左侧苍白球达到统计学意义的升高(P＜0.05);CBV无明显变化.结论 SHE患者基底节区灌注增加是血流从皮质到基底节区的重新分布,这是对运动前区、运动区功能缺陷及注意力缺陷的代偿反应,与皮质-基底节-丘脑-皮质环路密切相关。

MR perfusion-weighted imaging and quantitative analysis of cerebral hemodynamics with symptom provocation in unmedicated patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

We evaluated the potential effectiveness of dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion-weighted images (PWI) in determining hemodynamic activation in brain structures that may be involved in mediating the symptomatology of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), as manifested by contamination obsessions with washing compulsions. Ten unmedicated female patients with OCD were subjected to PWI, and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in each region of interest (ROI) and self-ratings of OCD symptoms were compared before and after symptom provocation. We found that increases in the Anxiety Analogue Scale (AAS) and OCD Analogue Scale (OCDAS) scores were each significantly associated with provocation. The correlations between OCDAS and AAS scores were also statistically significant during both the control and provoked conditions. Compared with the control state, there was a significant increase in rCBF during the symptomatic state in the right head of caudate nucleus, thalamus, and bilateral orbitofrontal cortices (OFC). No statistical changes in rCBF were found in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortices (ACC). These findings demonstrate that OCD symptomatology is accompanied by anxiety, and that abnormal features are particularly apparent in the orbitofrontal-subcortical circuits.

Functional MRI study of a serial reaction time task in Huntington's disease

The aim of this study was to investigate pathophysiological changes at an early stage of clinical Huntington's disease (HD) using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study and a serial reaction time task paradigm. Mildly affected and presymptomatic HD subjects ( n=8) and healthy normal controls (NC, n=12) were studied. A group behavioral effect of implicit learning was seen only in the control population. Individual statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis showed more consistent activation of the caudate nucleus and putamen in the NC group. In the HD group, the group average SPM showed significant activation in the right head of caudate nucleus, as well as bilateral thalami, left middle temporal, right superior temporal, right superior frontal, right middle and inferior frontal and right postcentral gyri. In the comparison of between-group differences (NC–HD), reduced activation in the HD group relative to NC was observed in the right middle frontal, left middle occipital, left precuneus, and left middle frontal gyri. The variable striatal activity in the Huntington's group suggests early functional loss possibly associated with previously demonstrated early atrophy of these same neural structures.