Statistical Parametric Mapping Research Articles

Gait alterations in patients with adult spinal deformity

Adult spinal deformity patients (ASD) experience altered spinal alignment affecting spatiotemporal parameters and joint kinematics. Differences in spinal deformity between patients with symptomatic idiopathic scoliosis (ID-ASD) and patients with "de novo" scoliosis (DN-ASD) may affect gait characteristics differently. This study aims to compare gait characteristics between ID-ASD, DN-ASD, and asymptomatic healthy matched controls. In this observational case-control study, ID-ASD (n=24) and DN-ASD (n=26) patients visiting the out-patient spine clinic and scheduled for long-segment spinal fusion were included. Patients were matched, based on age, gender, leg length and BMI, with asymptomatic healthy controls. Gait was measured at comfortable walking speed on an instrumented treadmill with 3D motion capture system. Trunk, pelvic and lower extremities range of motion (ROM) and spatiotemporal parameters (SPT) are presented as median (first and thirds quartile). Independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare ID-ASD, DN-ASD and controls. Statistical Parametric Mapping (independent t-test) was used to compare 3D joint kinematics. DN-ASD patients walk with increased anterior trunk tilt during the whole gait cycle compared with ID-ASD patients and controls. ID-ASD walk with decreased trunk lateroflexion compared with DN-ASD and controls. DN-ASD showed decreased pelvic obliquity and -rotation, increased knee flexion, and decreased ankle plantar flexion. ID-ASD and DN-ASD displayed decreased trunk, pelvic and lower extremity ROM compared with controls, but increased pelvic tilt ROM. ID-ASD patients walked with comparable SPT to controls, whereas DN-ASD patients walked significantly slower with corresponding changes in SPT and wider steps. DN-ASD patients exhibit distinct alterations in SPT and kinematic gait characteristics compared with ID-ASD and controls. These alterations seem to be predominantly influenced by sagittal spinal malalignment and kinematic findings in ASD patients should not be generalized as such, but always be interpreted with consideration for the nature of the ASD.

Creativity Stimulation by Idea Generation: A Resting-state fMRI Study on Effective Connectivity

Studies on creativity have bloomed in the past decade. However, little is known about the effective connectivity (EC) between default-mode network (DMN) regions after creativity stimulation. This study aimed to measure the brain connectivity induced by creativity stimulation and to relate it with creativity score. A total of 50 participants were recruited and assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental participants underwent a two-day creativity stimulation session. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed on all participants after the session. The rs-fMRI data were analysed using statistical parametric mapping and spectral dynamic causal modelling. A fully connected model comprising angular gyrus (AG), medial pre-frontal cortex (mPFC) and pre-cuneus (PCU) as regions-of-interest (ROIs) was fitted for every participant’s data. The model underwent Bayesian parameter averaging to determine the average strength of connection between ROIs. There was a significant increase in creativity score for the experimental group in the aspect of fluency (p=0.018) and flexibility (p=0.048) except in originality (p>0.05). No difference in brain activation was observed between groups. All the EC between ROIs in the left and right hemisphere for both groups were significant (P>0.9). Symmetrical EC networks for the experimental group were observed with left hemisphere PCU→PCU, PCU→mPFC and AG→PCU connections which were more significant in the experimental group. These findings suggested that creativity stimulation as short as two days was able to evoke changes in creativity score and network connectivity but insufficient to cause convincing differences in the brain activation.

A Potential Mechanism of Neurological Impairment in Children With Infantile Spasm: Based on Microanatomic Structure Analysis Employing Voxel-Based Morphometry and Surface-Based Morphometry

BackgroundInfantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) would accompany with severe neurological impairment. Our study aimed to explore the potential mechanism by employing voxel-based and surface-based morphometry to detect brain microwould accompany with severe neurological impairment. Our study aimed to explore the potential mechanism by employing voxel-based and surface-based morphometry to detect brain microanatomic structure alteration. MethodsThe IESS group had 21 males and 13 females (mean age: 17.7 ± 15.6 months), whereas the healthy controls group had 22 males and 10 females (mean age: 29.4 ± 18.7 months). High-resolution 3D T1WI was performed. Computational Anatomy Toolbox implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 was used to measure the gray matter and white matter volume, and the cortical thickness separately. Independent sample t test was used to assess between-group differences. IESS group was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. ResultsThe IESS group showed a significantly decreased volume of gray matter in right middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, right fusiform, and bilateral precuneus (P < 0.001). There were no significant between-group differences with respect to white matter volume or cortical thickness (P > 0.001). The results of Bayley Scales of Infant Development showed that the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index scores of children with IESS were almost concentrated in the range of <70. MDI score showed a positive correlation with gray matter reduction area in IESS group. ConclusionChildren with IESS had impaired cognitive and delayed motor development. And the decreased gray matter in the right temporal lobe, fusiform, and bilateral precuneus could be the potential anatomic basis for impaired function, such as hearing, visual, and language.

Effects of rowing stroke rates on lower extremity intra-joint coordination variability in experienced young rowers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of rowing stroke rates on lower extremity intra-joint coordination variability in professional rowers. Fifteen experienced young rowers volunteered to participate in this study. Kinematic data were recorded at different rowing speeds with seven Vicon cameras. The continuous relative phase (CRP) and CRP variability (CRPV) were used to calculate joint coordination and coordination variability, respectively, for the hip, knee, and ankle in the sagittal and horizontal planes, and a comparison was made among different rowing stroke rates. A vector analysis repeated measure ANOVA using statistical parametric mapping revealed that there were statistically significant differences in the hip-ankle, hip-knee, and knee-ankle CRPs for rowing at different stroke rates. Moreover, there was higher CRPV in the mid-drive and mid-recovery phases and less variability in the transition from the drive phase to the recovery phase. The results demonstrate the importance of knee joint in rowing tasks in experienced rowers during submaximal rowing stroke rate and the shift of movement to the hip at higher rowing stroke rate. Moreover, there was a smaller variability during drive-to-recovery transition, which may suggests an increased risk for overuse injuries.

More rapid progression of brain atrophy in patients on peritoneal dialysis compared with hemodialysis: The VCOHP Study.

We previously reported that brain atrophy was more severe and progressed more rapidly in patients with end-stage kidney disease on peritoneal dialysis (PD) than those with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease. However, it remains unknown whether there is a difference between patients on PD and hemodialysis (HD). In total, 73 PD and 34 HD patients who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were recruited for a cross-sectional analysis. Among them, 42 PD and 25 HD patients who underwent a second brain MRI after 2 years were recruited for a longitudinal analysis. T1-weighted MRI images were analyzed. Total gray matter volume (GMV), total white matter volume, and cerebrospinal fluid volume were segmented, and each volume was quantified using statistical parametric mapping software. The ratio of GMV (GMR) was calculated by dividing GMV by intracranial volume, to adjust for variations in head size. We compared GMR between PD and HD patients in the cross-sectional analysis and the annual change in GMR(AC-GMR) in the longitudinal analysis. In the cross-sectional analysis, age- and sex-adjusted GMR was significantly lower in PD than HD patients [least square mean (LSM): 39.2% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.018]. AC-GMRwas significantly greater in PD than HD patients and this difference remained significant even after adjustment for potential confounding factors (LSM: -0.68 vs. -0.28 percentage-points/year, P = 0.011). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated amore rapid progression of brain atrophy in PD patients compared with HD patients. We demonstrated that decline in GMR progressed significantly more rapidly in PD than HD patients independent of potential confounding factors. GMR gray matter volume ratio, HD hemodialysis, PD peritoneal dialysis.

Standardized hierarchical adaptive Lp regression for noise robust focal epilepsy source reconstructions

ObjectiveTo investigate the ability of standardization to reduce source localization errors and measurement noise uncertainties for hierarchical Bayesian algorithms with L1- and L2-norms as priors in electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography of focal epilepsy. MethodsDescription of the standardization methodology relying on the Hierarchical Bayesian framework, referred to as the Standardized Hierarchical Adaptive Lp-norm Regularization (SHALpR).The performance was tested using real data from two focal epilepsy patients. Simulated data that resembled the available real data was constructed for further localization and noise robustness investigation. ResultsThe proposed algorithms were compared to their non-standardized counterparts, Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography, Standardized Shrinking LORETA-FOCUSS, and Dynamic statistical parametric maps. Based on the simulations, the standardized Hierarchical adaptive algorithm using L2-norm was noise robust for 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), whereas the L1-norm prior worked robustly also with 5 dB SNR. The accuracy of the standardized L1-normed methodology to localize focal activity was under 1 cm for both patients. ConclusionsNumerical results of the proposed methodology display improved localization and noise robustness. The proposed methodology also outperformed the compared methods when dealing with real data. SignificanceThe proposed standardized methodology, especially when employing the L1-norm, could serve as a valuable assessment tool in surgical decision-making.

Exploring structural brain changes in children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy: a voxel-based morphometry analysis

BACKGROUND: Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is paralysis of the upper limb resulting from nerve injury during vaginal delivery. Although current treatment approaches frequently lead to complete reinnervation of the limb, some patients show long-term motor deficits. These impairments may result from upper limb disuse that causes structural brain changes. AIM: This study aimed to compare deep gray matter volumes between children with OBPP and healthy controls. METHODS: We analyzed the structural magnetic resonance imaging results of 46 children with OBPP (n=24, mean age — 10.20, of whom 12 were girls) and healthy age-matched controls (n=22, mean age — 9.63, of whom 10 were girls) using a voxel-based morphometry technique in SPM12 package (Statistical Parametric Mapping) in MATLAB R2019b. To minimize false discoveries, we used a stringent procedure to control the family-wise error rate. RESULTS: We found volumetric brain differences between children with OBPP and healthy controls (all FWE-corrected p 0.005). Children with OBPP had significantly lower gray matter volumes in the left amygdala, bilateral hippocampus, and right entorhinal cortex. CONCLUSION: Integrating our findings with previous work, we speculate that the amygdala–hippocampus–entorhinal cortex complex might play a significant role in motor disorders.

Healthy working in inclusive companies – a study protocol of the GAIN project

BackgroundThe research project GAIN (working healthy in inclusion companies) deals with the topics of health and work in inclusive companies. Due to a great need for research on (occupational) health (e.g. physical and mental health status) and workplace design in companies employing people with disabilities, this project pursues the primary goal of generating information for the development and implementation of health-preserving measures within the framework of occupational health and safety, and risk assessment, for employees with and without impairments in inclusive companies.MethodsWithin the framework of the project, the employees of three inclusive companies will be examined with the help of an interdisciplinary and triangulative approach. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, specific physical workloads and hazards will be investigated by means of baseline screening methods and measurement techniques, specifically among employees with physical disabilities and impairments. In the statistical analysis, descriptive methods will be used to record the current state, while inferential statistical methods will be used to evaluate health maintenance measures. Inferential statistics for continuous data with confidence intervals based on the statistical parametric mapping (SPM) method will also be performed. The significance level will be set at 5%. Qualitative methods will be used to analyse structures and working conditions within the companies, with particular attention to the specific construction of the relationship between work, health and disability.ConclusionsThe structures in inclusion companies must be specifically designed to support and promote the understanding of work and health in relation to the idea of one’s own body, its positioning in space and its performance. These characteristics are to be identified in the course of the project and bundled into best-practice recommendations. Furthermore, it is the aim of the research project to derive recommendations for action at its conclusion and to present further advice for the promotion of health in inclusive companies.

Running Alterations Pre- and Postarthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and Labral Tears.

Freemyer, B, Beeler, D, Crawford, S, Durkin, R, and Stickley, C. Running alterations pre- and postarthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tears. J Strength Cond Res 38(3): 501-509, 2024-Running is essential to sports participation and activity over the lifespan; however, running biomechanics are not fully described in patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAIS). The purpose was to compare FAIS patient report outcome surveys (PRO) and running biomechanics preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively with controls. Nineteen subjects (FAIS, n = 10 and age-matched controls, n = 9) were included. The UCLA, Hip Outcome Score activity of daily living (HOS ADL ) and sports subscale (HOS SS ), and 3-D running biomechanics were evaluated. Statistical parametric mapping was conducted on biomechanics data. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Femoroacetabular impingement had similar UCLA activity scores compared with controls by 6 months (FAIS: 8.4 ± 1.7, CON: 8.6 ± 2.0, p = 0.80), despite lower HOS ADL (FAIS-Six: 89.3 ± 6.3, CON: 100 ± 0, p = 0.04) and HOS SS (FAIS-Six: 82.6 ± 18.5, CON: 100 ± 0, p = 0.05). The FAIS group had lower knee adduction moments (KAM) around 22-27% of stance ( p = 0.05) and lower sagittal plane ankle power generation during the final 5% of stance compared with the controls ( p = 0.04) preoperatively. The FAIS also had lower vertical ground reaction forces the first 2% of stance ( p = 0.05) and lower KAM from 20 to 30% stance ( p = 0.03) at the postoperative time vs. controls. Femoroacetabular impingement had higher hip external rotation angles the first 5% stance ( p = 0.05) and the last 20% of stance ( p = 0.01) vs. controls. This is the first study to describe FAIS running pre- and postoperatively. Despite higher activity and health 6 months postarthroscopy, the patients with FAIS had altered running biomechanics. Clinicians should consider these findings when creating rehabilitation protocols and during running progressions across the postoperative care of patients with FAIS.

A ROI-based quantitative pipeline for 18F-FDG PET metabolism and pCASL perfusion joint analysis: Validation of the 18F-FDG PET line

In Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), the study of brain metabolism, provided by 18F-FluoroDeoxyGlucose Positron Emission Tomography (18F-FDG PET) can be integrated with brain perfusion through pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling Magnetic Resonance sequences (MR pCASL). Cortical hypometabolism identification generally relies on wide control group datasets; pCASL control groups are instead not publicly available yet, due to lack of standardization in the acquisition parameters. This study presents a quantitative pipeline to be applied to PET and pCASL data to coherently analyze metabolism and perfusion inside 16 matching cortical regions of interest (ROIs) derived from the AAL3 atlas. The PET line is tuned on 36 MCI patients and 107 healthy control subjects, to agree in identifying hypometabolic regions with clinical reference methods (visual analysis supported by a vendor tool and Statistical Parametric Mapping, SPM, with two parametrizations here identified as SPM-A and SPM-B). The analysis was conducted for each ROI separately. The proposed PET analysis pipeline obtained accuracy 78 % and Cohen's к 60 % vs visual analysis, accuracy 79 % and Cohen's к 58 % vs SPM-A, accuracy 77 % and Cohen's к 54 % vs SPM-B. Cohen's к resulted not significantly different from SPM-A and SPM-B Cohen's к when assuming visual analysis as reference method (p-value 0.61 and 0.31 respectively). Considering SPM-A as reference method, Cohen's к is not significantly different from SPM-B Cohen's к as well (p-value = 1.00). The complete PET-pCASL pipeline was then preliminarily applied on 5 MCI patients and metabolism-perfusion regional correlations were assessed. The proposed approach can be considered as a promising tool for PET-pCASL joint analyses in MCI, even in the absence of a pCASL control group, to perform metabolism-perfusion regional correlation studies, and to assess and compare perfusion in hypometabolic or normo-metabolic areas.

Kidney shape statistical analysis: associations with disease and anthropometric factors

BackgroundOrgan measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have the potential to enhance our understanding of the precise phenotypic variations underlying many clinical conditions.MethodsWe applied morphometric methods to study the kidneys by constructing surface meshes from kidney segmentations from abdominal MRI data in 38,868 participants in the UK Biobank. Using mesh-based analysis techniques based on statistical parametric maps (SPMs), we were able to detect variations in specific regions of the kidney and associate those with anthropometric traits as well as disease states including chronic kidney disease (CKD), type-2 diabetes (T2D), and hypertension. Statistical shape analysis (SSA) based on principal component analysis was also used within the disease population and the principal component scores were used to assess the risk of disease events.ResultsWe show that CKD, T2D and hypertension were associated with kidney shape. Age was associated with kidney shape consistently across disease groups. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were also associated with kidney shape for the participants with T2D. Using SSA, we were able to capture kidney shape variations, relative to size, angle, straightness, width, length, and thickness of the kidneys, within disease populations. We identified significant associations between both left and right kidney length and width and incidence of CKD (hazard ratio (HR): 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61–0.90, p < 0.05, in the left kidney; HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.92, p < 0.05, in the right kidney) and hypertension (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03–1.29, p < 0.05, in the left kidney; HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.79–0.96, p < 0.05, in the right kidney).ConclusionsThe results suggest that shape-based analysis of the kidneys can augment studies aiming at the better categorisation of pathologies associated with chronic kidney conditions.

The relaxation effect of autonomous sensory meridian response depends on personal preference.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a sensory response such as tingling and pleasantness from audiovisual stimuli. ASMR videos come in a wide variety of types, and personal preferences are biased. There are many reports of the effects os ASMR on sleep onset, anxiety relief, and other relaxation effects. However, prior task-oriented studies have used ASMR videos provided by the experimenter. We hypothesized that ASMR movies of a personal preference would show significantly increased activity in the nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, and insular cortex, which are brain areas associated with relaxation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the neuroscientific basis for the relaxation effects of ASMR videos that match someone's personal preferences. This study included 30 healthy individuals aged ≥18 years. ASMR enthusiasts were included as the target population due to the need to have a clear preference for ASMR videos. A control video (1 type) and ASMR videos (20 types) were used as the stimulus tasks. Among the ASMR videos, those with high and low evaluation scores were considered liked and dislikedASMR videos, respectively. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed while the participants viewed a block design with a resting task in between. The data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 to identify the areas activated by control, disliked, and liked ASMR videos. Emotion-related areas (the amygdala, frontal cortex, and insular cortex) not activated by control and unliked ASMR videos were activated only by liked ASMR videos. The amygdala, frontal cortex, and insular cortex may be involved in the limbic dopamine circuits of the amygdala and middle frontal gyrus and the autonomic balance of the left and right insular cortices. This suggests the potential of positive mood and its use as a treatment for patients with anxiety and depression. These results suggest that the use of ASMR videos to match individual preferences may induce relaxation and have beneficial effects on depression and other disorders, and also support the introduction of ASMR videos in mental health care.

Validity of Inertial Measurement Units to Measure Lower-Limb Kinematics and Pelvic Orientation at Submaximal and Maximal Effort Running Speeds

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been validated for measuring sagittal plane lower-limb kinematics during moderate-speed running, but their accuracy at maximal speeds remains less understood. This study aimed to assess IMU measurement accuracy during high-speed running and maximal effort sprinting on a curved non-motorized treadmill using discrete (Bland–Altman analysis) and continuous (root mean square error [RMSE], normalised RMSE, Pearson correlation, and statistical parametric mapping analysis [SPM]) metrics. The hip, knee, and ankle flexions and the pelvic orientation (tilt, obliquity, and rotation) were captured concurrently from both IMU and optical motion capture systems, as 20 participants ran steadily at 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% of their maximal effort sprinting speed (5.36 ± 0.55, 6.02 ± 0.60, 6.66 ± 0.71, and 7.09 ± 0.73 m/s, respectively). Bland–Altman analysis indicated a systematic bias within ±1° for the peak pelvic tilt, rotation, and lower-limb kinematics and −3.3° to −4.1° for the pelvic obliquity. The SPM analysis demonstrated a good agreement in the hip and knee flexion angles for most phases of the stride cycle, albeit with significant differences noted around the ipsilateral toe-off. The RMSE ranged from 4.3° (pelvic obliquity at 70% speed) to 7.8° (hip flexion at 100% speed). Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.44 (pelvic tilt at 90%) to 0.99 (hip and knee flexions at all speeds). Running speed minimally but significantly affected the RMSE for the hip and ankle flexions. The present IMU system is effective for measuring lower-limb kinematics during sprinting, but the pelvic orientation estimation was less accurate.

Altered patterns of brain activity during a fMRI memory task in cognitively normal adults carrying the APOE ε4 allele

AbstractBackgroundThe ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is a well‐established risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), ε4 carriers showing earlier onset and more severe memory impairment than non‐carriers. Neuroimaging evidence suggests that APOEε4 may modulate neural activity in AD since early stages. The purpose of this study was to determine whether APOEε4 influences brain activity in the memory circuit in older cognitively unimpaired individuals.MethodThirty cognitively unimpaired participants (n = 10 APOEε4 heterozygous carriers, age = 65± 5 years, 50% females, MMSE score = 29±1; n = 20 APOEε4 non‐carriers, age = 68±5 years, 35% females, MMSE score = 30±1) were recruited and underwent multidomain (i.e., memory, visuospatial abilities, language, attention) neuropsychological exams and functional MRI scan during an associative memory task, which consisted of two phases: (i) encoding of face‐name associations; (ii) recognition of the name associated to each face. Image preprocessing and voxel‐wise comparisons were conducted using the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM, v12). Clusters were considered significant at an uncorrected threshold of p&lt;0.001.ResultParticipants were comparable for demographic and cognitive features (p&gt;0.10) and performed similarly on the in‐scanner face‐name association memory task (p&gt;0.10). Compared to ε4 non‐carriers, carriers showed (i) greater activation during the encoding task in the left temporo‐occipital cortex/fusiform gyrus, (ii) greater activation during the recognition task in the middle temporal gyrus/temporo‐occipital cortex bilaterally and in the right cerebellum, and (iii) lower activation during the recognition task in the medial supplementary motor area.ConclusionThese preliminary results confirm that the APOE ε4 allele is associated with a different pattern of brain functional activity during an associative memory task in cognitively unimpaired older. Given the similar cognitive performance between groups, higher activation in temporo‐occipital regions might reflect a compensatory process in regions vulnerable to AD pathology.

STRUCTURAL BRAIN CHANGES IN LATE ONSET DEPRESSION

AbstractBackgroundStructural brain changes in grey matter in late‐life depression (LLD) remains an intriguing area of research. Furthermore, late‐onset depression (LOD) has been frequently associated with general medical comorbidities, cognitive deficits and structural abnormalities of the brain. This magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study compares the grey matter volume of elderly people with and without major depression (DSM‐IV‐TR criteria), as well LOD, early onset depression (EOD) and controls.MethodThe sample consisted of elders with and without depression from community. Brain MRI scans were processed using statistical parametric mapping and voxel‐based morphometry.ResultSixty three elders with depression and 24 controls were enrolled. Demographic characteristics were analyzed and sex showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001) between the groups, with males representing 17.5% of the patient sample and 54.2% of the control sample. Furthermore, MMSE and CAMCOG showed a statistically significant difference between groups (p&lt;0.0001 for both tests), with the control group performing better. Although we excluded cases of patients with below‐expected performance according to the neuropsychological assessment, it is likely that this cognitive impairment presented by the patient group is secondary to major depressive disorder. We did not find a significant volumetric difference between depressed and control group (CG). We used the age of onset of depression as another way of classifying the patient sample and compared it with the control group regarding key demographic and clinical characteristics. Gender was statistically significant different between groups, however there were only 2 male subjects in the EOD group, making it not possible to control the analysis by gender. Compared to the CG (n = 24), the LOD group (n = 32) showed a statistically significant volumetric reduction with correction for multiple comparisons in the right thalamus (464 voxels; peak xyz coordinates = 14 ‐10 16; Z = 4, 62; p‐FWEcorr = 0.052) when using the whole brain for multiple comparisons.ConclusionOur findings support the use of regional brain atrophy as a tool to better understand LOD.

Increase in Matrix Metaloproteinase‐10 is associated with tau, neurodegeneration and reduced brain perfusion in the right temporal lobe

AbstractBackgroundBlood brain barrier dysfunction amplifies neuroinflammation, which may drive Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD) pathology. Regional cerebral blood flow (RCBF), measured by HMPAO SPECT, is an established biomarker for AD diagnosis. Matrix Metalloproteinase‐10 (MMP‐10), an enzyme involved in blood brain barrier function through regulating the breakdown of extracellular matrix, was recently proposed as a biomarker of progression to AD. In this study, we examine the relationship between RCBF and levels of MMP‐10 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).Materials and MethodsDatasets of 91 participants from a heterogenous clinical cohort, investigated for dementia due to cognitive complaints were analysed. CSF levels of MMP‐10 were measured using the OLINK proximity extension array platform. HMPAO SPECT scans were analysed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM). A univariate linear regression model was used in SPM to quantify the impact of MMP‐10 changes on brain perfusion.ResultsSPM results showed that higher levels of MMP‐10 in CSF are associated with significant reduction in RCBF (family‐wise error corrected p&lt;0.05). The neuroimaging signature of changes in RCBF with increasing MMP‐10 is outlined in Figure 1. The main cluster of reduction in perfusion is on the right temporal lobe with an additional cluster on the right medial frontal lobe.ConclusionIncreased levels of MMP‐10 in CSF have been associated with blood brain barrier vulnerability and faster cognitive decline in AD. Here we identified a right sided neuroimaging signature in RCBF with increasing levels MMP‐10. This may indicate that by the time of symptoms onset the right side is the fastest progressing as it is catching up with the left side. Right sided changes have been previously associated with delusions, disinhibition and irritability in AD and linked with increased carer burden. The significant reduction in RCBF of the right temporal lobe identified in our study, further reinforces a role for MMP‐10 as a marker of progression to AD.Acknowledgement: Dr Sofia Michopoulou, is funded through an Integrated Clinical Academic Lectureship by Health Education England (HEE) / NIHR for this research project (NIHR301287). The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors.

Multiparametric MRI of Knees in Collegiate Basketball Players: Associations With Morphological Abnormalities and Functional Deficits.

Rates of cartilage degeneration in asymptomatic elite basketball players are significantly higher compared with the general population due to excessive loads on the knee. Compositional quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) techniques can identify local biochemical changes of macromolecules observed in cartilage degeneration. The purpose of this study was to utilize multiparametric qMRI to (1) quantify how T1ρ and T2 relaxation times differ based on the presence of anatomic abnormalities and (2) correlate T1ρ and T2 with self-reported functional deficits. It was hypothesized that prolonged relaxation times will be associated with knees with MRI-graded abnormalities and knees belonging to basketball players with greater self-reported functional deficits. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 75 knees from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I basketball players (40 female, 35 male) were included in this multicenter study. All players completed the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and had bilateral knee MRI scans taken. T1ρ and T2 were calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The cartilage surfaces were segmented into 6 compartments: lateral femoral condyle, lateral tibia, medial femoral condyle, medial tibia (MT), patella (PAT), and trochlea (TRO). Lesions from the MRI scans were graded for imaging abnormalities, and statistical parametric mapping was performed to study cross-sectional differences based on MRI scan grading of anatomic knee abnormalities. Pearson partial correlations between relaxation times and KOOS subscore values were computed, obtaining r value statistical parametric mappings and P value clusters. Knees without patellar tendinosis displayed significantly higher T1ρ in the PAT compared with those with patellar tendinosis (average percentage difference, 10.4%; P = .02). Significant prolongation of T1ρ was observed in the MT, TRO, and PAT of knees without compared with those with quadriceps tendinosis (average percentage difference, 12.7%, 13.3%, and 13.4%, respectively; P ≤ .05). A weak correlation was found between the KOOS-Symptoms subscale values and T1ρ/T2. Certain tissues that bear the brunt of impact developed tendinosis but spared cartilage degeneration. Whereas participants reported minimal functional deficits, their high-impact activities resulted in structural damage that may lead to osteoarthritis after their collegiate careers.

Altered patterns of brain activity during a fMRI memory task in cognitively normal adults carrying the APOE ε4 allele

AbstractBackgroundThe e4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is a well‐established risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), e4 carriers showing earlier onset and more severe memory impairment than non‐carriers. Neuroimaging evidence suggests that APOEe4 may modulate neural activity in AD since early stages. The purpose of this study was to determine whether APOEe4 influences brain activity in the memory circuit in older cognitively unimpaired individuals.MethodThirty cognitively unimpaired participants (n = 10 APOEe4 heterozygous carriers, age = 65± 5 years, 50% females, MMSE score = 29±1; n = 20 APOEe4 non‐carriers, age = 68±5 years, 35% females, MMSE score = 30±1) were recruited and underwent multidomain (i.e., memory, visuospatial abilities, language, attention) neuropsychological exams and functional MRI scan during an associative memory task, which consisted of two phases: (i) encoding of face‐name associations; (ii) recognition of the name associated to each face. Image preprocessing and voxel‐wise comparisons were conducted using the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM, v12). Clusters were considered significant at an uncorrected threshold of p&lt;0.001.ResultParticipants were comparable for demographic and cognitive features (p&gt;0.10) and performed similarly on the in‐scanner face‐name association memory task (p&gt;0.10). Compared to e4 non‐carriers, carriers showed (i) greater activation during the encoding task in the left temporo‐occipital cortex/fusiform gyrus, (ii) greater activation during the recognition task in the middle temporal gyrus/temporo‐occipital cortex bilaterally and in the right cerebellum, and (iii) lower activation during the recognition task in the medial supplementary motor area.ConclusionThese preliminary results confirm that the APOE e4 allele is associated with a different pattern of brain functional activity during an associative memory task in cognitively unimpaired older. Given the similar cognitive performance between groups, higher activation in temporo‐occipital regions might reflect a compensatory process in regions vulnerable to AD pathology.

Prospective Randomized Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Long‐Term Durability of Effect of One Year of Grape Consumption on Preventing Decline of Cerebral Function

AbstractBackgroundLong‐term impact of one year of grape consumption on regional brain metabolism and associated neuropsychologic status was examined across multiple years of follow‐up.MethodTwenty subjects (74.6±5.4 years) were randomized to consume an active grape formulation (36g reconstituted freeze‐dried grape powder) or placebo (matched for sweetness and appearance but free of polyphenols) twice daily for one year. Changes in brain metabolism were assessed by PET with radiotracer [F‐18]fluorodeoxyglucose and cognitive performance was measured through neuropsychological testing, at baseline, 1 year after initiating consumption of grape or placebo formulation, and again 2 to 3 years after completing the randomized regimen in half of the subjects on each arm, with all subjects remaining blinded to which regimen they had been assigned until after final assessments. Activity in 47 standardized volumes of interest (sVOI’s) were measured, voxel‐based analyses using statistical parametric mapping were conducted, and associations were examined between interval changes in metabolism and neuropsychologic status.ResultDuring the year while consuming formulations, subjects randomized to placebo underwent metabolic decline in 27 sVOI’s, including particularly inferior posterior temporal (p = 0.006) and inferior frontal (p = 0.004) areas, correlating with neuropsychologic decline, while significant (p&lt;0.05) decline was seen in none of the 47 sVOI’s in the active formulation group. Voxel‐based analyses corroborated differential metabolic decline in placebo and active formulation groups, and direct difference‐of‐differences analyses further documented significantly more decline in the placebo group. Moreover, a significant difference in regional metabolism persisted at the end of follow‐up, after having discontinued randomized formulations for 28.1±5.7 months (40.0±5.4 after baseline), with mean medial temporal sVOI’s demonstrating significant decline in the group that had been randomized to placebo (‐4.6%, p = 0.009), but not in the group that had been in the active arm (‐1.5%, N.S.). Difference of magnitudes of long‐term metabolic decline between arms was significant in direct difference‐of‐differences analysis, and correlated with neuropsychologic decline (p&lt;0.001) in both inferior posterior temporal and inferior frontal regions.ConclusionSubjects randomized to consume reconstituted grapes twice daily enjoyed long‐term protection from loss of cerebral function, as assessed more than two years beyond the last consumed dose.

Automatic analysis of skull thickness, scalp‐to‐cortex distance and association with age and sex in cognitively normal elderly

AbstractBackgroundTranscranial brain stimulation has been a potential treatment for many brain diseases. The skull compartment exerts a strong influence on the delivery of stimulation, implying the need to accurately examine its geometry and alterations in the population. In addition, personalized neurostimulation requires better understanding of skull geometry and scalp‐to‐cortex distance for optimization.MethodHere, we developed an open source efficient pipeline BrainCalculator based on BrainSuite Skullfinder for automatically computing the skull thickness map to locate the position of minimum thickness, SCD, and brain volume based on structural T1‐weighted MRI 3T data. We examined the influence of age and sex cross‐sectionally in 407 cognitively normal older adults (71.93±7.98 years, 60.2% female) from the ADNI on the minimum skull thickness, SCD and brain volume of the whole‐head MR data. We demonstrated the compatibility of BrainCalculator with available preprocessing toolboxes, including FSL Brain Extraction Tool (BET) 2 and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM)12‐based unified segmentation, and compared their performance.ResultOur pipeline was able to compute automatically the skull thinkness, SCD and brain volume using T1 MR data in 8 minutes. We found that the sphenoid bone and temporal bone were thinnest among the skull regions. There was no increase in minimum skull thickness at different regions with increasing age except in the female sphenoid bone. No sex difference in minimum skull thickness or SCD in different age groups was observed. Positive correlations between age and SCD in both males and females were observed, and the slope was higher in the temporal cortex SCD in females (0.307%/y) than in males (0.216%/y) but comparable in other regions. A negative correlation between age and whole brain volume computed based on brain surface in both males and females was observed, and the slope was slightly higher in females (‐1.031%/y) than in males (‐0.998%/y).ConclusionWe developed a pipeline for MR‐based skull thickness and SCD brain volume automatic analysis and demonstrated the sex‐dependent association between minimum regional skull thickness, SCD and brain volume with age. This pipeline is potentially useful for personalized neurostimulation.