bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resting state functional connectivity alterations in motor networks of Parkinson’s disease in different frequency bands
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Wang Jun , Ma Laiyang , Jiang Yanli , Hu Wanjun , Liu Guangyao , Ai Kai , Zhang Jing
Published: August 2024

The functional alteration of the substantia nigra (SN), basal ganglia (BG), thalamus, and cortex are key hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Based on resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the functional connectivity (FC) of “cerebello-SN-BG-thalamo-motor cortical” network in the conventional and slow-4, slow-5 bands. PD patients demonstrated extensive FC decrease at conventional band, including inter-network connections of thalamo-cerebello-BG circuits, and connections between SN-putamen and postcentral gyrus-cerebellum. Slow-4 showed more thalamo-BG changes, while slow-5 specific FC was mainly the "cerebello-SN-BG-thalamo" circuits. The frequency specific alterations in motor related circuits may help in understanding the neuropathological mechanisms of PD.
CEST and MISL detect regional neuropathologies in a Parkinson’s disease mouse model at 3T
Authors: Lai Joseph H. C. , Huang Jianpan , Liu Yang , Park Se Weon , Xu Jiadi , Chan Kannie W. Y.
Published: August 2024

Reveal alterations in molecules and CSF-tissue water exchange could enable interactive interventions in PD. Here we applied CEST and MISL to study the changes in a PD model at 3T. We observed significant changes (P<0.05) at 2.6ppm on day 28 and at -3.5ppm on day 7, which could indicate a substantial decrease of dopamine and lipid-related pathology at the substantia nigra, respectively. Along the nigrostriatal pathway, we observed a gradual MISL drop at the ventricles, which was significantly lower at day 28 (P<0.05) and might imply the CSF-tissue-related pathologies. Our findings could serve as potential biomarkers for early PD detection.
Multiparametric Characterization of Surface-Based Morphological Brain Networks in Middle- to Late-Stage Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Lu Jun , Yan Su , Li Yuanhao , Zhu Wenzhen
Published: August 2024

As the structural basis of functional networks, the topological organization of morphological brain networks in the surface space has not been explored in more advanced stages of PD. We constructed individual morphological networks by estimating interregional similarity distribution in different cortical surface-based indices from structural MRI of PD patients and healthy controls (HCs). Graph theoretical analysis was performed to detect PD-related alterations. Compared with HCs, PD patients showed lower local efficiency and clustering coefficient for gyrification index-based morphological brain networks. These findings extend our understanding of the neurobiology of network dysfunction in middle- to late-stage PD.
Abnormal intrinsic neural timescale in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wei Yarui , Zhang Chunyan , Peng Yuanyuan , Chen Chen , Han Shaoqiang , Wang Weijian , Zhang Yong , Lu Hong , Cheng Jingliang
Published: August 2024

It’s unclear whether abnormal neural information stored and different temporal feature at different stages in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we estimated the intrinsic timescales using the magnitude of the autocorrelation of intrinsic neural signals by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data in 74 PD patients, including 44 patients in the early stage and 30 patients in the late stage. Our findings suggest that PD patients exhibit abnormal intrinsic timescales in visual, sensorimotor, and cognitive systems, and at different stages, distinct patterns of intrinsic timescales in cerebral cortex, which might provide new insights for the neural substrate of PD.
Construction of a contrast enhancement map of intracranial vessel wall MRI with 3D volume rendering
Authors: Guo Yin , Wang Xin , Canton Gador , Geleri Duygu , Zhang Kaiyu , Balu Niranjan , Hatsukami Thomas , Mossa-Basha Mahmud , Yuan Chun
Published: August 2024

Contrast enhancement (CE), by the administration of gadolinium, has been shown as an important intracranial vessel wall MRI biomarker. In this study we have developed a CE map with 3D volume rendering, extended from a previously developed intracranial atherosclerosis analysis pipeline MOCHA. 3D CE map can help clinicians easily identify plaque contrast enhancement. It demonstrates CE’s spatial location relative to the vessel and provides reliable quantification of its intensity. It is a promising tool for future longitudinal studies to focus on the association between 3D CE map features and disease development.
Magnetic resonance imaging of ultrasound-induced strain fields for discrimination of solid and liquid phases
Authors: Willoughby Ryan , Odéen Henrik , Jones Jesse , Bolding Mark
Published: August 2024

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has gained clinical utility as a non-invasive treatment option, but applications to diseases affecting blood vessels in the brain are just now being investigated. MR acoustic radiation force imaging (MR-ARFI) of FUS-induced displacement and strain fields were evaluated along with diffusion imaging as a method of differentiating solid and liquid material inside a tissue-mimicking gelatin phantom. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) performed best as a solid-liquid classifier, and axial displacement performed worst. Normal and shear strain components performed better than displacement measurements alone.
Correlation of T1- to T2-weighted signal intensity ratio with T1- and T2-relaxation time and IDH mutation status in glioma
Authors: Sanada Takahiro , Yamamoto Shota , Sakai Mio , Umehara Toru , Sato Hirotaka , Saito Masato , Mitsui Nobuyuki , Hiroshima Satoru , Anei Ryogo , Kanemura Yonehiro , Tanino Mishie , Nakanishi Katsuyuki , Kishima Haruhiko , Kinoshita Manabu
Published: August 2024

The current study aimed to test whether the ratio of T1-weighted to T2-weighted signal intensity (rT1/T2) derived from conventional MRI could act as a surrogate relaxation time predictive of IDH mutation status in histologically lower-grade gliomas. The findings showed that rT1/T2 strongly correlates with T1- and T2-relaxation times in histologically LrGGs. The mean value of rT1/T2 was able to discriminate IDHwt and IDHmt tumors in two domestic cohorts, with statistical significance. However, this result was not validated in the original TCIA/TCGA cohort due to the wide variety of imaging characteristics in the cohort.
Quantitative Sodium Imaging Report for Monitoring Brain Tumor Lesion Progress
Authors: Kim Sanghoon , Lin Alexander
Published: August 2024

▶︎ MR has been commonly used for the brain tumor patient monitoring. However, most of the MR images does not provide quantitative physiologic information, which can be ambiguous with longitudinal monitoring. ▶︎ Sodium MR imaging can quantitatively provide tumor cell viability information. ▶︎ This presentation introduces a brain tumor patient’s longitudinal quantitative sodium imaging report. ▶︎ Potentially, this quantitative report can be attributed to the tumor patient’s treatment plan.
A quantitative study on the growth patterns of vertebrae in utero fetuses in second-third trimester：a prospective study based “black-bone” MRI
Authors: Xianyun Cai , Xin Chen , Zhu Jinxia , Wang Guangbin
Published: August 2024

Imaging the anatomy of the spine and its relevant pathology is clinically important for the early identification of spinal malformations and anomalous osseous development. our study applied MRI-based “black-bone” sequence to elucidate the growth dynamics of vertebrae ossification center in utero fetuses in second-third trimester. We found that the fetal vertebrae were correlated with gestational age and follow a certain formula, providing the existing literature with completely novel quantitative data.
Feto-placental oxygenation and brain development in fetal growth restriction
Authors: Peacock Emily , Tontivuthikul Paponrad , Chappell Joanna , Mufti Nada , Schellenberg Janina , Ebner Michael , Ourselin Sebastien , David Anna , Aughwane Rosalind , Melbourne Andrew
Published: August 2024

State-of-the-art machine learning algorithms were applied to create MRI 3D super-resolution reconstructions of fetal brains to analyse brain development in fetal growth restriction. Reconstructions were segmented into the grey matter, white matter, deep grey matter, cerebellum and brainstem, and volumetric and cortical surface data was extracted. We found that the five brain regions segmented were significantly smaller in the FGR cohort than in controls, and that this effect was linked to feto-placental blood oxygen saturation. FGR fetuses showed evidence of brain sparing from MRI and ultrasound measurements and preservation of tissue relationships, such as the grey:white matter ratio.
Developmental pattern of individual morphometric similarity network in the human fetal brain
Authors: Zhao Ruoke , Xu Xinyi , Zhao Zhiyong , Li Mingyang , Chen Ruike , Shen Yao , Sun Cong , Wang Guangbin , Wu Dan
Published: August 2024

The fetal brain morphological network is important for us to understand early brain organization but has not characterized previously. In the study, we constructed fetal individual morphometric similarity networks using multiple cortical features based on in utero MRI data. The results demonstrated the decline of morphological symmetry between hemispheres during development. The morphological similarity between the limbic regions and other regions significantly increased while the similarity between the parieto-occipital regions and other regions significantly decreased. Small world organizations appeared as early as 22 weeks, and the network topology developed towards more integrated and less segregated during fetal period.
A nested iteration artificial neural network approach for efficient high dimensional parameter estimation in 31P-MRF
Authors: Widmaier Mark , Wang Zirun , Lim Song-I , Wenz Daniel , Xin Lijing
Published: August 2024

A new magnetization transfer 31P Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (31P-MRF) technique is emerging to measure the creatine kinase (CK) chemical exchange rate kCK. The inherent obstacle of the exponential growth in the size of dictionaries with the number of free parameters, was overcome by introducing the nested iteration interpolation method (NIIM). To further reduce the processing time and cope with a nonlinear behaviour, we employed an artificial neuron network (ANN), instead of an interpolation method (IPM) as in the original approach. The nested iteration ANN method (NIAN) is compared with NIIM using simulation data and in vivo 31P-MRF data.
Spatio-Temporal Reconstruction Neural Network for 3D MR fingerprinting of the Prostate
Authors: Kim Jae-Yoon , Lee Jae-Hun , Han Dongyeob , Choi Moon Hyung , Kim Dong-Hyun
Published: August 2024

Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) is a technology that computes T1, T2 parameters from time-evaluated signals. However, long scanning time in obtaining fully-sampled data is a challenging point while reducing the sampling rate results in poor reconstructed data quality. Here, we propose a spatio-temporal deep learning network for reconstruction from the under-sampled MRF data. According to the retrospective reconstructed results, the proposed method could produce the T1 and T2 maps of high fidelity similar to the fully-sampled ground-truth.
Asymmetric echo variable flip angle RARE for n-echo Dixon based PDFF @ 9.4T
Authors: Zhao Wan-Ting , Herrmann Karl-Heinz , Sibgatulin Renat , Arlt Janine , Wei Weiwei , Dahmen Uta , Reichenbach Jürgen
Published: August 2024

This work demonstrates the use of echo-shifting in combination with an efficient variable flip angle 3D RARE to reconstruct fat fraction distribution in a liver sample, resolving the fine structure of the fat deposits in the tissue with a Dixon based analysis at 9.4T.
Variable-Density Velocity-Selective Preparation for Non-Contrast-Enhnaced MR Angiography
Authors: Kim Minyoung , Park Jaeseok , Choi Seunghong , Shin Taehoon
Published: August 2024

Velocity-selective (VS) magnetization preparation has shown great promise for non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Under the excitation k-space formalism, VS preparation pulse allocated RF weights to k-space at uniform intervals which leads to the aliased excitation at the inverse of the k-space interval (termed velocity FOV). In this study, we proposed a new version of VS preparation pulse with a diffused pattern of aliased saturation. The initial in-vivo test of the new version of VS-MRA shows a reduced effect of the aliased saturation compared with conventional VS-MRA.
A new pulse sequence to selectively probe the signals of γ-aminobutyric acid
Authors: Yang Xue , Liu Ying , Fu Caixia , Wang He , Chu Ying-Hua , Wei Da-Xiu , Yao Ye-Feng
Published: August 2024

A new pulse sequence was developed to selectively probe the signals of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Different with the previous pulse sequences, the signal selectivity of this pulse sequence is achieved by preparation and reconversion of the 1H spin singlet order (SSO) of GABA. The optimal control method was used in the design of the pulse sequence. By using the developed pulse sequence, the 1H signals of GABA in human brains were selectively probed.
Magnetic Resonance Image Processing and Analysis Platform (MRI-PAP): A Windows-based Automated Pipeline for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Khaled Alia , Bayoumi Ahmed , Thomas Joseph , Gabr Refaat , Hasan Khader , Wolinsky Jerry , Lincoln John
Published: August 2024

Neurologists and researchers rely on several software tools for neuroimaging data analysis. Limitations in these tools often necessitate the use of more than one program, spanning different coding languages and operating systems, which requires time, effort, and programming skills. MRI-PAP is a collection of pipelines with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) designed for MRI processing and analysis of multiple sclerosis patient images. These automated pipelines accept DICOM images as input and take them through a series of processing steps. MRI-PAP pipelines save time by accessing different packages from a single GUI and can be used without programming skills.
Automated High Order Shim for Neuroimaging Studies
Authors: Xu Jia , Yang Baolian , Kelley Douglas , Magnotta Vincent
Published: August 2024

In this work, we proposed an automated High Order Shim procedure for neuroimaging studies. The proposed shimming procedure is fully automated and hence eliminates variability between operators. The procedure performs automated real-time brain extraction to define the region of interest (ROI) of the field map to be used in the shimming algorithm. Automated High Order Shim has fewer image distortions and narrower spectral linewidths than linear shimming and manual high-order shimming, suggesting its superior performance in correcting B0 field homogeneity. The shimming performance was assessed by acquiring EPI-based images and MR spectroscopy at both 3T and 7T field strengths.
Lower abdominal adipose result in higher postoperative early recurrence in HCC patients with HBV
Authors: Yu Dexin , Zuo Liping , An Yueming , Fan Jinlei , Wang Bowen
Published: August 2024

Problem: To investigate the incremental value of abdominal adipose to identify postoperative early recurrence in hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) areas were measured in the third lumbar vertebra plane of T1-weighted images. Results: HCC with microvascular invasion, portal invasion, and satellite nodules patients had lower VAT and SAT areas. VAT and SAT areas were important risk factors for early recurrence. Conclusions: Decreased VAT and SAT areas have significant impact regarding the postoperative early recurrence and poorer HCC biological behavior in HBV patients with HCC.
Meniscus UTE-T2* Measured Prior to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Predicts Radiographic Osteoarthritis 11 Years Later
Authors: Williams Ashley , Drain Nicholas , Qian Yongxian , Stevens Kathryn , Chu Constance
Published: August 2024

This study examines whether compositional degeneration of the meniscus is a potential predictor of future radiographic knee OA. Mensical UTE-T2* maps acquired prior to anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) were compared to knee radiographs collected 11 years later in 11 ACLR patients. On average, pre-operative posterior medial and lateral meniscal UTE-T2* values were 39% and 33% higher in knees with KL grade ≥ 2 compared to knees with KL grades 0-1 at 11-year follow-up (p=0.016, 0.034). Thus, elevated meniscal UTE-T2* in the context of an ACLR knee may be a warning of increased risk for radiographic osteoarthritis many years later.
Preoperative Femoral Cartilage T2 Relaxation Time Predicts Change in PROs in Patients with Degenerative Meniscal Tears
Authors: Asay Jessica , Gatti Anthony , Desai Arjun , McWalter Emily , Edd Shannon , Andriacchi Thomas , Giori Nicholas , Gold Garry
Published: August 2024

Meniscectomies are common but not always successful in treating degenerative meniscus tears. Preoperative patient reported outcomes (PROs) and quantitative MRI could help surgeons decide candidacy for meniscectomy. This study demonstrated that pre-operative T2 relaxation times in the medial central femoral cartilage are correlated to pre-operative PROs in patients with degenerative meniscal tears and are predictive of 1 and 2-year changes in PROs post-operation. This study suggests patients who have longer T2 relaxation times pre-operation might not benefit as much from a meniscectomy.
Generalizability of nnU-Net for automatic segmentation of knee MRI
Authors: Hanegraaf Heather , van der Heijden Rianne , Oei Edwin , van Middelkoop Marienke , Klein Stefan , Hirvasniemi Jukka
Published: August 2024

To investigate the generalizability of deep learning segmentation models, three different nnU-Nets (2D, 3D, and ensemble) were trained on the OAI dataset and tested on a different dataset. In addition to the nnU-Nets trained on the original OAI data, the style of the test set was transferred to the training set using a CycleGAN method and the nnU-Nets were trained again. Depending on the tissue, the 3D nnU-Net or the ensemble trained on the original or stylized training data had the highest segmentation accuracy in the test set. The results indicate that nnU-Net may generalize well to independent datasets.
Sex-specific grey matter atrophy and brain-behavior relationships in CADASIL
Authors: Jia Xiuqin , Ling Chen , Li Yingying , Jia Xuejia , Zhang Chen , Wang Danny JJ , Zhang Zihao , Yuan Yun , Yang Qi
Published: August 2024

The potential neurobiological substrates for sex differences in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) are largely unexplored. In this study, we explored the sex-specific neuroanatomical mechanisms of CADASIL. Greater grey matter atrophy was found in the frontotemporal cortex in male CADASIL. Working memory was associated with volumes in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and left entorhinal cortex among female CADASIL. The current findings indicate that sex affects the pathogenesis of CADASIL, ranging from differences in neuroanatomy to those in behavioral performance.
Feasibility of pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) MR angiography for assessment of intracranial arteries at 7T
Authors: Kong Xiangchuang , Ma Jun , Westerhold Erin , Middlebrooks Eric , Tao Shengzhen , Lin Chen , Zhou Xiangzhi
Published: August 2024

PETRA-MRA is a non-contrast subtraction-based MRA technique for intracranial-vasculature assessment. Compared to TOF, PETRA-MRA is robust to turbulent-flow-related signal voids and metallic-susceptibility artifacts. 7T MRI should further improve the performance of PETRA-MRA due to higher SNR allowing improved spatial-resolution. Here we demonstrate the feasibility and performance of PETRA-MRA at 7T in evaluating intracranial-vasculature. 7T 3D-TOF and PETRA-MRA were performed on volunteers. The blood-to-background contrast ratio for PETRA-MRA was significantly higher than TOF. PETRA-MRA also has better cerebral-artery-visualization with more uniform artery blood signal and comparable sharpness. Overall, PETRA-MRA is a promising technique for evaluating cerebral-arteries at 7T.
Visualization of Lenticulostriate Arteries on High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Digital Subtraction Angiography
Authors: Chen ZhongPing , Tong Dan , Sun Yang , Guo Shiyu , Jiang Yueluan , Yu Zechen
Published: August 2024

Morphological characteristics of lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) have important clinical significance. TOF MRA and intracranial vessel wall imaging (VWI) are powerful noninvasive vascular imaging techniques routinely used in vascular visualization. However, due to the small caliber of LSAs, it is difficult for conventional 3T TOF MRA to achieve the visualization of LSAs. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging based on compressed sensing (CS) technology is expected to solve this dilemma. DSA is the gold standard for vascular visualization. This study proposes an optimized high-resolution TOF MRA scanning scheme based on CS technology and shows its feasibility in LSA visualization by comparing with DSA.
Diagnostic Performances of PETRA-MRA, TOF-MRA, and CTA in Assessing Intracranial Arterial Stenosis with DSA as a Reference Standard
Authors: Niu Junxia , Ran Yuncai , Zhang Yan , Wu Yanglei , Chen Rui
Published: August 2024

This study compared the performance of three noninvasive techniques, namely, 3D pointwise encoding time reduction magnetic resonance angiography (PETRA-MRA), 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and computed tomography angiography (CTA) in accurately measuring the degree of stenosis and lesion length in patients with intracranial arterial stenosis using DSA as the reference standard. This study demonstrated that the estimation of intracranial stenosis and lesion length by PETRA-MRA was more accurate and comparable with DSA than TOF-MRA and CTA. Therefore, PETRA-MRA is a promising noninvasive tool for the accurate assessment of ICAS.
Combing APT-CEST imaging and NODDI for an early distinction between pure edema and infiltrative tumor in glioma at 7T
Authors: Yuan Yifan , Yu Yang , Chang Jun , Chu Ying-Hua , Hsu Yi-Cheng , Wang He , Liebig Patrick , Yue Qi , Chen Liang , Mao Ying
Published: August 2024

Glioma grows infiltratively along fiber tracts, making it difficult to determine the tumor boundary. Extended resection may impair eloquent brain areas and cause functional disorders, while conservative resection often leaves tumor residues at the cutting edge, leading to early recurrence. This study uses APT-CEST imaging and NODDI to explore glioma's microstructural and metabolic characteristics. We trained a model from 100 biopsies to predict tumor presence in non-enhancing areas. This model shows potential for guiding precise glioma resection and radiotherapy.
Clinical significance of leakage corrected hemodynamic parameters computed from DCE-MRI on quantitative glioma grading
Authors: Sankaralayam Dinil Sasi , Gupta Rakesh Kumar , Ramaniharan Anandh K , Patir Rana , Ahlawat Suneeta , Singh Anup
Published: August 2024

Absolute quantification of cerebral-blood-volume (CBV) and cerebral-blood-flow (CBF) from dynamic-susceptibility-contrast (DSC)-MRI has shown wide clinical applications. Recent developments in dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI have shown computation of CBV and CBF along with permeability information with and without model dependent analyses. The model free approach computed CBV and CBF with inherent leakage information and it is still unclear about the clinical significance of leakage correction. So this study is designed to evaluate the impact of leakage correction of CBV and CBF into glioma grading. Results of the study shows that leakage correction underperformed in terms of noise sensitivity and quantitatively differentiating glioma.
The evaluation of Synthetic MRI and machine learning in differentiating autism and developmental language disorders
Authors: Shen Yanyong , Zhao Xin , Wang Kaiyu , Xing Qingna , Shang Honglei , Ren Hongrui , Sun Yongbing , Zhang Xiaoan
Published: August 2024

Distinguishing early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from Developmental language disorder (DLD) in clinical practice is challenging as they are usually diagnose by behavioral tests and subjective observation. The emerging technique Synthetic MRI can be used to quantify the changed in biological tissues. Machine learning is also widely used for improvement of diagnostic performance. This study was aimed to identify ASD from DLD by using Synthetic MRI in combination with machine learning methods. Results show that T1 mapping in Synthetic MRI can be used for differentiation of the two diseases and the SVM model with linear kernel have the best performance.
Mechanical Properties of Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors in Children With and Without Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: McIlvain Grace , Khair Abdulhafeez , Kandula Vinay , Kaur Gurcharanjeet , Walter Andrew , Averill Lauren , Choudhary Arabinda , Johnson Curtis , Nikam Rahul
Published: August 2024

Pediatric brain tumors have developmental consequences even when prognoses are favorable. Mechanical characterization using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has previously revealed adult gliomas are softer than brain tissue. However, pediatric tumors are known to differ behaviorally and cytoarchitecturally from adult tumors. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) imparts genetic predisposition to gliomas, but also results in spongiform regions in white matter tissue. Here we use MRE for the first time in NF1 and in pediatric low-grade gliomas and we find that pediatric gliomas are softer than reference tissue, while spongiforms are stiffer.
Effects of Intensive sensorimotor training following experimental cerebral palsy assessed by advanced diffusion MRI
Authors: van de Looij Yohan , Sanches Eduardo , Dini Ho , Toulotte Audrey , Baud Laetitia , Barraud Quentin , Araneda Rodrigo , Bleyenheuft Yannick , Brochard Sylvain , Courtine Gregoire , Sizonenko Stéphane
Published: August 2024

Injury to the developing brain is a major cause of Cerebral Palsy (CP) leading to motor and cognitive disabilities. HABIT-ILE is a 2-week intensive sensorimotor rehabilitation program with proven effects decreasing motor impairments in infants with CP. Here, we combined early environmental enrichment (EE) and treadmill motor training (TT) to model HABIT-ILE (EETT) for treating experimental CP in rats assessing then histological and microstructural parameters (diffusion MRI at 9.4T). Exvivo DTI/NODDI showed altered brain microstructure in CP rats not reversed by HABIT-ILE. HABIT-ILE modulated BDNF signaling and decreased the over-expression of proteins involved in excitatory function induced by CP.
Cortical morphology-based prediction of communication disorder in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy
Authors: hu jie , yang yanli , ran haifeng , zhang jingjing , he cheng , liu heng , zhang tijiang
Published: August 2024

This study were preliminarily established an individualized diagnosis model of communication dysfunction in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy based on cortical morphological parameters extracted from structure magnetic resonance images by using Support Vector Machines classification algorithm. This may provide a novel idea for the diagnose of communication disorder in children with BSCP.
Spatial-temporal reconstruction using UNFOLD in looping-star silent fMRI
Authors: Xiang Haowei , Fessler Jeffrey , Noll Douglas
Published: August 2024

Looping star is a silent MRI pulse sequence that can be used for quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), T2*-weighted imaging and fMRI. However, the sparse radial sampling of looping-star limits its spatial and temporal resolution in fMRI studies. This work proposes a customized looping-star fMRI protocol and a spatial temporal reconstruction method that removes the undersampling artifact from the repeating sampling pattern and improves the temporal resolution and quality of the time course and activation map.
Improved BOLD activation using multiecho acquisition in simultaneous brain-spinal cord fMRI
Authors: Law Christine , Weber Ken , Kaptan Merve , Pfyffer Dario , Mackey Sean , Glover Gary
Published: August 2024

Functional activation within brain has been studied extensively using fMRI. But limiting investigation to only the brain provides a truncated view of the human central nervous system as it does not capture information exchange between brain and body periphery through spinal cord. Simultaneous brain-spinal cord fMRI provides a means to measure motor and pain activity across the central nervous system. BOLD signal, especially in spinal cord, usually suffers from poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) which can cause difficulty in detecting activation. Here, we demonstrate that multiecho acquisition improves spinal cord BOLD detection.
Bayesian Longitudinal Tensor Response Regression to model task-fMRI based neuroplasticity in post-stroke aphasia
Authors: Krishnamurthy Venkatagiri , Reinhardt Alec , Song Serena , Han Joo , Meadows M. Lawson , Crosson Bruce , Kundu Suprateek
Published: August 2024

Stroke is inherently complex due to the heterogeneity in lesion location, size in addition to other clinical comorbidities. Further, longitudinal three-dimensional fMRI datasets add more complexity towards estimating sensitive and robust biomarkers of neuroplasticity. In this study we propose an innovative extension of Bayesian Tensor Response Regression (BTRR) approach to estimate neuroplasticity that is more sensitive, accurate and reliable compared to traditional voxel-wise approach. Results from our longitudinal aphasia-treatment study not only show that the BTRR approach is more superior but is also able to derive plasticity estimates that are sensitive to treatment differences that are subject and time-point specific.
Increased BOLD resting-state fluctuation amplitude following upregulation of inhibitory activity with the GABA agonist alprazolam
Authors: Munsch Fanny , Taso Manuel , Wolf Daniel , Press Daniel , Buss Stephanie , Detre John , Alsop David
Published: August 2024

Neural activity reflects a complex interplay between excitatory and inhibitory signaling. Yet, the BOLD signal is typically interpreted as related to excitatory activity. However, GABAergic neurotransmission also requires metabolism and BOLD may be sensitive to this inhibitory activity that can promote coordinated activity across networks. Here, we evaluated the changes in BOLD rsfMRI and rsCBF metrics (amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), intrinsic connectivity (IC) and local correlations (LC)) after oral administration of alprazolam, a GABA agonist, in healthy volunteers. We observed a highly significant increase of BOLD ALFF across the cortex that suggests increasing inhibition can increase BOLD signals.
Network representation of fMRI timeseries using visibility graphs
Authors: Poudel Govinda
Published: August 2024

Timeseries can be mapped into graphs by linking visibility of the signal at each time-point with respect to others – an approach known as visibility graph. We used visibility graph analysis to convert fMRI data into complex networks. We then evaluated the graph theoretical properties of this network and characterised their robustness to motion and test-retest reliability between sessions. We show that time-series network features such as average degree, average path length, and clustering coefficient are highly sensitive to motion. However, on a low-motion dataset they have a good reliability between sessions.
Quantitative Assessment of Restriction Spectrum MR Imaging for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer and Association with Prognostic Factors
Authors: Qin Yanjin , Zhang Yunfei , Dai Yongming , Ai Tao
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of restriction spectrum imaging (RSI)-derived parameters for distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions compared to conventional DWI values and further evaluate the associations between RSI-derived parameters and prognostic factors of breast cancer. The results indicated the RSI-derived parameters (f1, f3, and f1f2) may facilitate the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast lesions.
Comparing the Repeatability of Cerebrovascular Reserve Measured by PET and ASL using Simultaneous PET/MRI
Authors: Zhao Moss , Fan Audrey , Khalighi Mohammad , Holley Dawn , Halbert Kim , Jovin Maria , Shen Bin , Davidzon Guido , Tong Elizabeth , Moseley Michael , Zaharchuk Greg
Published: August 2024

Cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) is an important biomarker to assess vascular hemodynamics and link to the risk for acute strokes. Whilst several imaging modalities have been applied to measure CVR, their reproducibility remains to be elucidated. Here we compare the reproducibility of CVR measurements in 22 normal subjects between single and multi-delay ASL using 15O-water PET as the reference. Results implied that multi-delay ASL achieved a higher reproducibility and should be the preferred non-invasive modality for clinical applications.
Impact of age and sex on regional white matter hemodynamics across the adult lifespan
Authors: Damestani Nikou , Jacoby John , Tian Qiyuan , Lovely Allison , Yadav Shrikanth , Salat David , Juttukonda Meher
Published: August 2024

White matter perfusion has been difficult to measure with arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI due to the elongated arterial transit times of white matter. Here, we identified changes in white matter cortical hemodynamics associated with age and between sex for the first time using multi-delay pseudo-continuous ASL with tract-based analyses in a large typically aging cohort. We found reductions in white matter CBF and increases in white matter ATT with advancing age, as well as widespread sex differences across tracts. This work serves as the first step towards understanding the relationship between white matter physiology and age-related structural decline.
Association of Lumbar Trabecular Bone Ultrashort Echo Time Magnetization Transfer Ratio (UTE-MTR) with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Zhang Jian-Bang , Liu Jin , Feng Jia-Xin , Liao Jianwei , Li Wei , Chen Xiao-Jun , Qian Long , Ma Ya-Jun , Li Shao-Lin
Published: August 2024

Ultrashort echo time magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) technique can non-invasively quantify the macromolecular component changes. It has great potential to assess intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). In this study, we utilized the UTE-MT sequence to investigate the relationship between UTE-MT ratio (UTE-MTR) measurements of lumbar trabecular bone and IVDD. We found that the lumbar trabecular bone UTE-MTR negatively correlated with the IVDD grading. It demonstrates that the UTE-MTR of lumbar trabecular bone may serve as a useful biomarker to assess IVDD.
Change in thalamic cerebrospinal fluid fraction over the adult lifespan and correlation with TSPO PET imaging in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Nguyen Thanh , Zhou Liangdong , Kang Yeona , Demmon Emily , Sakirsky Michael , Sweeney Elizabeth , Wang Yi , Li Yi , Gauthier Susan
Published: August 2024

We applied FAST-T2 multi-component T2 relaxometry to 200 MS patients and 66 healthy controls and found that the thalamic cerebrospinal fluid fraction (CSFF) increases with age and follows a different trajectory in MS. In 13 MS patients, we also found a strong correlation between CSFF and [11C]PK11195 uptake on PET in the thalamus and putamen, suggesting a connection between glymphatic dysfunction and microglial inflammation in the MS brain.
The myelin water imaging transcriptome: myelin water fraction regionally varies with genes associated with oligodendrocytes
Authors: Lee Jaimie , Liu Hanwen , Laule Cornelia , Loucks Catrina , Kramer John
Published: August 2024

Our objective for this study was to determine the relationship between regional variations in myelin water imaging (MWI) and gene expression – a “MWI transcriptome”. Regional variations in myelin water fraction (MWF) from a normative MWF atlas were examined in a correlation analysis with gene expression data retrieved from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. Genes that significantly covaried with MWF were involved in lipid metabolism and binding, and were enriched for myelin terms (e.g., oligodendrocytes). This preliminary work highlights the utility of an imaging transcriptomic approach and further supports MWI as a robust in vivo measure of myelin.
Associations between gait speeds and myelin content in cognitively unimpaired adults using multicomponent relaxometry
Authors: Faulkner Mary , Laporte John , Palchamy Elango , Gong Zhaoyuan , Triebswetter Curtis , Kiely Matthew , Akhonda M.A.B.S. , Ferrucci Luigi , Spencer Richard , Bouhrara Mustapha
Published: August 2024

Abnormal gait speed is a reliable indicator of the progression of age-related neurodegenerations. However, the association between gait speed and myelin content remains unclear. We used multicomponent MR relaxometry of myelin water fraction (MWF) and longitudinal and transverse (R1 and R2) relaxation rates to investigate the association between cerebral myelination and usual or rapid gait speeds in cognitively unimpaired adults spanning a wide age range. Our results indicate that lower myelin content is associated with lower gait speed across several while matter structures.
Comparative evaluation of DKI and DTI in detecting white matter microstructural alterations in early-blind adolescents
Authors: Zhou Zhifeng , Qian Long , Hou Gangqiang , Jiang Wentao , Liu Xia
Published: August 2024

Blind people is a natural bio-model for the investigation of neural plasticity. Diffusion-based MRI techniques are powerful probes for characterizing the effects of disease and neural development on tissue microstructure. This study compared diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) metrics and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics to explore white matter microstructural changes and neural plasticity in early-blind adolescents (EBAs). The results demonstrate microstructural complexity reduction and coexistence of neural reorganization and compensatory development process induced by visual deprivation in EBAs. And the DKI metrics are more sensitive in detecting changes in crossing fibers and pathology and development of disease than DTI metrics.
Bright light therapy increases myelin density in posterior thalamic radiation in young adults with subthreshold depression: An ihMT MRI study
Authors: Chen Guanmao , Tang Guixian , Qian Long , Wang Ying
Published: August 2024

Subthreshold depression (SD) is a significant risk indicator of major depressive episodes. This study used the inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) technique to probe myelin abnormalities and its response to bright light therapy (BLT) in SD. The findings of this study suggest the macromolecular disruption of myelin in the posterior thalamic radiation, sagittal stratum, and uncinate fasciculus in the early stages of depression. Furthermore, the myelin impairments in the PTR could be reversed by BLT, thus suggesting they might be used as the potential neural target for BLT in SD.
Central Thalamic Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation Ameliorated Memory Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model
Authors: Lin Yi-Chen , Li Ssu-Ju , Lo Yu-Chun , Chen Ting-Chieh , Chang Ching-Wen , Cho Tsai-Yu , Wang Mu-Hua , Chen Ching-Te , Lin Sheng-Huang , Chen You-Yin
Published: August 2024

Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) has been hypothesized to be a more effective paradigm for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treating various neurological disorders by altering neuronal circuits. However, the effect of iTBS in improving memory deficits in AD patients remains unknown. Combining iTBS in central thalamus (CT-iTBS) with functional magnetic resonance imaging, our results demonstrated the restoration of brain functional connectivity (FC) in corticolimbic circuit of AD mice model, accompanied with enhancing memory cognitive function in novel object recognition test and T-maze test. These results revealed that CT-iTBS could be an effective treatment for improving symptoms of individuals with AD.
4D Oxy-wavelet MRI and Graph Theory in APOE KO mice: A new perspective into the role of mitochondria and brain connectivity
Authors: Cortes Devin Raine , Stapleton Margaret , Wyman Samuel , Schwab Kristina , Coulson Noah , West Dalton , Becker-Szurszewski Thomas , Hartwick Sean , Christodoulou Anthony , Wu Yijen
Published: August 2024

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles are strong genetic risk factors for the Late-Onset-Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD). In this study we utilize our novel 4D Oxy-wavelet functional MRI to study the bioenergetic footprint of APOE knockout (KO) mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. We have created neuronal networks in mice defined by bioenergetic dispersion throughout the whole brain, and demonstrated key differences between APOE KO and WT. We further validate our oxywavelet index for probing mitochondrial function non-invasively and present new signal processing methods for relevant biomarker extraction.
Decreased pH in the mouse brain of Alzheimer’s disease revealed by guanidinium and amide CEST at 3T
Authors: Wang Kexin , Huang Jianpan , Zhang Ziqin , Chan Kannie , Xu Jiadi
Published: August 2024

Guanidinium CEST (GuanCEST) and amideCEST are highly sensitive to pH change, while their correlations with pH are opposite. Thus taking (unitless) difference of GuanCEST and amideCEST provides a reliable indicator for pH. Polynomial and Lorentzian line-shape fitting (PLOF) method helps extract the two CEST signals precisely, and the (unitless) difference shows a significant increase (p=0.008, n=10) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse brain compared with that of wild type mouse at 3T. Our results light up a novel and promising method to detect the onset of AD noninvasively, bringing the recent breakthrough in AD mechanism to further clinical application.
Hyperperfusion in middle-aged individuals with genetic risk of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Dounavi Maria-Eleni , Mak Elijah , Low Audrey , Williams Guy , Wells Katie , Muniz-Terrera Graciela , Lawlor Brian , Naci Lorina , Malhotra Paresh , Koychev Ivan , Ritchie Karen , Su Li , Ritchie Craig , O'Brien John
Published: August 2024

Extensive brain hypoperfusion is well-established in people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, mixed findings have emerged during the pre-symptomatic disease stage. In this study, we used arterial spin labelling (ASL) MRI in middle-aged, cognitively normal participants from the PREVENT-Dementia study to evaluate cerebral perfusion differences between carriers and non-carriers of the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) allele. The ASL spatial coefficient of variation (CoV) was used as a proxy for arterial transit time (ATT) delays. We found hyperperfusion in APOE4 carriers which was not accompanied by increased spatial CoV, suggesting that the observed hyperperfusion is not driven by ATT delays.
Elevated Carotid Pulse Wave Velocity is associated with Cognitive Impairment and Brain Amyloid Deposition
Authors: Tang Jianing , Joe Elizabeth , Chui Helena , Yan Lirong
Published: August 2024

Increasing evidence suggests that vascular compliance could offer valuable insights into the pathology of Alzheimer’s diseases. Recently, carotid pulse wave velocity (cPWV) between internal carotid artery and common carotid artery has been successfully measured by a fast single-slice oblique-sagittal PC-MRI technique. In this study, we evaluated the role of cPWV in brain amyloid deposition and cognitive decline in an aged cohort. The results showed that greater cPWV was associated with cognitive decline and amyloid pathology. Our findings suggest elevated cPWV may affect amyloid clearance in brain, leading to cognitive impairment. cPWV could be a potential sensitive imaging marker of AD.
Resting-state global brain activity affects early β-amyloid accumulation and hypoconnectivity in default mode network
Authors: Han Feng , Liu Xufu , Mailman Richard , Huang Xuemei , Liu Xiao
Published: August 2024

The β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque, an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) hallmark, accumulates first in the default mode network (DMN) regions years before AD diagnosis. The underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) resting-state global brain activity was recently found coupled by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) movements, and this coupling has been linked to AD pathologies, including Aβ accumulations, presumably due to its role in glymphatic clearance. Here we showed the preferential Aβ accumulation in DMN was related to the reduced engagement of the global brain activity in these regions, partly explained by its failure to reach these regions as cortical propagating waves.
Associations of the shape of subcortical brain structures with age-related neuropathologies in community-based older adults
Authors: Saifullah Khalid , Makkinejad Nazanin , Evia Arnold , Bennett David , Schneider Julie , Arfanakis Konstantinos
Published: August 2024

Multiple age-related neuropathologies lead to atrophy of subcortical brain structures. However, definitive diagnosis of most of these pathologies is only possible at autopsy, complicating investigations into the effects of age-related neuropathologies on the shape of subcortical brain structures. The present work combined ex-vivo MRI and detailed pathologic assessment in a large number (N=842) of community-based older adults to study the relationship between age-related neuropathologies and the shape of subcortical brain structures. The resulting deformation patterns may be used as features in in-vivo classifiers of age-related neuropathologies.
Whole Brain Multivoxel Pattern Analysis of resting fMRI in Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Achuthan Smitha Karavallil , Stavrinos Despina , Holm Haley B , Anteraper Sheeba Arnold , Kana Rajesh K
Published: August 2024

This study examined whole-brain resting state fMRI connectivity patterns in autistic and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) adults in comparison with neurotypical adults using multivoxel pattern analysis. Results highlight alterations in cerebellar-cortical functional connectivity (FC) in autistic participants and the involvement of cerebellum and inferior frontal gyrus in ADHD.
Patient-specific Local SAR estimation by combined field mapping and deep-learning method
Authors: Che Shao , Cui Zhuoxu , Liu Jin , Ding Siyuan , Cao Peng , Zhang Xiaoliang , Liu Xin , Zheng Hairong , Liang Dong , Li Ye
Published: August 2024

A method is proposed for real time patient-specific local SAR estimation based on B1 field mapping and machine-learning. The axial component of RF E-field is estimated by electric property tomography (EPT) method from B1 field, and the transversal component of RF E-field is predicted by a cycleGAN model trained with EM simulation input data. The safety factor of peak local SAR estimation is analyzed for a large set of random transmit weighting factors and the feasibility of the method is discussed.
Numerical Evaluation of Specific Absorption Rate of Local Transceiver Coil Arrays for Ultra-High Field MRI with Different Local Mesh Properties
Authors: Berezko Egor , Solomakha Georgiy , Scheffler Klaus , Avdievich Nikolai
Published: August 2024

Home-built RF UHF MRI coils have to be carefully evaluated for safety issues. This is performed by simulating the coil model, which often include thin conductors, loaded by a human voxel model. Currently such models are available mainly for time-domain solvers. Fine mesh over conductors and the large voxel model may lead to time-consuming simulations. Therefore, for smaller head-sized coils, the model has to be cut and the proper mesh size chosen. In this work, we numerically investigated the dependence of B1+ and SAR for four different head coils on fine local meshing and the size of the voxel model.