True three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance zeugmatographic images of a human brain

Summary A three-dimensional image of a preserved human brain, resolved into cubical 0.03 cm³ volume elements, has been obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) zeugmatography, using a twostage reconstruction technique. Intensities in such images represent concentrations of water and other liquids or liquid-like substances. The image has been displayed as computer-generated multiple transverse, coronal and sagittal sections, so as to display most clearly a number of anatomical features. The potential of this technique in physiological research and clinical practice is discussed.     

LIPSIA--a new software system for the evaluation of functional magnetic resonance images of the human brain.

This paper describes the non-commercial software system LIPSIA that was developed for the processing of functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) of the human brain. The analysis of fMRI data comprises various aspects including filtering, spatial transformation, statistical evaluation as well as segmentation and visualization. In LIPSIA, particular emphasis was placed on the development of new visualization and segmentation techniques that support visualizations of individual brain anatomy so that experts can assess the exact location of activation patterns in individual brains. As the amount of data that must be handled is enormous, another important aspect in the development LIPSIA was the efficiency of the software implementation. Well established statistical techniques were used whenever possible.     

Spatially filtering functional magnetic resonance imaging data

When constructing MR images from acquired spatial frequency data, it can be beneficial to apply a low-pass filter to remove high frequency noise from the resulting images. This amounts to attenuating high spatial frequency fluctuations that can affect detected MR signal. A study is presented of spatially filtering MR data and possible ramifications on detecting regionally specific activation signal. It is shown that absolute activation levels are strongly dependent on the parameters of the filter used in image construction and that significance of an activation signal can be enhanced through appropriate filter selection. A comparison is made between spatially filtering MR image data and applying a Gaussian convolution kernel to statistical parametric maps.     

fMRI在癫大脑网络中的研究进展

癫是神经元异常放电所致的慢性发作性神经功能障碍性疾病,因其发作的反复性、复杂性和多样性,大脑的结构和功能均受到严重损害。近年来,随着功能成像技术的不断发展,功能MR成像(f MRI)在癫中的应用越来越广泛,尤其是静息态f MRI(rs-f MRI)和同步联合脑电图f MRI(EEG-f MRI)的应用揭示了癫复杂网络、结构网络及功能网络改变的特点,为理解癫发病机制提供了重要的帮助。     

Real-time display of artifact-free electroencephalography during functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in an animal model of epilepsy.

Simultaneous recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional MRI (fMRI) or MR spectroscopy (MRS) can provide further insight into our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of neurologic disorders. Current technology for simultaneous EEG and MRI recording is limited by extensive postacquisition processing of the data. Real-time display of artifact-free EEG recording during fMRI/MRS studies is essential in studies that involve epilepsy to ensure that they address specific EEG features such as epileptic spikes or seizures. By optimizing the EEG recording equipment to maximize the common mode rejection ratio of its amplifiers, a unique EEG system was designed and tested that allowed real-time display of the artifact-free EEG during fMRI/MRS in an animal model of epilepsy. Spike recordings were optimized by suppression of the background EEG activity using fast-acting and easily controlled inhalational anesthesia. Artifact suppression efficiency of 70-100% was achieved following direct subtraction of referentially recorded filtered EEG tracings from active electrodes, which were located in close proximity to each other (over homologous occipital cortices) and a reference electrode. Two independent postacquisition processing tools, independent component analysis and direct subtraction of unfiltered digital EEG data in MATLAB, were used to verify the accuracy of real-time EEG display.     

Cortical mapping by functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with brain tumors

The aim of our study was to establish the effectiveness of the functional MRI (fMRI) technique in comparison with intraoperative cortical stimulation (ICS) in planning cortex-saving neurosurgical interventions. The combination of sensory and motor stimulation during fMRI experiments was used to improve the exactness of central sulcus localization. The study subjects were 30 volunteers and 33 patients with brain tumors in the rolandic area. Detailed topographical relations of activated areas in fMRI and intraoperative techniques were compared. The agreement in the location defined by the two methods for motor centers was found to be 84%; for sensory centers it was 83%. When both kinds of activation are taken into account this agreement increases to 98%. A significant relation was found between fMRI and ICS for the agreement of the distance both for motor and sensory centers (p=0.0021–0.0024). Also a strong dependence was found between the agreement of the location and the agreement of the distance for both kinds of stimulation. The spatial correlation between fMRI and ICS methods for the sensorimotor cortex is very high. fMRI combining functional and structural information is very helpful for preoperative neurosurgical planning. The sensitivity of the fMRI technique in brain mapping increases when using both motor and sensory paradigms in the same patient.     

Improved cerebellar tissue classification on magnetic resonance images of brain

Purpose

To develop and implement a method for improved cerebellar tissue classification on the MRI of brain by automatically isolating the cerebellum prior to segmentation.

Materials and Methods

Dual fast spin echo (FSE) and fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were acquired on 18 normal volunteers on a 3 T Philips scanner. The cerebellum was isolated from the rest of the brain using a symmetric inverse consistent nonlinear registration of individual brain with the parcellated template. The cerebellum was then separated by masking the anatomical image with individual FLAIR images. Tissues in both the cerebellum and rest of the brain were separately classified using hidden Markov random field (HMRF), a parametric method, and then combined to obtain tissue classification of the whole brain. The proposed method for tissue classification on real MR brain images was evaluated subjectively by two experts. The segmentation results on Brainweb images with varying noise and intensity nonuniformity levels were quantitatively compared with the ground truth by computing the Dice similarity indices.

Results

The proposed method significantly improved the cerebellar tissue classification on all normal volunteers included in this study without compromising the classification in remaining part of the brain. The average similarity indices for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in the cerebellum are 89.81 (±2.34) and 93.04 (±2.41), demonstrating excellent performance of the proposed methodology.

Conclusion

The proposed method significantly improved tissue classification in the cerebellum. The GM was overestimated when segmentation was performed on the whole brain as a single object. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:1035–1042. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

移植肾磁共振功能成像的影像学进展

近年来,磁共振功能成像在移植肾应用的探索日趋增多,尤其是磁共振灌注成像、磁共振血氧水平依赖成像及扩散加权成像的研究最多,研究证明这三种功能成像技术对移植肾均具有早期诊断移植肾排斥反应的作用。此外,磁共振血管成像及尿路成像在移植肾也具有很好的诊断价值。     

血氧水平依赖功能磁共振成像在累及运动区脑肿瘤中的应用

目的：功能磁共振成像对脑肿瘤术前评估具有重要意义,探讨血氧水平依赖功能磁共振成像（Bold-fMRI）在累及运动通路脑肿瘤中的应用价值。方法：对16例累及皮层运动区的脑肿瘤患者行fMRI检查,另以10例健康者作为对照,2例患者术后复查,fMRI采用双侧交替进行的大拇指对掌运动作为任务刺激。所有数据进行离线后处理,fMRI图像使用基于MATLAB平台下运行的SPM99软件进行处理,观察运动皮层区激活情况。结果：每个患者的健、患侧主运动区（M1）、辅助运动区（SMA）均激活,其中12例患侧M1区信号低于健侧,3例患侧M1区信号高于健侧,1例健侧与患侧M1区信号无明显差别,11例患侧M1区信号移位,8例患者患侧SMA区及健侧M1区的激活程度较健康人增强;2例患者复查显示患侧M1皮层激活范围较术前变小。结论：应用fMRI能显示肿瘤、皮层运动功能区之间的关系,对邻近脑运动功能区脑肿瘤患者术前评估具有重要意义。     

非痴呆型血管性认知功能障碍的结构及功能磁共振研究进展

非痴呆性血管性认知功能障碍（VCIND）处于血管性认知功能障碍（VCI）的早期阶段,血管性认知功能障碍是由血管性因素导致的从轻度认知功能障碍到痴呆的一类综合征.已有研究表明VCIND是可以逆转的,所以对其早期干预,有着重要的社会意义.近年来,随着功能磁共振的研究与应用,对脑结构和脑网络的研究也越来越受到关注,一些磁共振新技术如磁共振扩散张量成像（DTI）和功能磁共振也应运而生,因其易操作性和无创性,且能够在体研究脑结构及脑功能方面的改变,使其越来越具有研究VCIND的生理病理机制的潜在性,本文就其在VCIND方面的研究进展进行综述.     

Segmentation of tumors in magnetic resonance brain images using an interactive multiscale watershed algorithm

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: This article presents the evaluation of an interactive multiscale watershed segmentation algorithm for segmenting tumors in magnetic resonance brain images of patients scheduled for neuronavigational procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The watershed method is compared with manual delineation with respect to accuracy, repeatability, and efficiency. RESULTS: In the 20 patients included in this study, the measured volume of the tumors ranged from 2.7 to 81.9 cm(3). A comparison of the tumor volumes measured with watershed segmentation to the volumes measured with manual delineation shows that the two methods are interchangeable according to the Bland and Altman criterion, and thus equally accurate. The repeatability of the watershed method and the manual method are compared by looking at the similarity of the segmented volumes. The similarity for intraobserver and interobserver variability for watershed segmentation is 96.4% and 95.3%, respectively, compared with 93.5% and 90.0% for manual outlining, from which it may be concluded that the watershed method is more repeatable. Moreover, the watershed algorithm is on average three times faster than manual outlining. CONCLUSION: The watershed method has an accuracy comparable to that of manual delineation and outperforms manual outlining on the criteria of repeatability and efficiency.     

Automatic removal of extrameningeal tissues from MR images of human brain

An automatic technique for removal of extrameningeal tissues from MR images of human brain is described. The algorithm is based on the segmentation of images acquired with a fast dual-echo pulse sequence, which incorporates both fluid attenuation and magnetization transfer contrast for superior brain/extrameningeal tissue contrast compared to conventional MR sequences. Evaluation of this technique using MR images of six volunteers indicates rapid and consistent removal of extrameningeal tissues.     

Methods for registration of magnetic resonance images of ex vivo prostate specimens with histology

Purpose:

To evaluate two methods of scanning and tissue processing to achieve accurate magnetic resonance (MR)‐histologic correlation in human prostate specimens.

Materials and Methods:

Two prostates had acrylic paint markers injected to define the plane of imaging and serve as internal fiducials. Each was placed on a polycarbonate plane‐finder device (PFD), which was adjusted to align the imaging and cutting planes. Three prostates were aligned by use of a plane finder key (PFK), a polycarbonate plate that locks the specimen in a cylindrical carrier. Markers were injected for registration analysis. Prostates were imaged, then sectioned. Imaging software was used to create registration maps of the MR and histology images. Measurements between control points were made and compared.

Results:

Accurate correlation was achieved between MR and histologic images. The mean displacement (MD) between the corresponding registration points using the PFD technique ranged from 1.11–1.38 mm for each section. The MD for all sections was 1.24 mm. The MD using the PFK technique ranged from 0.79–1.01 mm for each section, and the MD across all sections for the PFK was 0.92 mm.

Conclusion:

We describe two methods that can achieve accurate, reproducible correlation between MR imaging and histologic sections in human prostatectomy specimens. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:206–212. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Neural correlates of telling lies: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study at 4 Tesla

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: Intentional deception (ie, lying) is a complex cognitive act, with important legal, moral, political, and economic implications. Prior studies have identified activation of discrete anterior frontal regions, such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during deception. To extend these findings, we used novel real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to simulate a polygraph experience in order to evoke performance anxiety about generating lies, and sought to ascertain the neural correlates of deception. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this investigational fMRI study done with a 4-T scanner, we examined the neural correlates of lying in 14 healthy adult volunteers while they performed a modified card version of the Guilty Knowledge Test (GKT), with the understanding that their brain activity was being monitored in real time by the investigators conducting the study. The volunteers were instructed to attempt to generate Lies that would not evoke changes in their brain activity, and were told that their performance and brain responses were being closely monitored. RESULTS: Subjects reported performance anxiety during the task. Deceptive responses were specifically associated with activation of the VLPFC, DLPFC, DMPFC, and superior temporal sulcus. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest the involvement of discrete regions of the frontal cortex during lying, and that the neural substrates responsible for cognitive control of behavior may also be engaged during deception.     

脑功能MRI在青少年非自杀性自伤中的研究进展

非自杀性自伤（NSSI）是指没有自杀意图且以自伤行为为主的精神障碍,脑功能MRI（fMRI）可揭示NSSI病人的异常脑活动特征。静息态fMRI的不同功能连接模式对NSSI的诊断和疗效评估具有重要价值,基于不同任务状态的fMRI的异常脑激活可评估NSSI病人的脑功能改变。就不同分析方法（基于种子点、独立成分分析和图论的分析方法）的静息态fMRI连接模式和不同任务状态（情绪、社交和奖赏任务）下fMRI的脑活动在NSSI中的研究进展予以综述。     

血管外质子信号增强颈髓功能成像序列参数优化

目的通过优化成像参数,获得一种较高质量的利用血管外质子信号增强的颈髓功能成像。方法采用GRE-echoplan序列中的一种新的血管外质子信号增强(SEEP)磁共振功能成像技术,按TR、TE时间的相关关系,通过固定TR改变TE,同时通过选择使用呼吸门控或心电门控,是否加饱和带等不同参数下获得颈髓功能成像,比较上述不同参数下颈髓fMRI成像的影像质量,包括信噪比、显示激活区部位是否清晰、确定,是否可重复。结果采用SEEP成像技术能实现颈髓功能成像,TR 1065s与TE 45s时能获得较高质量的颈髓功能成像,使用心电门控较不使用心电门控图像质量明显提高,加前饱和带可减少呼吸与吞咽所致的伪影,呼吸门控对图像质量无明显影响。结论 GRE-echo plan序列的SEEP成像技术经优化技术参数后能获得较高质量的颈髓功能成像。     

Assessment of cerebral blood flow reserve using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Imaging of activated brain areas based on changes of blood deoxyhemoglobin levels is now possible with MRI. Acetazolamide (ACZ) increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) without changing cerebral oxygen consumption; this results in signal changes observed in gradient echo MR images from the areas with an increase in CBF. We assessed signal changes after ACZ application in seven healthy subjects with a conventional 1.5-T MRI scanner. The susceptibility-sensitized three-dimensional fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence was used to visualize signal changes induced by ACZ. We analyzed anatomic localization of different ranges of detected signal changes. ACZ caused significant signal changes in the gray matter and at the edge of the cerebral cortex, the latter corresponding to draining surface veins. No significant differences were seen among different brain areas within the same slice. Using the maximum intensity projection technique, we were able to partially separate signal changes originating in draining veins from signal originating in the gray matter microvasculature. Signal changes from the microvessels reflect cerebrovascular reserve. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) based MRI can evaluate CBF reserve with high spatial and temporal resolution. To assess cerebrovascular reserve, it is necessary to separate signal changes originating in large vessels from signal from brain microvasculature.     

颞叶癫痫的功能MRI研究进展

颞叶癫■（TLE）是癫■中最常见的难治性类型,临床上对于药物难以控制的癫■,手术切除致■灶具有良好的治疗效果。随着MRI技术的迅速发展,功能磁共振成像（fMRI）在癫■研究中的优势越来越显著,尤其在癫■灶的定侧、定位方面明显优于常规MRI,具有更好的临床应用价值。fMRI对TLE脑网络、认知功能的研究,及在TLE病因、病理生理机制、治疗预后等方面的应用取得了诸多进展。     

功能MRI在儿童肾脏疾病诊断中的研究进展

儿童肾脏疾病可导致肾功能持续下降,需及时监测并控制其进展。目前,多种功能MRI(fMRI)技术已逐步用于儿童肾脏研究,不仅能明确肾脏结构有无异常,还可从肾脏水分子扩散、血氧水平等微观角度对肾功能进行评估,包括扩散加权成像（DWI）、扩散张量成像（DTI）、扩散张量纤维束示踪成像（DTT）、扩散峰度成像（DKI）、血氧水平依赖（BOLD）成像、MR灌注成像。介绍儿童肾脏的生理解剖特点,并综述fMRI在肾脏发育异常、慢性肾脏病、感染性病变、肿瘤性病变等多种疾病中的研究进展。