Survival in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by histology and family history

Purpose  

Although survival has been studied for various subtypes of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), there have been few comprehensive studies to quantify the prognosis, including all specific histologies. The effect of family history on survival in NHL has not been examined.     

Hippocampal involvement in retrieval of odor vs. object memories

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the human hippocampus in episodic retrieval of odors, in comparison with episodic retrieval of visual objects. Subjects encoded a set of unique odors and objects, and retrieval was tested the next day during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects were shown the names of old (studied) and new (unstudied) odors and objects, and asked to indicate which of these stimuli had been presented the previous day. The results showed that brain activation was weaker and more restricted during retrieval of odors than during retrieval of objects, which possibly reflects a general visual dominance effect. Yet, retrieval of odors and objects yielded overlapping clusters of activation the bilateral hippocampi, and the left‐sided activation was specifically increased during successful retrieval (hits > correct rejections) in both modalities. Moreover, retrieval of odors uniquely activated olfactory cortical regions, likely to reflect cortical reinstatement of sensory details. Our fMRI study is the first to make a direct comparison between olfactory and visual episodic memory, and the results provide clear evidence for modality‐independent functions of the hippocampus. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sex differences in the serotonin 1A receptor and serotonin transporter binding in the human brain measured by PET

Women and men differ in serotonin associated psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety and suicide. Despite this, very few studies focus on sex differences in the serotonin system. Of the biomarkers in the serotonin system, serotonin(1A) (5-HT(1A)) receptor is implicated in depression, and anxiety and serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a target for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of these disorders. The objective of the present study was to study sex related differences in the 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT binding potentials (BP(ND)s) in healthy humans, in vivo. Positron emission tomography and selective radioligands [(11)C]WAY100635 and [(11)C]MADAM were used to evaluate binding potentials for 5-HT(1A) receptors (14 women and 14 men) and 5-HTT (8 women and 10 men). The binding potentials were estimated both on the level of anatomical regions and voxel wise, derived by the simplified reference tissue model and wavelet/Logan plot parametric image techniques respectively. Compared to men, women had significantly higher 5-HT(1A) receptor and lower 5-HTT binding potentials in a wide array of cortical and subcortical brain regions. In women, there was a positive correlation between 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT binding potentials for the region of hippocampus. Sex differences in 5-HT(1A) receptor and 5-HTT BP(ND) may reflect biological distinctions in the serotonin system contributing to sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. The result of the present study may help in understanding sex differences in drug treatment responses to drugs affecting the serotonin system.     

Development and aging of cortical thickness correspond to genetic organization patterns

There is a growing realization that early life influences have lasting impact on brain function and structure. Recent research has demonstrated that genetic relationships in adults can be used to parcellate the cortex into regions of maximal shared genetic influence, and a major hypothesis is that genetically programmed neurodevelopmental events cause a lasting impact on the organization of the cerebral cortex observable decades later. Here we tested how developmental and lifespan changes in cortical thickness fit the underlying genetic organizational principles of cortical thickness in a longitudinal sample of 974 participants between 4.1 and 88.5 y of age with a total of 1,633 scans, including 773 scans from children below 12 y. Genetic clustering of cortical thickness was based on an independent dataset of 406 adult twins. Developmental and adult age-related changes in cortical thickness followed closely the genetic organization of the cerebral cortex, with change rates varying as a function of genetic similarity between regions. Cortical regions with overlapping genetic architecture showed correlated developmental and adult age change trajectories and vice versa for regions with low genetic overlap. Thus, effects of genes on regional variations in cortical thickness in middle age can be traced to regional differences in neurodevelopmental change rates and extrapolated to further adult aging-related cortical thinning. This finding suggests that genetic factors contribute to cortical changes through life and calls for a lifespan perspective in research aimed at identifying the genetic and environmental determinants of cortical development and aging.There is a growing realization that events during development impact brain and cognition throughout the entire lifespan (1). For instance, the major portion of the relationship between cortical thickness and IQ in old age can be explained by childhood IQ (2), and genotype may explain a substantial part of the lifetime stability in intelligence (3). Effects of genes on the organization of the cortex have been shown in adults (4–6), but it is unknown whether and how regional differences in cortical development correspond to these regional genetic subdivisions.Although consensus has not been reached for the exact trajectories, cortical thickness as measured by MRI appears to decrease in childhood (7–12). The exact foundation for this thinning is not known, as MRI provides merely representations of the underlying neurobiology, and available histological data cannot with certainty be used to guide interpretations of MRI results. Although speculative, apparent thickness decrease may be grounded in factors such as synaptic pruning and intracortical myelination, although the link between established synaptic processes (13–15) and cortical thickness has not been empirically confirmed. After childhood, cortical thinning continues throughout the remainder of the lifespan, speculated to reflect neuronal shrinkage and reductions in number of spines and synapses (16), although similar to development, we lack data to support a direct connection between cortical thinning and specific neurobiological events.It has been demonstrated that genetic correlations between thickness in different surface locations can be used to parcellate the adult cortex into regions of maximal shared genetic influence (4). This result can be interpreted according to the hypothesis that genetically programmed neurodevelopmental events cause lasting impact on the organization of the cerebral cortex detectable decades later (4–6). Here we tested how developmental and lifespan changes fit the genetic organization of cortical thickness in a large longitudinal sample with 1,633 scans from 974 participants between 4.1 and 88.5 y of age, including 773 scans from children below 12 y Genetically based subdivisions of cortical thickness from an independent dataset of 406 twins (4) were applied to the data, yielding 12 separate regions under maximum control of shared genetic influences. We hypothesized that thickness in cortical regions with overlapping genetic architecture would show similar developmental and adult age change trajectories and dissimilar trajectories for regions with low genetic overlap.     

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography in routine rheumatology practice: data from Central and Eastern European countries

The main aim was to gain structured insight into the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) in routine rheumatology practices in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. In a cross-sectional, observational, international, multicenter survey, a questionnaire was sent to investigational sites in CEE countries. Data on all subsequent routine MSUS examinations, site characteristics, MSUS equipment, and investigators were collected over 6 months or up to 100 examinations per center. A total of 95 physicians at 44 sites in 9 countries provided information on a total of 2810 MSUS examinations. The most frequent diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (34.8 and 14.9 % of cases, respectively). Mean number of joints examined was 6.8. MSUS was most frequently performed for diagnostic purposes (58 %), particularly in patients with undifferentiated arthritis, suspected soft tissue disorders, or osteoarthritis (73.0–85.3 %). In RA patients, 56.3 % of examinations were conducted to monitor disease activity. Nearly all investigations (99 %) had clinical implications, while the results of 78.6 % of examinations (51.6–99.0 %) were deemed useful for patient education. This first standardized multicountry survey performed in CEEs provided a structured documentation of the routine MSUS use in participating countries. The majority of MSUS examinations were performed for diagnostic purposes, whereas one-third was conducted to monitor disease activity in RA. A majority of examinations had an impact on clinical decision making and were also found to be useful for patient education.