Quantifying arbitrary magnetic susceptibility distributions with MR.

Magnetic susceptibility, as a physical property of materials, plays important roles in many physical, chemical, engineering, and medical applications. Its quantification becomes of significant interest when MRI becomes a commonly used technique in biomedical applications. A general method is presented here for quantifying arbitrary magnetic susceptibility distributions in a localized region on the basis of first principles of magnetic induction field distributions in space. A proof of the concept was demonstrated by computer simulations. The study establishes the methodological basis for quantitative magnetic susceptibility imaging with MR.     

原发纵隔囊肿影像学表现

目的探讨原发纵隔囊肿影像表现特征,提高影像诊断的准确率。方法回顾性分析经手术病理证实且资料完整的42例原发纵隔囊肿的影像学表现。所有病例均摄胸部后前位与侧位片,胸部CT平扫29例,其中15例行增强扫描,胸部MRI平扫6例。观察病变的部位、大小、形态、密度(信号)、边缘、壁及其厚度、邻近结构。每一病种均分为影像征象典型与不典型2类。结果病变位于前纵隔28例,中、后纵隔各7例。上纵隔9例,中纵隔24例,下纵隔9例。支气管囊肿9例,囊性淋巴管瘤4例,胸腺囊肿11例,心包囊肿5例,成熟性囊性畸胎瘤13例。影像征象典型38例,不典型4例。结论90%的纵隔囊肿,根据CT、MRI显示的病变部位与内部密度、信号特征,可做出正确的影像诊断;不典型者确诊仍依靠手术病理。     

Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson''s disease: electropermeabilization and activation

Deep brain stimulation, DBS, is an accepted technique for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. DBS affects the electrical functions of neurons, but exactly how it alters those functions is not clearly explained. An electrical model is determined to simulate treatment with DBS of the sub thalamic nucleus. This model shows the difference in electrical fields between the inside and the outside the neurons. The generated electrical field near the electrodes is high enough to perform an electropermeabilization of the cell membranes, which most likely blockade normal nerve pulses or reduce the nerve impulse speed. Further away from the electrodes activation of large axons is performed.     

Eight-channel transmit/receive body MRI coil at 3T.

Multichannel transmit magnetic resonance imaging (MR) systems have the potential to compensate for signal-intensity variations occurring at higher field strengths due to wave propagation effects in tissue. Methods such as RF shimming and local excitation in combination with parallel transmission can be applied to compensate for these effects. Moreover, parallel transmission can be applied to ease the excitation of arbitrarily shaped magnetization patterns. The implementation of these methods adds new requirements in terms of MRI hardware. This article describes the design of a decoupled eight-element transmit/receive body coil for 3T. The setup of the coil is explained, starting with standard single-channel resonators. Special focus is placed on the decoupling of the elements to obtain independent RF resonators. After a brief discussion of the underlying theory, the properties and limitations of the coil are outlined. Finally, the functionality and capabilities of the coil are demonstrated using RF measurements as well as MRI sequences.     

椎管内神经鞘瘤的MRI诊断

目的：提高对椎管内神经鞘瘤的MRI诊断水平。方法：回顾性分析手术病理证实的11例椎管内神经鞘瘤的病理组织学所见及MRI表现。结果：11例MRI检查均清晰显示椎管内神经鞘瘤的形态，信号特征，其中8例在硬膜内，2例居硬膜内外，1例位于硬膜外，1例为多发，增强后瘤体明显强化。结论：MRI对椎管内神经鞘瘤的定位及定性诊断颇有价值。     

MR扩散加权成像鉴别脑结核瘤及高级星形细胞瘤和脑转移瘤的价值

目的探讨MR扩散加权成像（DWI）在脑结核瘤、高级星形细胞瘤和脑转移瘤鉴别诊断中的价值。方法14例脑结核瘤、15例脑高级星形细胞瘤和21例脑转移瘤患者，在术前或接受治疗前行常规MRI和DWI。测量并计算3种疾病瘤体、瘤周围水肿带的平均表观扩散系数（ADC）值和病灶与对侧相应部位正常脑白质区ADC值的比值（rADC值）。结果脑结核瘤瘤体平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（1．2±0．2）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和1．6±0．3，高级星形细胞瘤瘤体平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（0．8±0．1）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和1．1±0．1，转移瘤瘤体平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（0．8±0．1）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和1．0±0．2。3种疾病瘤体平均ADC值（F=33．57，P〈0．01）之间和rADC值（F=33．27，P〈0．01）之间差异均有统计学意义。脑结核瘤瘤周水肿带平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（1．8±0．1）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和2．5±0．2，脑高级星形细胞瘤瘤周水肿带平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（1．4±0．2）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和1．8±0．3，脑转移瘤瘤周水肿带平均ADC值和rADC值分别为（1．9±0．2）×10^-3mm^2·s^-1和2．3±0．5。3种疾病瘤周围水肿带平均ADC值（F=23．17，P〈0．01）之间和rADC值（F=5．94，P〈0．01）之间差异均有统计学意义。结论结合MRI、DWI检测方法，根据病灶瘤体和瘤周水肿带的ADC和rADC值可帮助鉴别脑结核瘤、脑高级星形细胞瘤和脑转移瘤。     

Caffeine restores regional brain activation in acute hypoglycaemia in healthy volunteers.

AIMS: Caffeine enhances counterregulatory responses to acute hypoglycaemia. Our aim was to explore its effects on cortical function, which are not known at present. METHODS: Regional brain activation during performance of the four-choice reaction time (4CRT) at different levels of complexity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at euglycaemia (5 mmol/l) and hypoglycaemia (2.6 mmol/l) in the presence and absence of caffeine in six healthy right-handed men. RESULTS: During hypoglycaemia, caffeine enhanced adrenaline responses to hypoglycaemia (2.5 +/- 0.7 nmol/l to 4.0 +/- 1.0 nmol/l, P = 0.01) and restored the brain activation response to the non-cued 4CRT, the linear increases in regional brain activation associated with increased task complexity and the ability to respond to a cue that were lost in hypoglycaemia alone. CONCLUSIONS: Caffeine can sustain regional brain activation patterns lost in acute hypoglycaemia, with some restoration of cortical function and enhanced adrenaline responsiveness. A methodology has been established that may help in the development of therapies to protect against severe hypoglycaemia in insulin therapy for patients with diabetes and problematic hypoglycaemia.     

大脑中动脉钙化的CT与经颅多普勒超声对照研究

目的探讨大脑中动脉（middle cerebral artery,MCA）水平段（M1）钙化的量化指标与血流动力学的关系。资料与方法搜集经头颅CT确诊M1段钙化且行经颅多普勒超声（transcranial Doppler,TCD）检查者41例,按有无钙化分为钙化组和无钙化组。分析MCA钙化组血流动力学参数与钙化量化指标是否有相关性;检验钙化组与无钙化组血流动力学参数及狭窄发生率的差异。结果MCA搏动指数（pulsatility index,PI）与钙化体积以及积分值呈线性相关;钙化组与无钙化组PI差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,但狭窄发生率差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论MCA钙化程度与TCD反映血管弹性的PI相关,但与反映狭窄程度的血流速度无相关性。     

Interhemispheric and ipsilateral connections in Parkinson's disease: relation to mirror movements.

Mirror movements (MM) occur in early, asymmetric Parkinson's disease (PD). To examine the pathophysiology of MM in PD, we studied 13 PD patients with MM (PD-MM), 7 PD patients without MM (PD-NM), and 14 normal subjects. Cross-correlogram did not detect common synaptic input to motoneuron pools innervating homologous hand muscles in PD-MM patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies showed no significant difference in ipsilateral motor-evoked potentials between PD-MM patients and normal subjects. The MM side of PD-MM patients showed a slower increase in ipsilateral silent period area with higher level of muscle contraction than the non-MM side and normal subjects. There was less interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) at long interstimulus intervals of 20 to 50 ms in PD-MM than PD-NM. IHI reduced short interval intracortical inhibition in normal subjects and PD-NM, but not in PD-MM. IHI significantly increased intracortical facilitation in PD-MM and PD-NM patients, but not in normal subjects. Our results suggest that MM in PD is due to activation of the contralateral motor cortex. PD-MM patients had reduced transcallosal inhibitory effects on cortical output neurons and on intracortical inhibitory circuits compared to PD-NM patients and controls. These deficits in transcallosal inhibition may contribute to MM in PD patients.     

Quadro-pulse stimulation is more effective than paired-pulse stimulation for plasticity induction of the human motor cortex

OBJECTIVE: Repetitive paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at I-wave periodicity has been shown to induce a motor-evoked potential (MEP) facilitation. We hypothesized that a greater enhancement of motor cortical excitability is provoked by increasing the number of pulses per train beyond those by paired-pulse stimulation (PPS). METHODS: We explored motor cortical excitability changes induced by repetitive application of trains of four monophasic magnetic pulses (quadro-pulse stimulation: QPS) at 1.5-ms intervals, repeated every 5s over the motor cortex projecting to the hand muscles. The aftereffects of QPS were evaluated with MEPs to a single-pulse TMS, motor threshold (MT), and responses to brain-stem stimulation. These effects were compared to those after PPS. To evaluate the QPS safety, we also studied the spread of excitation and after discharge using surface electromyograms (EMGs) of hand and arm muscles. RESULTS: Sizes of MEPs from the hand muscle were enhanced for longer than 75min after QPS; they reverted to the baseline at 90min. Responses to brain-stem stimulation from the hand muscle and cortical MEPs from the forearm muscle were unchanged after QPS over the hand motor area. MT was unaffected by QPS. No spreads of excitation were detected after QPS. The appearance rate of after discharges during QPS was not different from that during sham stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that QPS can safely induce long-lasting, topographically specific enhancement of motor cortical excitability. SIGNIFICANCE: QPS is more effective than PPS for inducing motor cortical plasticity.