Article
Neurosciences
Syed M. Adil, Evan Calabrese, Lefko T. Charalambous, James J. Cook, Shervin Rahimpour, Ahmet F. Atik, Gary P. Cofer, Beth A. Parente, G. Allan Johnson, Shivanand P. Lad, Leonard E. White
Summary: This study successfully constructed an atlas of the human brainstem using high-resolution MRI technology, which is available online for interactive use, providing a new tool for neuroanatomical education and research.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Paul D. Griffiths, Mariasavina Severino, Deborah Jarvis, Laura Mandefield, Cecilia Parazzini, Lorenzo Pinelli, Marco Di Maurizio, Fabio Triulzi, Elisa Scola, Giorgio Conte, Giovanni Palumbo, Maurilio Genovese, Andrea Rossi, Renzo Guerrini, Andrea Righini
Summary: The study included 64 foetuses with cortical formation abnormalities (CFA) who underwent two in utero magnetic resonance (iuMR) exams, with 62% showing consistent CFA description between the two studies. In 38% of cases, there was a category change, including cases without CFA initially detected, changes in laterality/symmetry, and re-classification within the same group. Brain abnormalities other than CFA were present in around half of the cases on both first and second studies. Prognosis was predicted to have changed in 8% of cases based on the second study, with all indicating a worse prognosis.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Darius A. Gerlach, Jorge Manuel, Alex Hoff, Hendrik Kronsbein, Fabian Hoffmann, Karsten Heusser, Heimo Ehmke, Jens Jordan, Jens Tank, Florian Beissner
Summary: The study utilized high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging to reveal the hypothalamic and medullary responses to acute hypoxia in healthy men, providing insights into the central pathways integrating chemoreflexes and the potential for studying cardiovascular disease and responses to chemoreceptor modulation.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Feifei Qu, Taotao Sun, Yongsheng Chen, Brijesh Kumar Yadav, Ling Jiang, Zhaoxia Qian, E. Mark Haacke
Summary: The study utilized STAGE imaging to estimate tissue properties in the fetal brain, finding that the ratios of T-1app and PDapp in different regions varied, indicating the potential utility of STAGE imaging for assessing fetal brain properties.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Alvaro Planchuelo-Gomez, David Garcia-Azorin, Angel L. Guerrero, Santiago Aja-Fernandez, Margarita Rodriguez, Rodrigo de Luis-Garcia
Summary: No specific migraine biomarkers have been identified in single-modality MRI studies, but a multimodal MRI analysis revealed structural connectivity abnormalities in chronic and episodic migraine patients. Differences in connectivity patterns between cortical and subcortical regions were observed, shedding new light on the association between brain structure and connectivity in migraine.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Pauline Mouches, Matthias Wilms, Deepthi Rajashekar, Sonke Langner, Nils D. Forkert
Summary: This study aimed to develop deep learning models to predict biological brain age using multimodal imaging data. The results showed that combining T1-weighted and angiography MRI data significantly improved prediction accuracy, while also identifying the most contributing brain regions and arteries.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yaxin Cao, Shundao Cao, Ri-Li Ge, Haihua Bao, Yalin Mou, Weizhong Ji
Summary: This study found that chronic hypoxia exposure at high altitude can increase neuronal apoptosis and cause structural and functional changes in the brain, which may be related to brain aging.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Nan Zhang, Linfeng Yang, Aiqing Han, Yuanyuan Wang, Guiwu Zhao, Yue Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: Preeclampsia-related reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PE-RPLS) is a common complication of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, occurring after 20 weeks of gestation and leading to brain injury. Severe cases may present with severe headache, seizures, disturbance of consciousness, and other neurological symptoms. PE-RPLS has high morbidity and mortality rates and severely impacts maternal and fetal health. Advances in medical imaging technology have provided important imaging basis for early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation, especially MRI findings.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Ji Sook Kim, Hyun-Hae Cho, Ji-Yeon Shin, Sook-Hyun Park, Yu-Sun Min, Byunggeon Park, Jihoon Hong, Seo Young Park, Myong-Hun Hahm, Moon Jung Hwang, So Mi Lee
Summary: The study investigates the predictability of synthetic relaxometry for neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants and evaluates the performance of combining relaxation times with clinical variables or qualitative MRI abnormalities. The results show that prolonged T1-frontal/parietal and T2-parietal periventricular white matter, moderate-to-severe white matter abnormality, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia are significantly associated with moderate/severe disability. The combination of clinical variables and T1-parietal PVWM or MRI finding and T1-frontal PVWM improves prediction compared to individual models.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jackson Tyler Boonstra, Stijn Michielse, Alard Roebroeck, Yasin Temel, Ali Jahanshahi
Summary: The emerging field of ultra-high field MRI allows for higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratios in imaging human brains. A custom-built nonferromagnetic container has been developed to address challenges in postmortem imaging and effectively submerge and contain tissue samples for high quality MR imaging of brain material.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Annette Thierauf-Emberger, Dominik Schuldis, Michael Dacko, Thomas Lange
Summary: This study used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate the kinetics of ethanol concentration in the human brain after oral consumption. The results showed a good correlation between plasma and brain ethanol concentrations, indicating rapid equilibrium between blood and brain. The ethanol concentrations in the brain were substantially lower than in the plasma, suggesting only 63% visibility of ethanol in brain tissue. There were significant inter-individual differences in brain ethanol concentrations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Caohui Duan, Yongqin Xiong, Kun Cheng, Sa Xiao, Jinhao Lyu, Cheng Wang, Xiangbing Bian, Jing Zhang, Dekang Zhang, Ling Chen, Xin Zhou, Xin Lou
Summary: A complex-valued convolutional neural network (ComplexNet) was developed to accelerate susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and showed superior performance compared to conventional methods, providing high-quality images for clinical brain imaging.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Weizhao Lu, Yuanyuan Sun, Hui Gao, Jianfeng Qiu
Summary: The increasing number of women in the perimenopausal phase due to global population ageing highlights the importance of studying the perimenopausal brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used to reveal brain alterations associated with perimenopausal symptoms. This review collects literature on perimenopausal brain using MRI techniques, describes the changes in brain structure, function, perfusion, and metabolic compounds, and provides a perspective on future multi-modal MRI studies in the perimenopausal brain. Further research is needed to address the neural heterogeneity in the perimenopausal brain for precise diagnosis and personalized treatment of perimenopausal symptoms.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
N. Tuovinen, A. Stefani, T. Mitterling, A. Heidbreder, B. Frauscher, E. R. Gizewski, W. Poewe, B. Hoegl, C. Scherfler
Summary: Patients with restless legs syndrome showed alterations in connectivity within different resting-state networks, with some networks showing increased connectivity and others showing decreased connectivity, corresponding to regions associated with attention, response inhibitory control, and processing of sensory information. Patients on dopaminergic medication displayed increased connectivity between the thalamus and prefrontal regions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Elles P. Elschot, Walter H. Backes, Alida A. Postma, Robert J. van Oostenbrugge, Julie Staals, Rob P. W. Rouhl, Jacobus F. A. Jansen
Summary: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial for maintaining homeostasis within the brain and is increasingly associated with various neurological diseases. MRI techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI, are commonly used for noninvasive assessment of BBB integrity. Other alternative techniques targeting different aspects of the BBB, such as using endogenous markers like water and glucose, are also available. A comprehensive overview of current MRI techniques to assess BBB condition and potential applications in disease is provided, with discussions on improvements needed for clinical applicability.
INVESTIGATIVE RADIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Zsofia Gal, Dora Torok, Xenia Gonda, Nora Eszlari, Ian Muir Anderson, Bill Deakin, Gabriella Juhasz, Gyorgy Bagdy, Peter Petschner
Summary: Evidence from a population genetic database showed that variation in the CLDN5 gene can modulate the effects of the IL6 gene variant in stress-induced depression in humans. The interaction among interleukin-6, claudin-5, and recent stress may be involved in the development of depression. These genetic polymorphisms may help to identify individuals at higher risk for stress-induced depression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Alice Egerton, Kira Griffiths, Cecila Casetta, Bill Deakin, Richard Drake, Oliver D. D. Howes, Laura Kassoumeri, Sobia Khan, Steve Lankshear, Jane Lees, Shon Lewis, Elena Mikulskaya, Edward Millgate, Ebenezer Oloyede, Rebecca Pollard, Nathalie Rich, Aviv Segev, Kyra-Verena Sendt, James H. H. MacCabe
Summary: This study suggests that elevated glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are associated with poor response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. However, glutamate metabolites in the caudate are not predictive of treatment response. These findings highlight the potential utility of glutamate as a biomarker for predicting treatment response in early psychosis.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Nana Feng, Lena Palaniyappan, Trevor W. Robbins, Luolong Cao, Shuanfeng Fang, Xingwei Luo, Xiang Wang, Qiang Luo
Summary: Impaired working memory (WM) is a core dysfunction in schizophrenia, characterized by deficits in both attention and WM processing. Patients show linear modulation of brain activation in frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks, while controls exhibit an inverted U-shaped response pattern in the left anterior cingulate cortex. These modulation effects are associated with gene expressions related to the dopamine neurotransmitter system.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jonathan W. Kanen, Qiang Luo, Mojtaba Rostami Kandroodi, Rudolf N. Cardinal, Trevor W. Robbins, David J. Nutt, Robin L. Carhart-Harris, Hanneke E. M. den Ouden
Summary: The study aimed to investigate how LSD affects probabilistic reversal learning in healthy individuals. The results showed that LSD increased the reward and punishment learning rates, decreased stimulus stickiness, and induced a state of heightened plasticity.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sameer Jauhar, Danilo Arnone, David S. Baldwin, Michael Bloomfield, Michael Browning, Anthony J. Cleare, Phillip Corlett, J. F. William Deakin, David Erritzoe, Cynthia Fu, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Guy M. Goodwin, Joseph Hayes, Robert Howard, Oliver D. Howes, Mario F. Juruena, Raymond W. Lam, Stephen M. Lawrie, Hamish McAllister-Williams, Steven Marwaha, David Matuskey, Robert A. McCutcheon, David J. Nutt, Carmine Pariante, Toby Pillinger, Rajiv Radhakrishnan, James Rucker, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Paul Stokes, Rachel Upthegrove, Nefize Yalin, Lakshmi Yatham, Allan H. Young, Roland Zahn, Philip J. Cowen
Summary: A recent umbrella review found no consistent evidence linking serotonin to the pathophysiology of depression. However, we argue that this conclusion is overstated due to methodological weaknesses, selective reporting of data, oversimplification, and errors in the interpretation of neuropsychopharmacological findings. We use the examples of tryptophan depletion and serotonergic molecular imaging, the two most relevant research areas, to support our argument.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Xiaoxuan Yan, Ru Kong, Aihuiping Xue, Qing Yang, Csaba Orban, Lijun An, Avram J. Holmes, Xing Qian, Jianzhong Chen, Xi-Nian Zuo, Juan Helen Zhou, Marielle Fortier, Ai Peng Tan, Peter Gluckman, Yap Seng Chong, Michael J. Meaney, Danilo Bzdok, Simon B. Eickhoff, B. T. Thomas Yeo
Summary: Resting-state fMRI is used to derive brain parcellations, and researchers have developed a model for estimating areal-level cortical parcellations. They extended the model to derive homotopic parcellations and demonstrated their potential applications in studying brain lateralization. The results highlight the significance of homotopic parcellations in subdividing the cerebral cortex into functional regions.
Article
Psychiatry
Michal M. Graczyk, Barbara J. Sahakian, Trevor W. Robbins, Karen D. Ersche
Summary: Not everyone who uses drugs loses control over their intake, which is a hallmark of addiction. Although familial risk studies suggest significant addiction heritability, the genetic basis of vulnerability to drug addiction remains largely unknown. In this study, the researchers examined the relationship between self-control, cocaine use, and a specific gene variant (rs36024) associated with the noradrenaline transporter gene. They found that individuals carrying the C-allele of this gene exhibited impaired self-control, particularly in the context of chronic cocaine use. Patients with cocaine use disorder who had the CC genotype showed longer stop-signal reaction time and fewer successful stops compared to healthy controls and patients with the TT genotype. These findings suggest that rs36024 may be a potential genetic vulnerability marker for cocaine addiction.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Julia Sinclair, Thomas R. E. Barnes, Anne Lingford-Hughes, Colin Drummond, Ignatius Loubser, Olivia Rendora, Carol Paton
Summary: A comparison of medically assisted alcohol withdrawal (MAAW) between acute adult wards and specialist addiction units reveals that the involvement of clinicians with specialist addiction training leads to higher quality care, including comprehensive assessment and treatment interventions. This has implications for improving the provision of MAAW in acute adult mental health settings.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Andreas-Antonios Roussakis, Marta Gennaro, Mark Forrest Gordon, Ralf Reilmann, Beth Borowsky, Gail Rynkowski, Nicholas P. Lao-Kaim, Zoe Papoutsou, Juha-Matti Savola, Michael R. Hayden, David R. Owen, Nicola Kalk, Anne Lingford-Hughes, Roger N. Gunn, Graham Searle, Sarah J. Tabrizi, Paola Piccini
Summary: This longitudinal study demonstrates that the treatment of laquinimod in Huntington's disease does not affect regional microglia activation. Microglia activation is believed to be related to inflammation in the central nervous system and the progression of Huntington's disease. However, laquinimod is capable of regulating microglia. The study also shows that C-11-PBR28 PET-CT imaging can be used to assess regional gliosis and the effects of laquinimod treatment.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Kim Donoghue, Sadie Boniface, Eileen Brobbin, Sarah Byford, Rachel Coleman, Simon Coulton, Edward Day, Ranjita Dhital, Anum Farid, Laura Hermann, Amy Jordan, Andreas Kimergard, Maria-Leoni Koutsou, Anne Lingford-Hughes, John Marsden, Joanne Neale, Aimee O'Neill, Thomas Phillips, James Shearer, Julia Sinclair, Joanna Smith, John Strang, John Weinman, Cate Whittlesea, Kideshini Widyaratna, Colin Drummond
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Medication Management in enhancing adherence to acamprosate. The results showed that Medication Management enhanced with Contingency Management is more beneficial for supporting patients to take acamprosate. However, there was no significant difference compared to Medication Management alone.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
R. Rodrigues, E. Z. Mehesz, A. Lingford-Hughes, M. Di Simplicio
Summary: This study used a Dot Probe Task to investigate attentional biases in individuals with self-harm. The results showed that the self-harm group had a higher level of avoidance towards self-harm cues, while the negative affect group had less difficulty disengaging from these cues. The study also suggested that further research is needed to determine whether these attentional biases can serve as markers for treatment response or susceptibility to relapse in individuals with self-harm.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Kira Griffiths, Sophie E. Smart, Gareth J. Barker, Bill Deakin, Stephen M. Lawrie, Shon Lewis, David J. Lythgoe, Antonio F. Pardinas, Krishna Singh, Scott Semple, James T. R. Walters, Stephen R. Williams, Alice Egerton, James H. Maccabe
Summary: This study found an association between NMDA receptor complex pathway polygenic scores and lower anterior cingulate cortex glutamate levels in patients with schizophrenia. This association was specific to when the polygenic scores were weighted by SNP associations with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bence Bruncsics, Gabor Hullam, Bence Bolgar, Peter Petschner, Andras Millinghoffer, Kinga Gecse, Nora Eszlari, Xenia Gonda, Debra J. Jones, Sorrel T. Burden, Peter Antal, Bill Deakin, Gyorgy Bagdy, Gabriella Juhasz
Summary: Manipulation of tryptophan intake can rapidly induce and alleviate depression symptoms. This study investigates the effect of habitual tryptophan intake on mood symptoms and the influence of genetic factors. High dietary tryptophan ratio provides a protective effect against depression. Genetic associations with depression are found in the low tryptophan ratio group, particularly in serotonin and kynurenine pathways. Understanding the interaction between genetics and diet can lead to personalized prevention and intervention for mood disorders.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mark Thursz, Anne Lingford-Hughes
Summary: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a leading contributor to liver-related morbidity and mortality, and its burden is increasing. The disease is influenced by genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Despite long-term excessive alcohol consumption, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, missing opportunities for intervention. Non-invasive tests have shown promise in early detection. Public health measures and individual interventions have limited ability to reduce the disease burden due to a lack of effective interventions. Abstinence from alcohol is crucial for established ALD patients, and liver transplant is indicated in cases of decompensated ALD. Understanding the mechanisms of alcohol-induced liver disease offers potential for new treatments, but funding in this area has been historically inadequate.
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Carmen Jimenez-Mesa, Juan E. Arco, Francisco Jesus Martinez-Murcia, John Suckling, Javier Ramirez, Juan Manuel Gorriz
Summary: The integration of PET and SPECT imaging techniques with ML algorithms, including DL models, is a promising approach that enhances diagnostic and treatment strategies, as well as provides invaluable insights into disease mechanisms.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)