Search

Childhood maltreatment is reportedly associated with atypical gray matter structures in the primary visual cortex (V1). This study explores the hypothesis that retinal structures, the sensory organs of vision, are associated with brain atypicality and child maltreatment and examines their interrelation. General ophthalmologic examinations, visual cognitive tasks, retinal imaging, and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were conducted in children and adolescents aged 9-18 years with maltreatment experiences (CM) and typically developing (TD) children. The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), the most superficial of the ten distinct retinal layers, was found to be significantly thinner in both eyes in CM. While whole-brain analysis using Voxel-based morphometry revealed a significantly larger gray matter volume (GMV) in the thalamus in CM, no significant correlation with RNFL thickness was observed. However, based on region-of-interest analysis, a thinner RNFL was associated with a larger GMV in the right V1. Although it cannot be ruled out that this outcome resulted from maltreatment alone, CM demonstrated subclinical structural atypicality in the retina, which may also correlate with the immaturity of V1 development. Examination of retinal thickness offers a novel clinical approach to capturing characteristics associated with childhood maltreatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Child maltreatment can adversely affect brain development, leading to vulnerabilities in brain structure and function and various psychiatric disorders. Among the various types of child maltreatment, neglect has the highest incidence rate (76.0%); however, data on its sole adverse influence on the brain remain limited. This case-control brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study identified the changes in gray matter structure and function that distinguish neglected children with no other type of maltreatment (Neglect group, n = 23) from typically developing children (TD group, n = 140), and investigated the association between these structural and functional differences and specific psychosocial phenotypes observed in neglected children. Our results showed that the Neglect group had a larger right and left anterior cingulate cortex (R/L.ACC) and smaller left angular gyrus (L.AG) gray matter volume. The larger R/L.ACC was associated with hyperactivity and inattention. Resting-state functional analysis showed increased functional connectivity (FC) between the left supramarginal gyrus (L.SMG) in the salience network (SN) and the right middle frontal gyrus (R.MFG) simultaneously with a decrease in FC with the L.ACC for the same seed. The increased FC for the R.MFG was associated with difficulty in peer problems and depressive symptoms; a mediating effect was evident for depressive symptoms. These results suggest that the structural atypicality of the R/L.ACC indirectly contributes to the disturbed FCs within the SN, thereby exacerbating depressive symptoms in neglected children. In conclusion, exposure to neglect in childhood may lead to maladaptive brain development, particularly neural changes associated with depressive symptoms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Attention ability is one of the most important cognitive functions. It develops mainly during school age. However, the neural basis for the typical development of attentional functions has not been fully investigated. To clarify the development of the aforementioned function and its neural basis, this study examined brain function in children and adolescents during the performance of an attention network test (ANT) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. One hundred and sixty-three volunteers (8-23 years, 80 female) participated in this study. Using a modified version of ANT, we assessed the efficiency of two attentional functions-orienting and executive attention-by measuring how reaction time is affected by spatial cue location and flanker congruency and examined the functional brain areas-attentional networks-associated with two attentional functions. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, the superior parietal lobule, visual association cortex, left precentral gyrus, and supplementary motor area were activated during the orienting attention, while the anterior cingulate cortex, visual association cortex, lateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and caudate were activated during the executive attention. Moreover, negative correlations with age were found for activations in the inferior frontal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and caudate nucleus in the orienting attention, while no correlations with age related to executive attention were found. In conclusion, this study revealed common and distinct features in the neural basis of the attentional functions in children and adolescents compared with that of adults and their developmental changes with age., (© 2022 The Authors. Neuropsychopharmacology Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japanese Society of Neuropsychopharmacology.)

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) can cause irreversible pathological changes in the canine brain and can be life-threatening, so prompt diagnosis and therapeutic responses are warranted. The purposes of this prospective experimental study were to evaluate phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) as a non-invasive method for quantifying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and basilar artery flow, and to assess effects of intravenous administration of hypertonic fluid. A PC-MRI scan was acquired for six healthy Beagle dogs at the level of the mesencephalic aqueduct. Either 1.0 g/kg mannitol or isotonic saline solution was administered intravenously for 15 min each at a matched dose volume of 5 mL/kg. Basilar artery and CSF flow rates were measured and their values compared between mannitol and isotonic saline solution groups before administration, and subsequently every 15 min for 2 h post-administration. The CSF dynamics were further assessed by measuring repeat flow from the caudal to rostral direction and the rostral to caudal direction as the number of waves. No significant difference was observed in basilar or and CSF flow velocity between the two groups (P > .05). However, administration of isotonic saline solution tended to increase basilar artery velocity slightly over time, while CSF velocity remained unchanged. In the mannitol group, CSF wave forms tended to be reduced at 60 and 75 min (P > .05). Findings from this preliminary study indicated that it is feasible to measure the dynamics of CSF and basilar artery flow by PC-MRI, but no flow differences could be detected for mannitol versus isotonic saline administration., (© 2020 American College of Veterinary Radiology.)

Daytime napping offers various benefits for healthy adults, including enhancement of motor skill learning. It remains controversial whether napping can provide the same enhancement as overnight sleep, and if so, whether the same neural underpinning is recruited. To investigate this issue, we conducted functional MRI during motor skill learning, before and after a short day-nap, in 13 participants, and compared them with a larger group (n=47) who were tested following regular overnight sleep. Training in a sequential finger-tapping task required participants to press a keyboard in the MRI scanner with their non-dominant left hand as quickly and accurately as possible. The nap group slept for 60min in the scanner after the training run, and the previously trained skill was subsequently re-tested. The whole-night sleep group went home after the training, and was tested the next day. Offline improvement of speed was observed in both groups, whereas accuracy was significantly improved only in the whole-night sleep group. Correspondingly, the offline increment in task-related activation was significant in the putamen of the whole-night group. This finding reveals a qualitative difference in the offline improvement effect between daytime napping and overnight sleep., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Positive social interactions contribute to the sense that one's life has meaning. Enjoyment of feelings associated through social interaction motivates humans to build social connections according to their personal preferences. Therefore, we hypothesized that social interaction itself activates the reward system in a manner that depends upon individual interaction preferences. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in which 38 participants played a virtual ball-toss game in which the number of ball tosses to the participant was either similar to (normal-frequency condition) or higher than (high-frequency condition) the number of tosses to the other players. Participants reported greater-than-anticipated enjoyment during the high-frequency condition, suggesting that receiving a social reward led to unexpected positive feelings. Consistent with this, the high-frequency condition produced stronger activation in the ventral striatum, which is part of the reward system, and the precuneus, representing positive self-image, which might be translated to social reward. Furthermore, ventral striatal activation covaried with individual participants' preference for interactions with others. These findings suggest that an elevated frequency of social interaction is represented as a social reward, which might motivate individuals to promote social interaction in a manner that is modulated by personal preference.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe MRI findings in 11 patients with mucinous adenocarcinomas arising from fistula in ano., Conclusion: More than half of patients had a mass filled with markedly hyperintense content on T2-weighted fast spin-echo images, enhancing solid components within the mass, mesh-like internal enhancement, fluid collections without a thick fibrous capsule, contrast enhancement of peritumoral areas, and a fistula between the mass and the anus. Regional areas of lymph node enlargement were considered indirect findings of locally advanced mucinous adenocarcinoma. These MRI findings may help diagnose mucinous adenocarcinomas arising from fistula in ano.

Background: Usefulness and ability of diffusion and perfusion weighted magnetic resonance images (DWI and PWI) to detect intracerebral haemodynamic disturbance have not been fully evaluated., Methods: After the right common carotid artery had been ligated, rats were exsanguinated to maintain a mean arterial pressure of 35, 42, or 50 mm Hg (n=6, each group). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were calculated from DWIs and lesion volume (area) was defined based on ADC values (ADC lesion volume (area))., Results: ADC lesion volume during exsanguination in the 35 mm Hg group (417 (111) mm(3), P<0.01) was significantly larger than in the 42 mm Hg group (87 (84) mm(3)) and 50 mm Hg group (42 (58) mm(3)). The low relative cerebral blood flow area, calculated from PWI, was significantly larger during exsanguination in the 35 mm Hg group than in the other groups. ADC lesion volume in the six rats that died within 3 days of the MRI study was significantly larger (median 421 mm(3), range 205-476 mm(3), P<0.005) than in the 12 rats that survived for 3 days (median 26 mm(3), range 3-517 mm(3)). Rats with an ADC lesion area over 14 mm(2) on the coronal slice including the caudate putamen during exsanguination died within 3 days or revealed a more severe histopathological outcome than those that survived for 3 days., Conclusions: Incomplete cerebral ischaemia created by the combination of common carotid artery occlusion and exsanguination could be detected by DWI and PWI both qualitatively and quantitatively. The size of the lesion on ADC mapping was found to correlate with mortality and outcome.

Thromboembolic stroke appears to evolve in patients in a very complicated manner. The present study investigated the evolution of thromboembolic stroke in rats (n=9) using a 4.7-T MR imager. Under isoflurane anaesthesia, the rats received homologous blood clots into the right internal carotid artery. After thromboembolic stroke, lesion volume, which was defined and calculated, based on apparent diffusion coefficient maps, tended to increase gradually over the 6 h magnetic resonance imaging study. The largest percentage change in lesion volume was found at the early stage (40-100 min) of thromboembolism, and showed significant correlation with total percentage change in lesion volume (41.6 (SD 32.8%)) (r=0.77, P<0.05). In conclusion, marked enlargement or diminution of lesion volume may be observed at the early stage of thromboembolism. Thromboembolic stroke, which can be partly salvaged at the early stage, may likely evolve to a lesser extent thereafter.

Purpose: To examine whether the pituitary gland enlarges in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH)., Materials and Methods: All six patients were women ranging in age from 17 to 51 years. They developed severe headache that was completely relieved by lying flat, and MR imaging showed diffuse enhancement of the pachymeninx. They were clinically diagnosed with SIH. The height of the pituitary gland was measured on midsagittal MR image., Results: Pituitary heights ranged from 8 to 11 mm. The measurements were greater than the size of the normal pituitary gland in women described age-matched in the previous report. In one case, follow-up MR images showed that the size of the pituitary gland was decreased from 11 to 5 mm in height., Conclusion: The pituitary gland was enlarged in all six patients with SIH on MR images. SIH may cause enlarged pituitary gland.

The MRI appearances of calcification within intracranial tumours was assessed by reviewing MR images of 11 calcified tumours documented by CT. The signal intensity of the calcified regions was varied and nonspecific on both T1- and T2-weighted images. They were seen as signal void exclusively on T2-weighted images in only 2 patients. Gadolinium enhancement of the calcified portion occurred in 7 of 10 patients. These findings reflect the presence of tumour parenchyma within the calcified region, as proved in 5 lesions examined histologically.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI) of three patients with subdural (SDE) and two with epidural empyemas (EDE) were reviewed. In each case, the capsule of the lesion demonstrated enhancement, and distinction between capsule and contents was obvious on contrast-enhanced images. In SDE, contrast-enhanced images clearly depicted thickening of the neighbouring dura mater and a co-existent brain abscess. In EDE, part of the displaced dura mater did not enhance, which facilitated differentiation from SDE. Contrast-enhanced MRI was thus of value in diagnosis.