Microstructural white matter alterations associated to neurocognitive deficits in childhood leukemia survivors treated with cranial radiotherapy - a diffusional kurtosis study.

Cranial radiotherapy (CRT) is a known risk factor for neurocognitive impairment in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) are MRI techniques that quantify microstructural changes in brain white matter (WM) and DKI is regarded as the more sensitive of them. Our aim was to more thoroughly understand the nature of cognitive deficits after cranial radiotherapy (CRT) in adulthood after childhood ALL.

A long-term longitudinal follow-up of depressed patients treated with ECT with special focus on development of dementia.

Background: In this study, the long term effects of ECT on patients with depression were investigated through repeated rCBF and EEG measures as well as clinical characteristics over several years. The aim of the investigation was to establish an association with the eventual development of dementia.

Method: A cohort of forty-nine patients (21 men and 28 women) with a mean age of 61 years underwent ECT.

Long-term cognitive sequelae after pediatric brain tumor related to medical risk factors, age, and sex.

Background: Young age at diagnosis and treatment with cranial radiation therapy are well studied risk factors for cognitive impairment in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Other risk factors are hydrocephalus, surgery complications, and treatment with intrathecal chemotherapy. Female gender vulnerability to cognitive sequelae after cancer treatment has been evident in some studies, but no earlier studies have related this to tumor size.

A long-term follow-up of clinical response and regional cerebral blood flow changes in depressed patients treated with ECT.

Background: Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most potent therapy. We investigated the clinical response and regional cerebral blood flow changes in depressed in patients treated with (ECT) in a repeated longitudinal study.

Method: Forty-nine patients (21 men and 28 women) with a mean age 61 years underwent ECT.

Access to neuropsychologic services after pediatric brain tumor.

Background: Increasing survival rates for children with brain tumors creates a greater need for neuropsychologic follow-up and intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate rates of referral by medical doctors to neuropsychologic services and patient and treatment factors that differentiated referred and nonreferred patients.

Methods: Data were retrieved from medical records of all pediatric brain tumor patients in southern Sweden diagnosed between 1993 and 2004 who survived more than 1 year (n = 132).

Increase in hippocampal volume after electroconvulsive therapy in patients with depression: a volumetric magnetic resonance imaging study.

Background: Major depression has traditionally been regarded as a neurochemical disease, but findings of a decreased hippocampal volume in patients with depression have turned the pathophysiological focus toward impairments in structural plasticity. The mechanisms of action of the most effective antidepressive treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), still remains elusive, but recent animal research has provided evidence for a cell proliferative effect in the hippocampus. The aim of this prospective study was to determine if hippocampal volume changes after ECT in patients with depression.

Glial cell activation in response to electroconvulsive seizures.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a very efficient treatment for severe depression. However, cognitive side effects have raised concern to whether ECT can cause cellular damage in vulnerable brain regions. A few recent animal studies have reported limited hippocampal cell loss, while a number of other studies have failed to find any signs of cellular damage and some even report that electroconvulsive seizures (ECS; the animal counterpart of ECT) has neuroprotective effects.

Baseline verbal fluency performance as predictor of state anxiety during a live hand-grenade throwing exercise - A prospective study of Swedish military conscripts.

Background: We investigated whether individual differences in baseline executive control capacity could predict state anxiety during a potentially life-threatening situation.

Methods: 19 Swedish military conscripts were assessed during two measurement occasions. During a baseline measurement, data regarding performance on a letter fluency task and state anxiety were assessed.

Changes in frontal lobe activity with cognitive therapy for spider phobia.

Patients suffering from spider phobia were studied with measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) when they were looking at a video recording of living spiders. Six patients were studied before and after cognitive psychotherapy with successful outcome in all cases. On each occasion rCBF was measured under 3 conditions: during rest, during exposure to a video recording of neutral nature scenery, and finally while the patient watched a recording of living spiders.

Long-term follow-up in depressed patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy.

Design: Our aim was to study the long-term effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in depression. A total of 55 patients were followed-up 20 to 24 years after an ECT series; 13 patients were still alive, and 10 agreed to participate in the study. All 55 patients had been investigated with clinical and neuropsychological assessment and with neurophysiological measurements and with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and EEG before the first ECT, 6 months later, and after approximately 1 year.