Global hippocampal atrophy in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD), an incapacitating mental disorder, is characterized by episodes of at least 2 weeks of apparent changes in mood, cognition, and neurovegetative functions. Many neuroimaging studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have examined morphometric changes in patients with MDD, but the results are not conclusive. This study aims to review the literature and perform a meta-analysis on hippocampal volume (HcV) in patients with MDD.

Discordant clinical outcomes of congenital Zika virus infection in twin pregnancies.

Congenital Zika syndrome is an emergent cause of a congenital infectious disorder, resulting in severe damage to the central nervous system and microcephaly. Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of the disease, we still do not know all the mechanisms enrolled in the vertical transmission of the virus. As has already been reported in other types of congenital infectious disorders in dizygotic twin pregnancies, it is possible that the virus affects only one of the fetuses.

Congenital Zika syndrome with arthrogryposis: retrospective case series study.

Objective: To describe the clinical, radiological, and electromyographic features in a series of children with joint contractures (arthrogryposis) associated with congenital infection presumably caused by Zika virus.

Design: Retrospective case series study.

Setting: Association for Assistance of Disabled Children, Pernambuco state, Brazil.

Clinical features and neuroimaging (CT and MRI) findings in presumed Zika virus related congenital infection and microcephaly: retrospective case series study.

Objective: To report radiological findings observed in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the first cases of congenital infection and microcephaly presumably associated with the Zika virus in the current Brazilian epidemic.

Design: Retrospective study with a case series.

Setting: Association for Assistance of Disabled Children (AACD), Pernambuco state, Brazil.

Craniovertebral junction malformation in Northeastern Brazil: the myth of the Dutch colonization.

The high prevalence of craniovertebral junction malformation in Northeastern Brazil is historically associated with brachycephalic biotype (flat head), also common in this region. It has been postulated that this trait was introduced to this region by the Dutch during the colonial period in Brazil's history. Based on the confrontation of this paradigm against some historical facts, the authors concluded that the brachycephalic phenotype was inherited from prehistoric ancestors (Amerindians) who were already living in this region when white European men arrived.

Extensive spinal cord involvement in magnetic resonance imaging evaluation on schistosomal myelitis.

Unlabelled: The diagnosis of schistosomal myelitis (SM) is frequently presumptive because no findings from any complementary examination are pathognomonic for this disease. The present report describes some abnormalities seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of a series of SM patients and discusses their etiopathogenesis.

Methods: This study evaluated SM patients at the time of their diagnosis.

Ganglioglioma: comparison with other low-grade brain tumors.

Method: Forty-two patients with low-grade brain tumor and refractory epilepsy were studied. The mean age was 22.3 years.

[Intraoperative mapping of motor areas during brain tumor surgery: electrical stimulation patterns].

Unlabelled: Brain mapping with direct electrical stimulation is usefull when the tumor is located near or has infiltrated the central lobe.

Objective: To analyze the surgical findings with direct electrical stimulation of the cortex and white matter under general anesthesia during surgery for brain tumors related to the central lobe.

Method: We studied 42 patients operated on from June 2000 to June 2003.