Alterations of white matter microstructure in migraine patients vary in the peri-ictal phases.

Alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure are commonly found in migraine patients. Here, we employ a longitudinal study of episodic migraine without aura using diffusion MRI (dMRI) to investigate whether such WM microstructure alterations vary through the different phases of the pain cycle. Fourteen patients with episodic migraine without aura related with menstruation were scanned through four phases of their (spontaneous) migraine cycle (interictal, preictal, ictal and postictal).

Involvement of the cerebellum in structural connectivity enhancement in episodic migraine.

Background: The pathophysiology of migraine remains poorly understood, yet a growing number of studies have shown structural connectivity disruptions across large-scale brain networks. Although both structural and functional changes have been found in the cerebellum of migraine patients, the cerebellum has barely been assessed in previous structural connectivity studies of migraine. Our objective is to investigate the structural connectivity of the entire brain, including the cerebellum, in individuals diagnosed with episodic migraine without aura during the interictal phase, compared with healthy controls.

Mental Health Acts - Perspectives from Mental Health and Law in Ireland and in Portugal.

Mental health legislation is a cornerstone to ensure that individuals with severe mental illness access proper care and treatment. Each country establishes their own legislation. We aimed to compare the Portuguese and Irish Mental Health Acts (MHAs).

Impact of truncating diffusion MRI scans on diffusional kurtosis imaging.

Objective: Diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) extends diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), characterizing non-Gaussian diffusion effects but requires longer acquisition times. To ensure the robustness of DKI parameters, data acquisition ordering should be optimized allowing for scan interruptions or shortening. Three methodologies were used to examine how reduced diffusion MRI scans impact DKI histogram-metrics: 1) the electrostatic repulsion model (Opt); 2) spherical codes (Opt); 3) random (Random).

Brain perfusion imaging by multi-delay arterial spin labeling: Impact of modeling dispersion and interaction with denoising strategies and pathology.

Purpose: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) acquisitions at multiple post-labeling delays may provide more accurate quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF), by fitting appropriate kinetic models and simultaneously estimating relevant parameters such as the arterial transit time (ATT) and arterial cerebral blood volume (aCBV). We evaluate the effects of denoising strategies on model fitting and parameter estimation when accounting for the dispersion of the label bolus through the vasculature in cerebrovascular disease.

Methods: We analyzed multi-delay ASL data from 17 cerebral small vessel disease patients (50 ± 9 y) and 13 healthy controls (52 ± 8 y), by fitting an extended kinetic model with or without bolus dispersion.

Impact of susceptibility-induced distortion correction on perfusion imaging by pCASL with a segmented 3D GRASE readout.

Purpose: The consensus for the clinical implementation of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging recommends a segmented 3D Gradient and Spin-Echo (GRASE) readout for optimal signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). The correction of the associated susceptibility-induced geometric distortions has been shown to improve diagnostic precision, but its impact on ASL data has not been systematically assessed and it is not consistently part of pre-processing pipelines. Here, we investigate the effects of susceptibility-induced distortion correction on perfusion imaging by pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) with a segmented 3D GRASE readout.

Impact of white-matter mask selection on DTI histogram-based metrics as potential biomarkers in cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective: Histogram-based metrics extracted from diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) have been suggested as potential biomarkers for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), but methods and results have varied across studies. This work aims to assess the impact of mask selection for extracting histogram-based metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) on their sensitivity as SVD biomarkers.

Methods: DTI data were collected from 17 SVD patients and 12 healthy controls.

Experiences of healthcare professionals as caregivers of a dying family member: an exploratory study.

Background: Many health-care professionals also take on a caregiver role at home, usually by caring for a dying relative. Very little is known about the perceptions, experiences and needs of this specific group of carers.

Objective: To understand the perceptions and experiences of healthcare professionals as caregivers and identify their needs.