Spatial Profiling Reveals Equivalence-Derived Molecular Signatures of Brain Mimicry and Adaptation in Breast Cancer Brain Metastases.

Brain metastases (BrMets), common for advanced-stage breast cancer patients, are associated with poor median survival and accompanied by severe neurologic decline. Halting the progression of breast cancer brain metastases (BCBMs) may require modulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME), yet little is known about the impact of the primary breast TME on brain tropism, or how, once there, metastatic breast cancer cells coexist with brain-resident cells (e.g.

Larger perivascular space volume fraction is associated with worse post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes: An ENIGMA analysis.

Background: Perivascular Spaces (PVS) are a marker of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) that are visible on brain imaging. Larger PVS has been associated with poor quality of life and cognitive impairment post-stroke. However, the association between PVS and post-stroke sensorimotor outcomes has not been investigated.

MRI free water mediates the association between diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space and executive function in four independent middle to aged cohorts.

Introduction: Diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was proposed for assessing glymphatic clearance function. This study evaluated DTI-ALPS as a biomarker for cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) related vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID).

Methods: Four independent cohorts were examined.

Robust, fully-automated assessment of cerebral perivascular spaces and white matter lesions: a multicentre MRI longitudinal study of their evolution and association with risk of dementia and accelerated brain atrophy.

Background: Perivascular spaces (PVS) on brain MRI are surrogates for small parenchymal blood vessels and their perivascular compartment, and may relate to brain health. However, it is unknown whether PVS can predict dementia risk and brain atrophy trajectories in participants without dementia, as longitudinal studies on PVS are scarce and current methods for PVS assessment lack robustness and inter-scanner reproducibility.

Methods: We developed a robust algorithm to automatically assess PVS count and size on clinical MRI, and investigated 1) their relationship with dementia risk and brain atrophy in participants without dementia, 2) their longitudinal evolution, and 3) their potential use as a screening tool in simulated clinical trials.

Neuroinflammation modifies the relationship between stress and perivascular spaces in an elderly population with different levels of cognitive impairment.

Background: Perivascular spaces (PVS) are fluid-filled spaces surrounding the brain parenchymal vasculature. Literature suggests that PVS may play a significant role in aging and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the relationship between MRI-visible PVS and stress is influenced by neuroinflammation in an elderly population with different levels of cognitive impairment.

Effects of one-night partial sleep deprivation on perivascular space volume fraction: Findings from the Stockholm Sleepy Brain Study.

Increased waste clearance in the brain is thought to occur most readily during late-stage sleep (stage N3). Sleep deprivation disrupts time spent in deeper sleep stages, fragmenting the clearance process. Here, we have utilized the publicly available Stockholm Sleepy Brain Study to investigate whether various sleep-related measures are associated with changes in perivascular space (PVS) volume fraction following a late-night short-sleep experiment.

Decreased functional connectivity is associated with increased levels of Cerebral Spinal Fluid soluble-PDGFRβ, a marker of blood brain barrier breakdown, in older adults.

Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is suggested to be cross-sectionally associated with both vascular burden and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. For instance, studies in pre-clinical AD subjects have shown increases of cerebral spinal fluid soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (CSF sPDGFRβ, a marker of BBB breakdown) but have not demonstrated if this vascular impairment affects neuronal dysfunction. It's possible that increased levels of sPDGFRβ in the CSF may correlate with impaired FC in metabolically demanding brain regions (i.

Cerebral perivascular spaces as predictors of dementia risk and accelerated brain atrophy.

Cerebral small vessel disease, an important risk factor for dementia, lacks robust, measurement methods. Perivascular spaces (PVS) on brain MRI are surrogates for small parenchymal blood vessels and their perivascular compartment, and may relate to brain health. We developed a novel, robust algorithm to automatically assess PVS count and size on MRI, and investigated their relationship with dementia risk and brain atrophy.

Modulation of the Association Between Corticospinal Tract Damage and Outcome After Stroke by White Matter Hyperintensities.

Background And Objectives: Motor outcomes after stroke relate to corticospinal tract (CST) damage. The brain leverages surviving neural pathways to compensate for CST damage and mediate motor recovery. Thus, concurrent age-related damage from white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) might affect neurologic capacity for recovery after CST injury.

White matter hyperintensities modify relationships between corticospinal tract damage and motor outcomes after stroke.

Motor outcomes after stroke relate to corticospinal tract (CST) damage. Concurrent damage from white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) might impact neurological capacity for recovery after CST injury. Here, we evaluated if WMHs modulate the relationship between CST damage and post-stroke motor impairment outcome.

Functional MRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Migraine: A Review of Migraine Functional and White Matter Microstructural Changes.

Migraine is a complex and heterogenous disorder whose disease mechanisms remain disputed. This narrative review summarizes functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings and interprets their association with migraine symptoms and subtype to support and expand our current understanding of migraine pathophysiology. Our PubMed search evaluated and included fMRI and DTI studies involving comparisons between migraineurs vs healthy controls, migraineurs with vs without aura, and episodic vs chronic migraineurs.

Longitudinal Changes in Cerebral Perfusion, Perivascular Space Volume, and Ventricular Volume in a Healthy Cohort Undergoing a Spaceflight Analog.

Background And Purpose: A global decrease in brain perfusion has recently been reported during exposure to a ground-based spaceflight analog. Considering that CSF and glymphatic flow are hypothesized to be propelled by arterial pulsations, it is unknown whether a change in perfusion would impact these CSF compartments. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship among changes in cerebral perfusion, ventricular volume, and perivascular space volume before, during, and after a spaceflight analog.

A standardized protocol for manually segmenting stroke lesions on high-resolution T1-weighted MR images.

Although automated methods for stroke lesion segmentation exist, many researchers still rely on manual segmentation as the gold standard. Our detailed, standardized protocol for stroke lesion tracing on high-resolution 3D T1-weighted (T1w) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to trace over 1,300 stroke MRI. In the current study, we describe the protocol, including a step-by-step method utilized for training multiple individuals to trace lesions ("tracers") in a consistent manner and suggestions for distinguishing between lesioned and non-lesioned areas in stroke brains.

Manual lesion segmentations for traumatic brain injury characterization.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in heterogenous lesions that can be visualized through various neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, injury burden varies greatly between patients and structural deformations often impact usability of available analytic algorithms. Therefore, it is difficult to segment lesions automatically and accurately in TBI cohorts.

Brain perivascular spaces and autism: clinical and pathogenic implications from an innovative volumetric MRI study.

Introduction: Our single-center case-control study aimed to evaluate the unclear glymphatic system alteration in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through an innovative neuroimaging tool which allows to segment and quantify perivascular spaces in the white matter (WM-PVS) with filtering of non-structured noise and increase of the contrast-ratio between perivascular spaces and the surrounding parenchyma.

Methods: Briefly, files of 65 ASD and 71 control patients were studied. We considered: ASD type, diagnosis and severity level and comorbidities (i.

Cross-Vendor Test-Retest Validation of Diffusion Tensor Image Analysis along the Perivascular Space (DTI-ALPS) for Evaluating Glymphatic System Function.

The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method was proposed to evaluate glymphatic system (GS) function. However, few studies have validated its reliability and reproducibility. Fifty participants' DTI data from the MarkVCID consortium were included in this study.

Structural MRI in Migraine: A Review of Migraine Vascular and Structural Changes in Brain Parenchyma.

Migraine is a complex and common disorder that affects patients around the world. Despite recent advances in this field, the exact pathophysiology of migraine is still not completely understood. Structural MRI sequences have revealed a variety of changes to brain parenchyma associated with migraine, including white matter lesions, volume changes, and iron deposition.

Association of Brain Age, Lesion Volume, and Functional Outcome in Patients With Stroke.

Background And Objectives: Functional outcomes after stroke are strongly related to focal injury measures. However, the role of global brain health is less clear. In this study, we examined the impact of brain age, a measure of neurobiological aging derived from whole-brain structural neuroimaging, on poststroke outcomes, with a focus on sensorimotor performance.

Decreased functional connectivity is associated with increased levels of Cerebral Spinal Fluid soluble-PDGFRβ, a marker of blood brain barrier breakdown, in older adults.

Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is suggested to be cross-sectionally associated with both vascular burden and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. For instance, studies in pre-clinical AD subjects have shown increases of cerebral spinal fluid soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (CSF sPDGFRβ, a marker of BBB breakdown) but have not demonstrated if this vascular impairment affects neuronal dysfunction. It's possible that increased levels of sPDGFRβ in the CSF may correlate with impaired FC in metabolically demanding brain regions (i.

Functional connectivity alterations in traumatic brain injury patients with late seizures.

PTE is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent and spontaneous epileptic seizures. PTE is a major public health problem occurring in 2-50% of TBI patients. Identifying PTE biomarkers is crucial for the development of effective treatments.

A "multi-omics" analysis of blood-brain barrier and synaptic dysfunction in APOE4 mice.

Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), the main susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's disease, leads to blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown in humans and mice. Remarkably, BBB dysfunction predicts cognitive decline and precedes synaptic deficits in APOE4 human carriers. How APOE4 affects BBB and synaptic function at a molecular level, however, remains elusive.