Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity by Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: A Preliminary Study.

Objectives: An excessive and abrupt increase in cerebral blood flow may cause blood vessel damage, leading to stroke. Therefore, appropriate methods to immediately regulate blood flow velocity are important. Through an analysis of 31 healthy adults, we therefore investigated whether stimulating the common carotid artery (CCA) using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) could modulate blood flow velocity in the CCA.

Postural supporting cervical traction workstation to improve resting state brain activity in digital device users: EEG study.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of postural support workstation on inducing effective brain activity during rest.

Methods: Thirty-five healthy digital overusers were recruited as participants. We conducted two interventions of head weight support traction (ST) and conventional traction (CT) strength on all participants in random order.

Effects of low-pressure Valsalva maneuver on changes in cerebral arterial stiffness and pulse wave velocity.

The Valsalva maneuver (VM), commonly used to assess cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system functions, can induce changes in hemodynamic function that may affect cerebral vascular functionality, such as arterial elasticity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-pressure VM on cerebral arterial stiffness and cerebral vascular dynamics. Thirty-one healthy young participants (average age 21.

Diagnostic Ultrasound-Based Investigation of Central vs. Peripheral Arterial Changes Consequent to Low-Dose Caffeine Ingestion.

Caffeine is present in various foods and medicines and is highly accessible through various routes, regardless of age. However, most studies on caffeine have focused on the effects of high-dose caffeine ingestion based on the recommended daily amount for adults. In this study, we examined the physiological changes in the central and peripheral vessels that may occur when ingesting low-dose caffeine due to its high accessibility, with the aim of creating an environment of safe caffeine ingestion.

Quantitative Thermal Stimulation Using Therapeutic Ultrasound to Improve Cerebral Blood Flow and Reduce Vascular Stiffness.

It is important to improve cerebrovascular health before the occurrence of cerebrovascular disease, as it has various aftereffects and a high recurrence rate, even with appropriate treatment. Various medical recommendations for preventing cerebrovascular diseases have been introduced, including smoking cessation, exercise, and diet. However, the effectiveness of these methods varies greatly from person to person, and their effects cannot be confirmed unless they are practiced over a long period.

Low myelin-related values in the fornix and thalamus of 7 Tesla MRI of major depressive disorder patients.

Introduction: Abnormalities in myelin are believed to be one of the important causes of major depressive disorder, and it is becoming important to more accurately quantify myelin in magnetic resonance imaging of major depressive disorder patients. We aimed to investigate the difference in myelin concentration in the white matter and subcortical areas using new quantitative myelin-related maps of high-resolution 7 Tesla (7 T) magnetic resonance imaging between patients with major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Methods: Myelin-related comparisons of the white matter and nearby subcortical regions were conducted between healthy controls ( = 36) and patients with major depressive disorder ( = 34).

A Monopole and Dipole Hybrid Antenna Array for Human Brain Imaging at 10.5 Tesla.

In this letter, we evaluate antenna designs for ultra-high frequency and field (UHF) human brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 10.5 tesla (T). Although MRI at such UHF is expected to provide major signal-to-noise gains, the frequency of interest, 447 MHz, presents us with challenges regarding improved B efficiency, image homogeneity, specific absorption rate (SAR), and antenna element decoupling for array configurations.

Investigation of Structural Changes in Rectus Abdominis Muscle According to Curl-Up Angle Using Ultrasound with an Extended Field of View.

The rectus abdominis (RA) muscle is related to abdominal muscle contraction and is divided into three sub-sections. In this study, changes in each section according to the curl-up angles were measured using ultrasound with an extended field of view (EFOV) scan and compared with the conventional scan. The results showed that the locations of the measurement position center were consistently detected only with the EFOV scan and that the change ratios in thickness and length between sections at the same angles were not significantly different, suggesting that each section was selectively activated.

Effects of a Traction Device for Head Weight Reduction and Neutral Alignment during Sedentary Visual Display Terminal (VDT) Work on Postural Alignment, Muscle Properties, Hemodynamics, Preference, and Working Memory Performance.

The forward head posture of visual display terminal (VDT) users induces various physical and cognitive clinical symptoms. However, few studies have been conducted to identify and solve problems associated with VDT posture. This study aimed to examine the adverse effects of VDT posture and the positive effects of traction-combined workstations by measuring postural alignment, muscle properties, blood velocity, preference, and working memory.

Decreased resting-state functional connectivity of the habenula-cerebellar in a major depressive disorder.

Background: In animal experiments, the habenula and septal nuclei are known as the key brain areas of depression. However, there are few magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on the functional connectivity between these areas and the subcortical areas in humans with major depression. We aimed to investigate the difference in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) among the major regions of interest (ROI) in the subcortical areas, including both the habenula and septal nuclei.

Quantitative myelin-related maps from R1 and T2* ratio images using a single ME-MP2RAGE sequence in 7T MRI.

There still are limitations associated with quantifying myelin content using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) despite several studies conducted on this subject. Therefore, this study aimed: (1) to propose a myelin-related mapping technique to obtain the quantitative R1/T2* (q-Ratio) that has the advantage of quick processing and less dependency on imaging parameters, (2) to validate this adapted q-Ratio method by comparing the quantitative myelin-related map with those acquired through an existing mapping method [T1-weighted/T2*-weighted (w-Ratio)], and (3) to determine the q-Ratio myelin-related values in the white and gray matter, and the relationship between the q-Ratio myelin-related value and cerebral volume size in regions of interest (ROIs) in a healthy population. The multi-echo magnetization-prepared 2 rapid gradient echoes (ME-MP2RAGE) sequence was used in a 7 Tesla (7T) MRI for the acquisition of data regarding myelin content in 10 healthy participants.

Investigation of Flow Changes in Intracranial Vascular Disease Models Constructed with MRA Images.

This study aimed to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible flow delivery system and individualized models of circle of Willis (CoW), which include 50% and 100% blockage in internal carotid artery (ICA50 and ICA100), and 100% blockage in vertebral artery (VA100). Images were obtained using 3D time-of-flight and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequences, and changes in velocity and flow direction at CoW models were analyzed. For the ICA50 and VA100 models, the flow was similar to that of the normal model.

Thalamocortical functional connectivity in patients with insomnia using resting-state fMRI.

Background: Insomnia is a common disorder that affects a vast number of patients; the hyperarousal theory of insomnia postulates that patients with insomnia are physiologically activated not only at nighttime but also during the daytime. We aimed to investigate the differences in the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the thalamus with cortical areas between patients with insomnia disorder and healthy controls.

Methods: All participants completed clinical questionnaires and underwent portable polysomnography and resting-state fMRI.

Thalamo-Habenular Connection Differences Between Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Normal Controls.

The thalamus and habenula are thought to be key brain regions in the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD); however, few studies have investigated the structural connection between them. We compared the number of white matter tracts between the thalamus and habenula between patient with MDD and normal controls (NCs). The habenula and thalamus region of interest masks were extracted from brain magnetic resonance imaging data and individual tractography analysis was performed.

Left-right asymmetric and smaller right habenula volume in major depressive disorder on high-resolution 7-T magnetic resonance imaging.

The habenula (Hb) has been hypothesized to play an essential role in major depressive disorder (MDD) as it is considered to be an important node between fronto-limbic areas and midbrain monoaminergic structures based on animal studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the differences in volume and T1 value of the Hb between patients with MDD and healthy control (HC) subjects. Analysis for the Hb volumes was performed using high-resolution 7-T magnetic resonance (MR) image data from 33 MDD patients and 36 healthy subjects.

Reproducibility of automated habenula segmentation via deep learning in major depressive disorder and normal controls with 7 Tesla MRI.

The habenula is one of the most important brain regions for investigating the etiology of psychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the habenula is challenging to delineate with the naked human eye in brain imaging due to its low contrast and tiny size, and the manual segmentation results vary greatly depending on the observer. Therefore, there is a great need for automatic quantitative analytic methods of the habenula for psychiatric research purposes.

Investigation on the Effect of Oral Breathing on Cognitive Activity Using Functional Brain Imaging.

Oral breathing directly affects behavioral performance and dental health. Various relationships between oral breathing and periodontal disease have been well-described. However, the effect of oral breathing on cognitive performance remains unclear.

Identification of Breathing Patterns through EEG Signal Analysis Using Machine Learning.

This study was to investigate the changes in brain function due to lack of oxygen (O) caused by mouth breathing, and to suggest a method to alleviate the side effects of mouth breathing on brain function through an additional O supply. For this purpose, we classified the breathing patterns according to EEG signals using a machine learning technique and proposed a method to reduce the side effects of mouth breathing on brain function. Twenty subjects participated in this study, and each subject performed three different breathings: nose and mouth breathing and mouth breathing with O supply during a working memory task.