Cortical involvement in a gait-related imagery task: comparison between Parkinson's disease and normal aging.

Purpose: We employed imaginary tasks to investigate the neurophysiology of gait in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods: Cortical activation of gait-related imagery was explored in 13 PD patients, 13 age-matched controls (Old), and 14 young volunteers (Young) using fMRI. The tasks included gait initiation, stepping over an obstacle and gait termination using an event-related design.

Parkinson disease: diagnostic utility of diffusion kurtosis imaging.

Purpose: To examine the usefulness of diffusion kurtosis imaging for the diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD).

Materials And Methods: Examinations were performed with the understanding and written consent of each subject, with local ethics committee approval, and in compliance with national legislation and Declaration of Helsinki guidelines. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30 patients with idiopathic PD (mean age, 64.

Detection of nighttime melatonin level in Chinese Original Quiet Sitting.

Background/purpose: Some research has shown that melatonin levels increase after meditation practices, but other research has shown that they do not. In our previous functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we found positive activation of the pineal body during Chinese Original Quiet Sitting (COQS). To find other supporting evidence for pineal activation, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of COQS on nighttime melatonin levels.

Microstructural changes in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Purpose: To determine whether progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is associated with specific diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) patterns of diffusivity, anisotropy, and coherence in functionally relevant brain areas.

Materials And Methods: In all, 17 PSP patients and 17 controls were scanned using a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Patients were assessed in the off-medication condition using the Hoehn and Yahr staging and the United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, motor subscale (UPDRS-III).

EEG-based emotion recognition in music listening.

Ongoing brain activity can be recorded as electroencephalograph (EEG) to discover the links between emotional states and brain activity. This study applied machine-learning algorithms to categorize EEG dynamics according to subject self-reported emotional states during music listening. A framework was proposed to optimize EEG-based emotion recognition by systematically 1) seeking emotion-specific EEG features and 2) exploring the efficacy of the classifiers.

Functional MRI in the assessment of cortical activation during gait-related imaginary tasks.

Imaginary tasks can be used to investigate the neurophysiology of gait. In this study, we explored the cortical control of gait-related imagery in 21 healthy volunteers using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Imaginary tasks included gait initiation, stepping over an obstacle, and gait termination.

The cortical modulation from the external cues during gait observation and imagination.

The cortical involvement of gait observation and imagination under the modulation of external cues was studied in human using fMRI. Fourteen healthy volunteers were scanned using visual stimuli, which showed an actor walking in different background. The defined relevant cue was a background of evenly spaced stripes orthogonal to the walking direction, which was rhythmic presented as the actor proceeded.

Diagnosis and development of screening items for migraine in neurological practice in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The objectives of this study were to: (1) survey migraine diagnoses among neurological outpatients in Taiwan; (2) compare neurologists' migraine diagnoses with the International Classification of Headache Disorders 2nd Edition (ICHD-2) criteria; and (3) evaluate the diagnostic ability of screening items on a patient migraine questionnaire.

Methods: This prospective study surveyed patients who consulted neurologists for the first time with a chief complaint of headache, excluding those experiencing headaches for > or = 15 days/month. Each neurologist interviewed a maximum of 10 patients.

Cortical control of gait in healthy humans: an fMRI study.

This study examined the cortical control of gait in healthy humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Two block-designed fMRI sessions were conducted during motor imagery of a locomotor-related task. Subjects watched a video clip that showed an actor standing and walking in an egocentric perspective.

Studies of chinese original quiet sitting by using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Since different meditations may activate different regions in brain, we can use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate it. Chinese original quiet sitting is mainly one kind of traditional Chinese meditation. It contains two different parts: a short period of keeping phrase and intake spiritual energy, and a long period of relaxation with no further action.

Comparison of fMRI BOLD Effect and Arterial Pulsation Harmonic Distribution among Different Breathing Rate.

The phenomenon of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) had been studied since 1733. Most researches were focused on the heart rates or blood pressure variability. It was well known that heart rate variability (HRV) induced by respiration decreased progressively with age.

Comparison of fMRI BOLD Effect and Arterial Pulsation Harmonic Distribution among Different Breathing Rate.

The phenomenon of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) had been studied since 1733. Most researches were focused on the heart rates or blood pressure variability. It was well known that heart rate variability (HRV) induced by respiration decreased progressively with age.