Visual stimulation and frequency of focal neurological symptoms engage distinctive neurocognitive resources in migraine with aura patients: a study of resting-state functional networks.

Introduction: Several functional neuroimaging studies on healthy controls and patients with migraine with aura have shown that the activation of functional networks during visual stimulation is not restricted to the striate system, but also includes several extrastriate networks.

Methods: Before and after 4 min of visual stimulation with a checkerboard pattern, we collected functional MRI in 21 migraine with aura (MwA) patients and 18 healthy subjects (HS). For each recording session, we identified independent resting-state networks in each group and correlated network connection strength changes with clinical disease features.

An Updated Overview of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Brain Iron in Movement Disorders.

Brain iron load is one of the most important neuropathological hallmarks in movement disorders. Specifically, the iron provides most of the paramagnetic metal signals in the brain and its accumulation seems to play a key role, although not completely explained, in the degeneration of the basal ganglia, as well as other brain structures. Moreover, iron distribution patterns have been implicated in depicting different movement disorders.

Upfront pembrolizumab as an effective treatment start in patients with PD-L1 ≥ 50% non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer and asymptomatic brain metastases: an exploratory analysis.

Introduction: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with brain metastases (BMs) from non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is under investigation. Here, we sought to determine the optimal management of NSCLCs with PD-L1 ≥ 50% and asymptomatic BMs who were treated with first-line pembrolizumab.

Methods: Thirty patients from 15 institutions with PD-L1 ≥ 50% NSCLC had asymptomatic BMs, and met inclusion criteria.

Changes of olfactory tract in Parkinson's disease: a DTI tractography study.

Purpose: Impaired olfactory function is one of the main features of Parkinson's disease. However, how peripheral olfactory structures are involved remains unclear. Using diffusion tensor imaging fiber tracking, we investigated for MRI microstructural changes in the parkinsonian peripheral olfactory system and particularly the olfactory tract, in order to seek a better understanding of the structural alternations underlying hyposmia in Parkinson's disease.

Fractionated Stereotactic Sequential Boost in a Selected Cohort of Glioblastoma Patients: A Mono-institutional Analysis.

Aim: To retrospectively assess toxicity and survival in 15 selected Glioblastoma patients treated with a sequential fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) boost after chemo-radiotherapy (CHT-RT) and compare their survival outcomes with a control group.

Patients And Methods: Toxicity was assessed with the CTCAE 3.0 scale.

T2*-weighted MRI values correlate with motor and cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.

Brain iron load is one of the main neuropathologic hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies indicated that iron in the substantia nigra (SN) is related to disease duration and motor impairment. We explore, through a cross-sectional study, the association between brain iron distribution, evaluated by T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2*), and clinical features in a cohort of patients with PD.

Differential Associations of IL-4 With Hippocampal Subfields in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.

We aimed to assess the association between in volumetric measures of hippocampal sub-regions - in healthy older controls (HC), subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD- with circulating levels of IL-4. From AddNeuroMed Project 113 HC, 101 stable MCI (sMCI), 22 converter MCI (cMCI) and 119 AD were included. Hippocampal subfield volumes were analyzed using Freesurfer 6.

Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis in the Asphyxiated Cooled Infants: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis is unusual in the asphyxiated cooled infants, but reliable data regarding the incidence of this comorbidity are lacking. We assessed the incidence of sinovenous thrombosis in a population of asphyxiated cooled infants by performing routine brain magnetic resonance venography.

Methods: All asphyxiated infants who underwent therapeutic cooling at our institution completed brain magnetic resonance venography after rewarming.

Alectinib's activity against CNS metastases from ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: a single institution case series.

In the present study we assessed the activity of the next-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (-TKI) alectinib, in patients with ALK-postive, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and central nervous system (CNS) metastases. NSCLCs with ALK-positive disease, as assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and CNS metastases were treated with alectinib 600 mg BID. Included patients were followed prospectively in order to evaluate the efficacy of the drug, with particular emphasis on activity in the CNS.

Osimertinib (AZD9291) and CNS Response in Two Radiotherapy-Naïve Patients with EGFR-Mutant and T790M-Positive Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

The discovery of sensitizing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations as a predictive marker of sensitivity to first-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has dramatically changed the paradigm of care for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Unfortunately, the majority of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs develop acquired resistance within 14-16 months. T790M mutation recently emerged as a major determinant of acquired resistance to gefitinib and erlotinib.

Pharmacotherapeutic options for treating brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) metastases represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Local approaches of neurosurgery (usually for single brain lesions), whole brain radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery are often withheld for the treatment of NSCLC-derived brain metastases (BMs). However, systemic treatment is consistently emerging as an option for patients with asymptomatic BMs, which could allow for delaying cranial radiotherapy at symptomatic/radiological progression.

Entacapone reduces cortical activation in Parkinson's disease with wearing-off: a f-MRI study.

Background And Purpose: Wearing-off is one of the most frequent problems encountered by levodopa-treated patients. Entacapone, a peripheral inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), reduces this motor complication by prolonging the effect of levodopa. We sought to understand the impact of COMT-inhibition on movement execution in PD patients with wearing-off by comparing functional magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI) activation patterns prior to and during entacapone treatment.

A magnetization transfer study of mild and advanced Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) technique has identified brain changes in grey and white matter in Parkinson's disease (PD), even in the early phase. However, how these tissue changes differ along the course of the illness is still unclear. This study was aimed at investigating how MTR values change from mild PD (PD1) to patients with advanced PD (PD2).

Association of 99mTc-MIBI brain SPECT and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to assess glioma recurrence after radiotherapy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare 99mTc-MIBI brain SPECT and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) findings and to evaluate their association.

Methods: Both exams were performed on 30 glioma patients, previously operated and treated with radiotherapy, having MRI doubtful between recurrence and radiotherapy effects. SPECT images were acquired 15 minutes after radiopharmaceutical administration with a dual-head gamma camera.

Magnetization transfer changes of grey and white matter in Parkinson's disease.

Since the attempt to evidence structural brain damage in Parkinson's disease (PD) by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is usually disappointing, we have investigated whether the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) can reflect changes in grey and white matter of PD patients. MTR was quantified in 44 regions of interest (ROIs) in both grey and white matter of 11 non-demented PD patients, ranging from 2 to 4 on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale, and eight age-matched healthy subjects. MTR differences between patients and controls were found in the supratentorial white matter and in the brainstem.

Localized (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in mainly cortical gray matter of patients with multiple sclerosis.

The brain water fraction (R), the brain water transverse relaxation time (T2), the atrophy index (alpha) and the absolute concentration of the principal brain metabolites (NAA, Cho and Cr) were measured by localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the occipito-parietal cortex (mainly gray matter) of 15 relapsing-remitting (R-R) multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 15 secondary progressive (SP) MS patients and 8 healthy subjects. Significantly lower values of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr) and the NAA/Cr ratio in the occipito-parietal cortex were detected in SP MS patients than in R-R MS and control subjects (p < 0.01).

Magnetic resonance imaging and 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We aimed to increase confidence in the combined use of MRI and proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated 12 patients with ALS, seven definite and five probable, taking into account clinical measures of motor neuron function. On T2-weighted images we found high signal in the corticospinal tract in six and low signal in the primary motor cortex in seven of the 12 patients.

Absolute quantification of brain metabolites by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in normal-appearing white matter of multiple sclerosis patients.

The aim of this research was to obtain an absolute quantification of the N-acetyl-aspartate, choline, creatine and phosphocreatine levels in normal-appearing white matter by means of 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a group of multiple sclerosis patients (27 with the relapsing-remitting form and 13 with the secondary progressive form). These values were compared with those of a group of 12 age-matched healthy control subjects. A significant decrease in the N-acetyl-aspartate concentration was found in normal-appearing white matter of frontal and parietal brain areas in multiple sclerosis patients compared with the same areas in control subjects.

1H-MRS, MRI-based hippocampal volumetry, and 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT in normal aging, age-associated memory impairment, and probable Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To better understand how to differentiate the "in vivo" normal aging brain from pathological conditions, namely dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), to show neuroanatomical, perfusional and neurochemical details, respectively.

Design: 1H-MRS, MRI-based hippocampal volumetry and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT were performed in healthy older subjects as well as patients suffering from age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) and dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT).

Subjects And Setting: Eighteen subjects were selected from those referred to an outpatient clinic for diagnostic evaluation of cognitive impairment entered the study.

[Reactivation of the allogenous component of experimental skin inflammation after exposure to ultraviolet rays].

The effects of U.V. radiation induced cutaneous erythema on an experimental inflammation focus in another part of the body have been studied.

[Reactivation of the algogenic component in experimental inflammation induced by histamine administration].

The action of i.v. histamine on human skin inflammation experimentally induced with carbon dioxide snow in man is described.

Effects of calcitonin on limb blood vessels in human obstructive arterial disease.

To check the possibility of a vasoactive effect of calcitonin in man, the authors treated ten hospitalized patients (seven males and three females, mean age 66.3 +/- 3.24), suffering from obstructive arterial disease in the lower extremities, with 100 units M.