Five-year prospective patient evaluation of bladder and bowel symptoms after dose-escalated radiotherapy for prostate cancer with the BeamCath technique.

Purpose: Late side effects were prospectively evaluated up to 5 years after dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and were compared with a previously treated series with conventional conformal technique.

Methods And Materials: Bladder and bowel symptoms were prospectively evaluated with the Prostate Cancer Symptom Scale (PCSS) questionnaire up to 5 years posttreatment. In all, 257 patients completed the questionnaire 5 years posttreatment.

How default is the default mode of brain function? Further evidence from intrinsic BOLD signal fluctuations.

The default mode of brain function hypothesis and the presence of spontaneous intrinsic low-frequency signal fluctuations during rest have recently attracted attention in the neuroscience community. In this study we asked two questions: First, is it possible to attenuate intrinsic activity in the self-referential, default mode of brain function by directing the brains resources to a goal-oriented and attention-demanding task? Second, what effect does a sustained attention-demanding overt task performance have on the two intrinsically active networks in the brain, those being the task-negative, default-mode and the anticorrelated, task-positive network? We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to monitor spontaneous intrinsic activity during rest and sustained performance of a sequential two-back working memory task. We compared intrinsic activity during rest and the two-back task to the signal increases and decreases observed in an epoch-related version of the working memory task.

Primary and coupled cervical movements: the effect of age, gender, and body mass index. A 3-dimensional movement analysis of a population without symptoms of neck disorders.

Study Design: Exploratory experimental design.

Objectives: To examine primary and coupled cervical movements, and to study the effects of age, gender, and body mass index in a "neck-healthy" population. These data could serve as a basis for future interventions and to assess normal variations.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3T as a clinical tool in patients with intracranial tumors.

Purpose: To investigate the potential of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T as a clinical tool in the preoperative evaluation of patients with intracranial tumors. High magnetic field strength such as 3T is of benefit for fMRI because signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity to susceptibility changes are field-strength-dependent.

Material And Methods: Twenty patients with tumors close to eloquent sensorimotor or language areas were studied.

fMRI activity in the medial temporal lobe during famous face processing.

The current event-related fMRI study examined the relative involvement of different parts of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), particularly the contribution of hippocampus and perirhinal cortex, in either intentional or incidental recognition of famous faces in contrast to unfamiliar faces. Our intention was to further explore the controversial contribution of MTL in the processing of semantic memory tasks. Subjects viewed a sequence of famous and unfamiliar faces.

Posturography can be used to screen for primary orthostatic tremor, a rare cause of dizziness.

Objective: Primary orthostatic tremor is a rare neurologic condition of unknown origin characterized by a 10- to 20-Hz tremor in the legs while standing. Patients with primary orthostatic tremor usually complain of dizziness and unsteadiness that is relieved if they sit down or start to walk around. These patients might be referred to neurotology clinics.

Recall of pretreatment symptoms among men treated with radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

To determine the accuracy of patient recall of disease-specific symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in men treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for localized prostate cancer (LPC). One hundred and five patients enrolled in a prospective study of bladder, bowel, and sexual function, and QoL after radiotherapy for PC were requested to assess their baseline QoL and symptoms before treatment. About one year (mean 14.

Age-differential patterns of brain activation during perception of angry faces.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study age-related differences in the neural circuitry involved in perception of negative facial affect. During scanning, 24 younger and 22 older adults viewed blocks of angry and neutral faces. The fMRI data analysis of the angry versus neutral faces contrast demonstrated greater activation in younger versus older individuals in the right amygdala/hippocampus region, whereas older adults demonstrated greater activation in the right anterior-ventral insula cortex.

Placebo in emotional processing--induced expectations of anxiety relief activate a generalized modulatory network.

Placebo analgesia and reward processing share several features. For instance, expectations have a strong influence on the subsequent emotional experience of both. Recent imaging data indicate similarities in the underlying neuronal network.

Improved postural control through repetition and consolidation.

Research regarding the optimal frequency of training in postural control rehabilitation has been sparse. Posturography with vibratory proprioceptive stimulation was performed with eyes open and closed on 36 healthy subjects divided into 3 groups. Each group was tested 5 times, though with different time-intervals; 20 minutes, 3 hours and 24 hours respectively.

Spontaneous low-frequency BOLD signal fluctuations: an fMRI investigation of the resting-state default mode of brain function hypothesis.

Recent neuroimaging studies have lead to the proposal that rest is characterized by an organized, baseline level of activity, a default mode of brain function that is suspended during specific goal-oriented mental activity. Previous studies have shown that the primary function subserved by the default mode is that of an introspectively oriented, self-referential mode of mental activity. The default mode of brain function hypothesis is readdressed from the perspective of the presence of low-frequency blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal changes (0.

Enhanced occipital and anterior cingulate activation in men but not in women during exposure to angry and fearful male faces.

Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent signal was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging in 24 healthy young subjects (12 men and 12 women) during viewing of angry, fearful, and neutral male and female face pictures. Exposure to angry male as opposed to angry female faces activated the visual cortex and the anterior cingulate gyrus significantly more in men than in women. A similar sex-differential brain activation pattern was present during exposure to fearful but not neutral faces.

Ipsilesional visual field dependency for patients with vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannoma patients have a non-homogenous vestibular function and compensation, and might rely more on visual cues for balance control. Using the rod and frame test, visual field dependence was investigated in 17 patients with vestibular schwannoma who had a normal subjective visual horizontal and vertical (0.8 +/- 1.

Fingersomatotopy in area 3b: an fMRI-study.

Background: The primary sensory cortex (S1) in the postcentral gyrus is comprised of four areas that each contain a body map, where the representation of the hand is located with the thumb most laterally, anteriorly and inferiorly and the little finger most medially, posteriorly and superiorly. Previous studies on somatotopy using functional MRI have either used low field strength, have included a small number of subjects or failed to attribute activations to any area within S1. In the present study we included twenty subjects, who were investigated at 3 Tesla (T).

Large vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in response to bone-conducted sounds in patients with superior canal dehiscence syndrome.

Dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal is a 'new' vestibular entity. Among these patients, the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) in response to air-conducted sounds are large. In the present study, VEMP in response to bone-conducted sounds were studied in 5 normal subjects, in 3 patients after (unilateral) labyrinthectomy and in 4 patients with (unilateral) superior canal dehiscence syndrome.

Sex-differential brain activation during exposure to female and male faces.

Sex-discriminating facial features are examples of visual information involved in guiding social behavior. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain responses in face-relevant brain areas in men and women during exposure to neutral male and female faces. An increased fMRI signal was found in the left amygdala and adjacent anterior temporal regions in men, but not in women, during exposure to faces of the opposite versus the same sex.

Idiosyncratic compensation of the subjective visual horizontal and vertical in 60 patients after unilateral vestibular deafferentation.

Objective: To investigate long-term compensation mechanisms of utricular function after translabyrinthine surgery for vestibular schwannoma. Correlations between the subjective visual horizontal (SVH) and subjective visual vertical (SVV) and other parameters of vestibular compensation were studied. The correlation between the SVH and SVV was also investigated to see whether these measurements are compatible for patients.

Keeping it short: a comparison of methods for brief picture presentation.

Research has shown that backward masking is a powerful tool for studying unconscious mental processes. Whereas studies have traditionally presented stimuli using cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors or mechanical shutters together with slide projectors, recent studies (mainly in functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI) have begun to use methods based on liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and thin-film transistor (TFT) technology. However, because of differences in technology, all methods may not be equally suited for masking.

Effects of postural disturbances with fatigued triceps surae muscles or with 20% additional body weight.

One of the main issues for balance control is the ability to generate enough forces to execute motions and uphold stability. This study aimed to investigate whether induced fatigue of the triceps surae muscles and decreased muscle force due to temporary additional body weight affected the ability to withstand balance perturbations. Another aim was to examine whether postural control adaptation over time was able to compensate for the changes induced by fatigue and additional body weight.

Balance control and adaptation during vibratory perturbations in middle-aged and elderly humans.

The objective was to investigate if healthy elderly people respond and adapt differently to postural disturbances compared to middle-aged people. Thirty middle-aged (mean age 37.8 years, range 24-56 years) and forty healthy elderly subjects (mean age 74.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in response to skull taps for patients with vestibular neuritis.

In recent years it has been demonstrated that loud clicks generate short latency vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP). It has also been demonstrated that skull tap stimulation evokes similar VEMP. In the present study, the differences between the click-induced and the skull-tap induced VEMP were studied in 18 patients at onset of vestibular neuritis.

Mycelial production, spread and root colonisation by the ectomycorrhizal fungi Hebeloma crustuliniforme and Paxillus involutus under elevated atmospheric CO2.

Effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on the production and spread of ectomycorrhizal fungal mycelium from colonised Scots pine roots were investigated. Pinus sylvestris (L.) Karst.

Isolating the retrieval of imagined pictures during episodic memory: activation of the left precuneus and left prefrontal cortex.

The posterior medial parietal cortex and the left prefrontal cortex have both been implicated in the recollection of past episodes. In order to clarify their functional significance, we performed this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, which employed event-related source memory and item recognition retrieval of words paired with corresponding imagined or viewed pictures. Our results suggest that episodic source memory is related to a functional network including the posterior precuneus and the left lateral prefrontal cortex.

Postural control adaptation during galvanic vestibular and vibratory proprioceptive stimulation.

The objective for this study was to investigate whether the adaptation of postural control was similar during galvanic vestibular stimulation and during vibratory proprioceptive stimulation of the calf muscles. Healthy subjects were tested during erect stance with eyes open or closed. An analysis method designed to consider the adaptive adjustments was used to evaluate the motion dynamics and the evoked changes of posture and stimulation response.