Functional connectivity-based classification of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

Background: Isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is a clinically important parasomnia syndrome preceding α-synucleinopathies, thereby prompting us to develop methods for evaluating latent brain states in iRBD. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with a machine learning-based classification technology may help us achieve this purpose.

Methods: We developed a machine learning-based classifier using functional connectivity to classify 55 patients with iRBD and 97 healthy elderly controls (HC).

Identifying and reverting the adverse effects of white matter hyperintensities on cortical surface analyses.

The Human Connectome Project (HCP)-style surface-based brain MRI analysis is a powerful technique that allows precise mapping of the cerebral cortex. However, the strength of its surface-based analysis has not yet been tested in the older population that often presents with white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on T2-weighted (T2w) MRI (hypointensities on T1w MRI). We investigated T1-weighted (T1w) and T2w structural MRI in 43 healthy middle-aged to old participants.

Changes in functional brain activity patterns associated with computer programming learning in novices.

Background: Computer programming, the process of designing, writing, and testing executable computer code, is an essential skill in numerous fields. A description of the neural structures engaged and modified during programming skill acquisition could help improve training programs and provide clues to the neural substrates underlying the acquisition of related skills.

Methods: Fourteen female university students without prior computer programing experience were examined by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the early and late stages of a 5-month 'Computer Processing' course.

Structural neuroplasticity in computer programming beginners.

We examined the structural neuroplastic changes associated with the learning of computer programming in university students with no previous programming experience. They participated in a 15-week course (26 lessons) on the "Processing" computer programming language. We have conducted a longitudinal analysis of gray matter volume (GMV) in the magnetic resonance images obtained before and after learning computer programming.

Comparison of Phase Synchronization Measures for Identifying Stimulus-Induced Functional Connectivity in Human Magnetoencephalographic and Simulated Data.

Phase synchronization measures are widely used for investigating inter-regional functional connectivity (FC) of brain oscillations, but which phase synchronization measure should be chosen for a given experiment remains unclear. Using neuromagnetic brain signals recorded from healthy participants during somatosensory stimuli, we compared the performance of four phase synchronization measures, imaginary part of phase-locking value, imaginary part of coherency (ImCoh), phase lag index and weighted phase lag index (wPLI), for detecting stimulus-induced FCs between the contralateral primary and ipsilateral secondary somatosensory cortices. The analyses revealed that ImCoh exhibited the best performance for detecting stimulus-induced FCs, followed by the wPLI.

Leukoencephalopathy with a case of heterozygous POLG mutation mimicking mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE).

Diseases due to mutations of polymerase γ (POLG) usually present with progressive external ophthalmoplegia. However, a few studies have been reported on POLG1 mutations with the mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE)-like phenotype. All cases with POLG1 mutations mimicking MNGIE have never shown leukoencephalopathy on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Effects of Field-Map Distortion Correction on Resting State Functional Connectivity MRI.

Magnetic field inhomogeneities cause geometric distortions of echo planar images used for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). To reduce this problem, distortion correction (DC) with field map is widely used for both task and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). Although DC with field map has been reported to improve the quality of task fMRI, little is known about its effects on rs-fMRI.

The first Japanese case of leukodystrophy with ovarian failure arising from novel compound heterozygous AARS2 mutations.

Even now, only a portion of leukodystrophy patients are correctly diagnosed, though various causative genes have been identified. In the present report, we describe a case of adult-onset leukodystrophy in a woman with ovarian failure. By whole-exome sequencing, a compound heterozygous mutation consisting of NM_020745.