Fatigue trajectories by wearable remote monitoring of breast cancer patients during radiotherapy.

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the compliance of breast cancer (BC) patients with fitness tracker (FT) monitoring program during radiotherapy (RT) and to characterize radiation-induced fatigue (RIF) status through objective evaluation using FT-collected parameters. Thirty-six BC patients were invited to wear FT during their RT course for continuous monitoring of heart rate (HR) and step counts (STP). RIF assessment was performed weekly, according to CTCAE v5.

Voxel-based analysis of gray matter relaxation rates shows different correlation patterns for cognitive impairment and physical disability in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Regional analyses of markers of microstructural gray matter (GM) changes, including relaxation rates, have shown inconsistent correlations with physical and cognitive impairment in MS.

Objective: To assess voxelwise the correlation of the R1 and R2 relaxation rates with the physical and cognitive impairment in MS.

Methods: GM R1 and R2 relaxation rate maps were obtained in 241 relapsing-remitting MS patients by relaxometric segmentation of MRI studies.

Brain tissue volumes and relaxation rates in multiple sclerosis: implications for cognitive impairment.

Objective: Both normal gray matter atrophy and brain tissue relaxation rates, in addition to total lesion volume, have shown significant correlations with cognitive test scores in multiple sclerosis (MS). Aim of the study was to assess the relative contributions of macro- and microstructural changes of both normal and abnormal brain tissues, probed, respectively, by their volumes and relaxation rates, to the cognitive status and physical disability of MS patients.

Methods: MRI studies from 241 patients with relapsing-remitting MS were retrospectively analyzed by fully automated multiparametric relaxometric segmentation.

Diffusion volume (DV) measurement in endometrial and cervical cancer: A new MRI parameter in the evaluation of the tumor grading and the risk classification.

Purpose: A new MRI parameter representative of active tumor burden is proposed: diffusion volume (DV), defined as the sum of all the voxels within a tumor with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values within a specific range. The aims of the study were: (a) to calculate DV on ADC maps in patients with cervical/endometrial cancer; (b) to correlate DV with histological grade (G) and risk classification; (c) to evaluate intra/inter-observer agreement of DV calculation.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-three patients with endometrial (n=28) and cervical (n=25) cancers underwent pelvic MRI with DWI sequences.

No evidence for an effect on brain atrophy rate of atorvastatin add-on to interferon β1b therapy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (the ARIANNA study).

Background: A previous phase 2 trial has suggested that statins might delay brain atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin add-on therapy on cerebral atrophy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This randomised, placebo-controlled study compared atorvastatin 40 mg or placebo add-on therapy to interferon β1b for 24 months.

A Novel Multiparametric Approach to 3D Quantitative MRI of the Brain.

Magnetic Resonance properties of tissues can be quantified in several respects: relaxation processes, density of imaged nuclei, magnetism of environmental molecules, etc. In this paper, we propose a new comprehensive approach to obtain 3D high resolution quantitative maps of arbitrary body districts, mainly focusing on the brain. The theory presented makes it possible to map longitudinal (R1), pure transverse (R2) and free induction decay ([Formula: see text]) rates, along with proton density (PD) and magnetic susceptibility (χ), from a set of fast acquisition sequences in steady-state that are highly insensitive to flow phenomena.

Improving Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Susceptibility Weighted Imaging: A Novel Multicomponent Non-Local Approach.

In susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), the high resolution required to obtain a proper contrast generation leads to a reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The application of a denoising filter to produce images with higher SNR and still preserve small structures from excessive blurring is therefore extremely desirable. However, as the distributions of magnitude and phase noise may introduce biases during image restoration, the application of a denoising filter is non-trivial.

Automated delineation of brain structures in patients undergoing radiotherapy for primary brain tumors: from atlas to dose-volume histograms.

Purpose: To implement and evaluate a magnetic resonance imaging atlas-based automated segmentation (MRI-ABAS) procedure for cortical and sub-cortical grey matter areas definition, suitable for dose-distribution analyses in brain tumor patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT).

Patients And Methods: 3T-MRI scans performed before RT in ten brain tumor patients were used. The MRI-ABAS procedure consists of grey matter classification and atlas-based regions of interest definition.

An MRI digital brain phantom for validation of segmentation methods.

Knowledge of the exact spatial distribution of brain tissues in images acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to measure and compare the performance of segmentation algorithms. Currently available physical phantoms do not satisfy this requirement. State-of-the-art digital brain phantoms also fall short because they do not handle separately anatomical structures (e.

SPECT imaging of GABA(A)/benzodiazepine receptors and cerebral perfusion in mild cognitive impairment.

Purpose: The involvement of neocortical and limbic GABA(A)/benzodiazepine (BZD) receptors in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is controversial and mainly reported in advanced stages. The status of these receptors in the very early stages of AD is unclear and has not been explored in vivo. Our aims were to investigate in vivo the integrity of cerebral cortical GABA(A)/BZD receptors in subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and to compare possible receptor changes to those in cerebral perfusion.