Detecting white matter activity using conventional 3 Tesla fMRI: An evaluation of standard field strength and hemodynamic response function.

Detection of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation in white matter has been increasingly reported despite historically being controversial. Much of the development work to-date has used high-field 4 T MRI and specialized pulse sequences. In the current study, we utilized conventional 3 T MRI and a commonly applied gradient-echo-planar imaging sequence to evaluate white matter (WM) fMRI sensitivity within a common framework.

Association Between Paraspinal Muscle Morphology, Clinical Symptoms, and Functional Status in Patients With Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess fatty infiltration and asymmetry of the multifidus (MF), semispinalis cervicis (SCer), semispinalis capitis (SCap), and splenius capitis (SPL) muscles in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), and evaluate their correlations with clinical symptoms and functional scores.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical muscle alterations have been reported in patients with chronic neck pain, but the assessment of cervical muscle morphology has been overlooked in patients with DCM.