Structural connectivity changes in unilateral hearing loss.

Network connectivity, as mapped by the whole brain connectome, plays a crucial role in regulating auditory function. Auditory deprivation such as unilateral hearing loss might alter structural network connectivity; however, these potential alterations are poorly understood. Thirty-seven acoustic neuroma patients with unilateral hearing loss (19 left-sided and 18 right-sided) and 19 healthy controls underwent diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted imaging to assess edge strength, node strength, and global efficiency of the structural connectome.

Hippocampus diffusivity abnormalities in classical trigeminal neuralgia.

Introduction: Patients with chronic pain frequently report cognitive symptoms that affect memory and attention, which are functions attributed to the hippocampus. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder characterized by paroxysmal attacks of unilateral orofacial pain. Given the stereotypical nature of TN pain and lack of negative symptoms including sensory loss, TN provides a unique model to investigate the hippocampal implications of chronic pain.

Brain imaging signatures of neuropathic facial pain derived by artificial intelligence.

Advances in neuroimaging have permitted the non-invasive examination of the human brain in pain. However, a persisting challenge is in the objective differentiation of neuropathic facial pain subtypes, as diagnosis is based on patients' symptom descriptions. We use artificial intelligence (AI) models with neuroimaging data to distinguish subtypes of neuropathic facial pain and differentiate them from healthy controls.

Sex differences in patient journeys to diagnosis, referral, and surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: implications for equitable care.

Objective: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is an orofacial pain disorder that is more prevalent in females than males. Although an increasing number of studies point to sex differences in chronic pain, how sex impacts TN patients' journeys to care has not been previously addressed. This study sought to investigate sex differences in patients' journeys to diagnosis, referral, and treatment of TN within a large national context.

Differential expression of a brain aging biomarker across discrete chronic pain disorders.

Chronic pain has widespread, detrimental effects on the human nervous system and its prevalence and burden increase with age. Machine learning techniques have been applied on brain images to produce statistical models of brain aging. Specifically, the Gaussian process regression is particularly effective at predicting chronological age from neuroimaging data which permits the calculation of a brain age gap estimate (brain-AGE).

Peripheral Nerve Focused Ultrasound Lesioning-Visualization and Assessment Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging.

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive targeted tissue ablation technique that can be applied to the nervous system. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) can visualize and evaluate nervous system microstructure. Tractography algorithms can reconstruct fiber bundles which can be used for treatment navigation and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics permit the quantitative assessment of nerve microstructure .

Early Experience With Locked Intramedullary Wrist Arthrodesis.

Purpose: The most common method of total wrist arthrodesis is dorsal compression plating, which can require revision for soft tissue or tendon irritation. A locked intramedullary system was developed to reduce this complication. The goal of this study was to investigate the complication rate of total wrist arthrodesis using this system in our center.

Brainstem trigeminal fiber microstructural abnormalities are associated with treatment response across subtypes of trigeminal neuralgia.

Neurosurgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) can provide long-lasting pain relief; however, some patients fail to respond and undergo multiple, repeat procedures. Surgical outcomes can vary depending on the type of TN, but the reasons for this are not well understood. Neuroimaging studies of TN point to abnormalities in the brainstem trigeminal fibers; however, whether this is a common characteristic of treatment nonresponse across different subtypes of TN is unknown.

Development and validation of a universal blood donor genotyping platform: a multinational prospective study.

Each year, blood transfusions save millions of lives. However, under current blood-matching practices, sensitization to non-self-antigens is an unavoidable adverse side effect of transfusion. We describe a universal donor typing platform that could be adopted by blood services worldwide to facilitate a universal extended blood-matching policy and reduce sensitization rates.

The Utility of Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Neuromodulation: Moving Beyond Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objectives: Conventional targeting methods for neuromodulation therapies are insufficient for visualizing targets along white matter pathways and localizing targets in patient-specific space. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) holds promise for enhancing neuromodulation targeting by allowing detailed visualization of white matter tracts and their connections on an individual level.

Material And Methods: We review the literature on DTI and neuromodulation, focusing on clinical studies that have utilized DTI tractography for surgical neuromodulation planning.

Acute MR-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Lesion Assessment Using Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Histological Analysis.

The application of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for the treatment of neurological conditions has been of increasing interest. Conventional MR imaging can provide structural information about the effect of MRgFUS, where differences in ablated tissue can be seen, but it lacks information about the status of the cellular environment or neural microstructure. We investigate acute changes in water diffusion and white matter tracts in the brain of a piglet model after MRgFUS treatment using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with histological verification of treatment-related changes.

Acute ex vivo changes in brain white matter diffusion tensor metrics.

Purpose: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and tractography has an important role in the visualization of brain white matter and assessment of tissue microstructure. There is a lack of correspondence between diffusion metrics of live tissue, ex vivo tissue, and histological findings. The objective of this study is to elucidate this connection by determining the specific diffusion alterations between live and ex vivo brain tissue.

Effect of initial emergency room imaging choice on time to hip reduction and repeat imaging.

Objectives: Hip dislocations are highly morbid injuries necessitating prompt reduction and post-reduction assessment for fracture and incarcerated fragments. Recent literature has questioned the need for initial pelvic radiographs for acute trauma patients, resulting in computed tomography (CT) scans as the initial evaluation. This study investigates the relationship between choice of pre-reduction imaging and treatment of acute hip dislocations.

Time course and extent of functional recovery during the first postoperative year after minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty with two different surgical approaches--a randomized controlled trial.

Unlabelled: While others have reported short-term comparisons between various minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches to total hip arthroplasty (THA) and their conventional analogues, longer-term data is lacking, as is information indicating whether MIS approaches to THA provide a biomechanically complete recovery. Furthermore, different MIS approaches have not been compared. Our approaches of interest were a one-incision modified Watson-Jones, and a two-incision approach.

Cobb angle progression in adolescent scoliosis begins at the intervertebral disc.

Study Design: Longitudinal radiographic study of patients with progressive idiopathic scoliosis.

Objective: To determine the relative contributions of vertebral and disc wedging to the increase in Cobb angle during 3 phases of adolescent skeletal growth and maturation.

Summary Of Background Data: Both disc wedging and vertebral body wedging are found in progressive scoliosis, but their relative contribution to curve progression over time is unknown.

Implications of using hierarchical and six degree-of-freedom models for normal gait analyses.

Hierarchical biomechanical models (conventional gait model, CGM) are attractive because of simple data collection demands, yet they are susceptible to errors that are theoretically better controlled using six degree-of-freedom models that track body segments independently (OPT1). We wished to compare gait variables obtained with these models. Twenty-five normal children walked while wearing a hybrid marker configuration, permitting identical strides to be analyzed using CGM and OPT1.

New methodology for multi-dimensional spinal joint testing with a parallel robot.

Six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) robots can be used to examine joints and their mechanical properties with the spatial freedom encountered physiologically. Parallel robots are capable of 6DOF motion under large payloads making them ideal for joint testing. This study developed and assessed novel methods for spinal joint testing with a custom-built parallel robot implementing hybrid load-position control.

Performance of an inverted pendulum model directly applied to normal human gait.

Background: In clinical gait analysis, we strive to understand contributions to body support and propulsion as this forms a basis for treatment selection, yet the relative importance of gravitational forces and joint powers can be controversial even for normal gait. We hypothesized that an inverted pendulum model, propelled only by gravity, would be inadequate to predict velocities and ground reaction forces during gait.

Methods: Unlike previous ballistic and passive dynamic walking studies, we directly compared model predictions to gait data for 24 normal children.

Impact of mediolateral segmentation on a multi-segment foot model.

MacWilliams et al. report their progress on a multi-segment foot model, including mediolateral segmentation, from which they calculate kinematics and kinetics [MacWilliams BA, Cowley M, Nicholson DE. Foot kinematics and kinetics during adolescent gait.