Publications by authors named "Mustafa Almuqbel"

Introduction: Recent work suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) tracer uptake shortly after injection ("early phase") reflects brain metabolism and perfusion. We assessed this modality in a predominantly amyloid-negative neurodegenerative condition, Parkinson's disease (PD), and hypothesized that early-phase F-florbetaben (eFBB) uptake would reproduce characteristic hypometabolism and hypoperfusion patterns associated with cognitive decline in PD.

Methods: One hundred fifteen PD patients across the spectrum of cognitive impairment underwent dual-phase Aβ PET, structural and arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and neuropsychological assessments.

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In this study, we compared the fat-saturated (FS) and non-FS turbo spin echo (TSE) magnetic resonance imaging knee sequences reconstructed conventionally (conventional-TSE) against a deep learning-based reconstruction of accelerated TSE (DL-TSE) scans. A total of 232 conventional-TSE and DL-TSE image pairs were acquired for comparison. For each consenting patient, one of the clinically acquired conventional-TSE proton density-weighted sequences in the sagittal or coronal planes (FS and non-FS), or in the axial plane (non-FS), was repeated using a research DL-TSE sequence.

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Introduction: Patients with breast implants need to undergo regular screening MRI procedures. One of the key requirements of this screening scan is the ability to suppress one or more tissues (water, fat, or silicone) simultaneously. However, the presence of "foreign" implants within the breast biological space affects the MRI scanner's normal operating mode.

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Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (Batten disease) are a group of inherited lysosomal storage disorders characterized by progressive neurodegeneration leading to motor and cognitive dysfunction, seizure activity and blindness. The disease can be caused by mutations in 1 of 13 ceroid lipofuscinosis neuronal (CLN) genes. Naturally occurring sheep models of the CLN5 and CLN6 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses recapitulate the clinical disease progression and post-mortem pathology of the human disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • The New Zealand Parkinson's Progression Programme (NZP3) has studied 354 Parkinson's patients and 89 healthy older individuals over 14 years, focusing on cognitive impairment and identifying future biomarkers.
  • The program has contributed to understanding mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's and validated criteria for its diagnosis, using brain imaging and various biomarker investigations.
  • It has supported other research areas related to Parkinson's, resulting in numerous publications and the training of early-career to senior researchers, while outlining future directions for continued research.
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Objective: Many factors can contribute to the reliability and robustness of MRI-derived metrics. In this study, we assessed the reliability and reproducibility of three MRI modalities after an MRI scanner was relocated to a new hospital facility.

Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers (12 females, mean age (standard deviation) ​= ​41 (11) years, age range [25-66]) completed three MRI sessions.

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The extent to which Alzheimer neuropathology, particularly the accumulation of misfolded beta-amyloid, contributes to cognitive decline and dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unresolved. Here, we used Florbetaben PET imaging to test for any association between cerebral amyloid deposition and cognitive impairment in PD, in a sample enriched for cases with mild cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional study used Movement Disorders Society level II criteria to classify 115 participants with PD as having normal cognition (PDN, = 23), mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI, = 76), or dementia (PDD, = 16).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on how radial k-space acquisitions in MRI can lead to image artifacts and ways to reduce them.
  • It compared images from traditional rectilinear acquisition methods with those from radial methods using both motion correction and without, finding that the latter often resulted in better quality.
  • The conclusion emphasizes that motion correction can degrade image quality when motion is minimal, and improving awareness of these artifacts can lead to better MRI protocols and diagnostics.
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Introduction: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is classified as a motor disorder, but most patients develop cognitive impairment, and eventual dementia (PDD). Predictive neurobiomarkers may be useful in the identification of those patients at imminent risk of PDD. Given the compromised cerebral integrity in PDD, we investigated whether brain metabolites track disease progression over time.

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