Grey matter abnormalities are associated only with severe cognitive decline in early stages of Parkinson's disease.

Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet with large heterogeneity in the range and course of deficits. In a cross-sectional study, 124 PD patients underwent extensive clinical and neuropsychological assessment as well as a 3T MRI scan of the brain. Our aim was to identify differences in grey matter volume and thickness, as well as cortical folding, across different cognitive profiles as defined through a data-driven exploratory cluster analysis of neuropsychological data.

Prediabetes Is Associated With Structural Brain Abnormalities: The Maastricht Study.

Objective: Structural brain abnormalities are key risk factors for brain diseases, such as dementia, stroke, and depression, in type 2 diabetes. It is unknown whether structural brain abnormalities already occur in prediabetes. Therefore, we investigated whether both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with lacunar infarcts (LIs), white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and brain atrophy.

The Relationship between Cerebral Small Vessel Disease, Hippocampal Volume and Cognitive Functioning in Patients with COPD: An MRI Study.

The neural correlates of cognitive impairment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not yet understood. Structural brain abnormalities could possibly be associated with the presence of cognitive impairment through cigarette smoke, inflammation, vascular disease, or hypoxemia in these patients. This study aimed to investigate whether macrostructural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and hippocampal volume (HCV) are related to cognitive performance in patients with COPD.

Simultaneous investigation of microvasculature and parenchyma in cerebral small vessel disease using intravoxel incoherent motion imaging.

Introduction: Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is associated with microvascular and parenchymal alterations. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI has been proposed to simultaneously measure both the microvascular perfusion and parenchymal diffusivity. This study aimed to evaluate the application of IVIM in cSVD to assess the microvasculature and parenchymal microstructure.

Towards prognostic biomarkers from BOLD fluctuations to differentiate a first epileptic seizure from new-onset epilepsy.

Objective: The diagnosis of epilepsy cannot be reliably made prior to a patient's second seizure in most cases. Therefore, adequate diagnostic tools are needed to differentiate subjects with a first seizure from those with a seizure preceding the onset of epilepsy. The objective was to explore spontaneous blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fluctuations in subjects with a first-ever seizure and patients with new-onset epilepsy (NOE), and to find characteristic biomarkers for seizure recurrence after the first seizure.

Blood-brain barrier leakage is more widespread in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective: As blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction may occur in normal aging but may also play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), we used dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI to quantify the rate and the spatial extent of BBB leakage in patients with cSVD and age- and sex-matched controls to discern cSVD-related BBB leakage from aging-related leakage.

Methods: We performed structural brain MRI and DCE-MRI in 80 patients with clinically overt cSVD and 40 age- and sex-matched controls. Using the Patlak pharmacokinetic model, we calculated the leakage rate.

Cerebral blood flow, blood supply, and cognition in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

We investigated whether type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and the presence of cognitive impairment are associated with altered cerebral blood flow (CBF). Forty-one participants with and thirty-nine without T2DM underwent 3-Tesla MRI, including a quantitative technique measuring (macrovascular) blood flow in the internal carotid artery and an arterial spin labeling technique measuring (microvascular) perfusion in the grey matter (GM). Three analysis methods were used to quantify the CBF: a region of interest analysis, a voxel-based statistical parametric mapping technique, and a 'distributed deviating voxels' method.

Abnormal Profiles of Local Functional Connectivity Proximal to Focal Cortical Dysplasias.

Introduction: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital malformation of cortical development that often leads to medically refractory epilepsy. Focal resection can be an effective treatment, but is challenging as the surgically relevant abnormality may exceed the MR-visible lesion. The aim of the current study is to develop methodology to characterize the profile of functional connectivity around FCDs using resting-state functional MRI and in the individual patient.

Blood-Brain Barrier Leakage in Patients with Early Alzheimer Disease.

Purpose To investigate whether the blood-brain barrier (BBB) leaks blood-circulating substances in patients with early forms of Alzheimer disease (AD), and if so, to examine the extent and pattern of leakage. Materials and Methods This study was approved by the local medical ethical committees of the Maastricht University Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center, and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. For this pilot study, 16 patients with early AD and 17 healthy age-matched control subjects underwent dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence with dual time resolution for 25 minutes.

Functional Brain Networks Are Altered in Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes: Signs for Compensation of Cognitive Decrements? The Maastricht Study.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with cognitive decrements, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased risk for dementia. Patients with the metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for diabetes, may display comparable cognitive decrements as seen in type 2 diabetes. Currently, the impact of diabetes and prediabetes on cognition and the underlying organization of functional brain networks still remain to be elucidated.

Effect of spineboard and headblocks on the image quality of head CT scans.

Trauma patients at risk for, or suspected of, spinal injury are frequently transported to hospital using full spinal immobilisation. At the emergency department, immobilisation is often maintained until radiological work-up is completed. In this study, we examined how these devices for spinal stabilization influence visual image quality.

Metabolic and functional MR biomarkers of antiepileptic drug effectiveness: A review.

As a large number of patients with epilepsy do not respond favorably to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), a better understanding of treatment failure and the cause of adverse side effects is required. The working mechanisms of AEDs also alter neurotransmitter concentrations and brain activity, which can be measured using MR spectroscopy and functional MR imaging, respectively. This review presents an overview of clinical research of MR spectroscopy and functional MR imaging studies to the effects of AEDs on the brain.

Affected functional networks associated with sentence production in classic galactosemia.

Patients with the inherited metabolic disorder classic galactosemia have language production impairments in several planning stages. Here, we assessed potential deviations in recruitment and connectivity across brain areas responsible for language production that may explain these deficits. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study neural activity and connectivity while participants carried out a language production task.

On the interplay of microvasculature, parenchyma, and memory in type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes is associated with accelerated cognitive decline, especially regarding memory for which the hippocampus plays an essential role. The pathophysiological mechanisms still remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study is to examine whether hippocampal microvascular and microstructural changes are related to type 2 diabetes (based on status or based on fasting blood glucose [FBG] levels) and verbal memory performance.

Blood-brain barrier impairment in dementia: current and future in vivo assessments.

Increasing evidence indicates that blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment may play a role in the pathophysiology of cognitive decline and dementia. In vivo imaging studies are needed to quantify and localize the BBB defects during life, contemplating the circulatory properties. We reviewed the literature for imaging studies investigating BBB impairment in patients suffering from dementia.

Delayed convergence between brain network structure and function in rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Rolandic epilepsy (RE) manifests during a critical phase of brain development, and has been associated with language impairments. Concordant abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity (SC and FC) have been described before. As SC and FC are under mutual influence, the current study investigates abnormalities in the SC-FC synergy in RE.

Quantitative MR and cognitive impairment in cryptogenic localisation-related epilepsy.

For patients with chronic cryptogenic localisation-related epilepsy (CLRE), conventional MRI does not provide measures to discern between patients with or without cognitive complaints. We investigated, in a preliminary study, whether it is possible to detect cerebral biomarkers of cognitive impairment in patients with CLRE using sensitive quantitative MRI techniques. Neuropsychological assessment and quantitative 3.

Resting-state networks and dissociation in psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.

Objective: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are epilepsy-like episodes which have an emotional rather than organic origin. Although PNES have often been related to the process of dissociation, the psychopathology is still poorly understood. To elucidate underlying mechanisms, the current study applied independent component analysis (ICA) on resting-state fMRI to investigate alterations within four relevant networks, associated with executive, fronto-parietal, sensorimotor, and default mode activation, and within a visual network to examine specificity of between-group differences.

Functional and structural network impairment in childhood frontal lobe epilepsy.

In childhood frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), cognitive impairment and educational underachievement are serious, well-known co-morbidities. The broad scale of affected cognitive domains suggests wide-spread network disturbances that not only involves, but also extends beyond the frontal lobe. In this study we have investigated whole brain connectional properties of children with FLE in relation to their cognitive impairment and compared them with healthy controls.

Reduced structural connectivity between sensorimotor and language areas in rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Rolandic epilepsy (RE) is a childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal (rolandic) spikes, that is increasingly associated with language impairment. In this study, we tested for a white matter (connectivity) correlate, employing diffusion weighted MRI and language testing.

Methods: Twenty-three children with RE and 23 matched controls (age: 8-14 years) underwent structural (T1-weighted) and diffusion-weighted MRI (b = 1200 s/mm(2), 66 gradient directions) at 3T, as well as neuropsychological language testing.

Aberrant functional connectivity between motor and language networks in rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Rolandic epilepsy (RE) is an idiopathic focal childhood epilepsy with a well-established neuropsychological profile of language impairment. The aim of this study is to provide a functional correlate that links rolandic (sensorimotor) pathology to language problems using functional MRI.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-three children with RE (8-14 years old) and 21 matched controls underwent extensive language assessment (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals).

Early onset of cortical thinning in children with rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Rolandic epilepsy, a childhood epilepsy associated with language impairments, was investigated for language-related cortical abnormalities.

Methods: Twenty-four children with rolandic epilepsy and 24 controls (age 8-14 years) were recruited and underwent the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals test. Structural MRI was performed at 3 T (voxel size 1 × 1 × 1 mm(3)) for fully automated quantitative assessment of cortical thickness.