Automated Quantification of Brain Lesion Volume From Post-trauma MR Diffusion-Weighted Images.

Objectives: Determining the volume of brain lesions after trauma is challenging. Manual delineation is observer-dependent and time-consuming and cannot therefore be used in routine practice. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an automated atlas-based quantification procedure (AQP) based on the detection of abnormal mean diffusivity (MD) values computed from diffusion-weighted MR images.

Automatic recognition of specific local cortical folding patterns.

The study of local cortical folding patterns showed links with psychiatric illnesses as well as cognitive functions. Despite the tools now available to visualize cortical folds in 3D, manually classifying local sulcal patterns is a time-consuming and tedious task. In fact, 3D visualization of folds helps experts to identify different sulcal patterns but fold variability is so high that the distinction between these patterns sometimes requires the definition of complex criteria, making manual classification difficult and not reliable.

Recovery and Prediction of Dynamic Precision Grip Force Control After Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Dexterous object manipulation, requiring generation and control of finger forces, is often impaired after stroke. This study aimed to describe recovery of precision grip force control after stroke and to determine clinical and imaging predictors of 6-month performance. Methods- Eighty first-ever stroke patients with varying degrees of upper limb weakness were evaluated at 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after stroke.

MRI Atlas of IDH Wild-Type Supratentorial Glioblastoma: Probabilistic Maps of Phenotype, Management, and Outcomes.

Background Tumor location is a main prognostic parameter in patients with glioblastoma. Probabilistic MRI-based brain atlases specifying the probability of tumor location associated with important demographic, clinical, histomolecular, and management data are lacking for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastomas. Purpose To correlate glioblastoma location with clinical phenotype, surgical management, and outcomes by using a probabilistic analysis in a three-dimensional (3D) MRI-based atlas.

Quantitative Assessment of Hand Spasticity After Stroke: Imaging Correlates and Impact on Motor Recovery.

This longitudinal observational study investigated how neural stretch-resistance in wrist and finger flexors develops after stroke and relates to motor recovery, secondary complications, and lesion location. Sixty-one patients were assessed at 3 weeks (T1), three (T2), and 6 months (T3) after stroke using the NeuroFlexor method and clinical tests. Magnetic Resonance Imaging was used to calculate weighted corticospinal tract lesion load (wCST-LL) and to perform voxel-based lesion symptom mapping.

Optimal 4DFlow MR sequence parameters for the assessment of internal carotid artery stenosis: a simulation study.

Purpose: In patients with ICA stenosis, increased peak systolic velocity is a marker of stenosis at risk of ischemic stroke. 4DFlow MRI is a reproducible technique to evaluate velocities in ICA stenosis, although it seems to underestimate velocities as compared with Doppler ultrasonography. The purpose of our study was to confirm that velocities were underestimated on a new set of data acquired with a clinical 4DFlow sequence, and to devise optimal acquisition parameters for ICA stenosis exploration based on a numerical simulation.

Better Collaterals Are Independently Associated With Post-Thrombolysis Recanalization Before Thrombectomy.

Background and Purpose- In acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, the goal of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is to achieve early recanalization (ER). Apart from occlusion site and thrombus length, predictors of early post-IVT recanalization are poorly known. Better collaterals might also facilitate ER, for instance, by improving delivery of the thrombolytic agent to both ends of the thrombus.

ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score) Assessment of the Perfusion-Diffusion Mismatch.

Background And Purpose: Rapid and reliable assessment of the perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI)/diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) mismatch is required to promote its wider application in both acute stroke clinical routine and trials. We tested whether an evaluation based on the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) reliably identifies the PWI/DWI mismatch.

Methods: A total of 232 consecutive patients with acute middle cerebral artery stroke who underwent pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (PWI and DWI) were retrospectively evaluated.

Identification of Reliable Sulcal Patterns of the Human Rolandic Region.

A major feature of the human cortex is its huge morphological variability. Although a comprehensive literature about the sulco-gyral pattern of the central region is available from post-mortem data, a reliable and reproducible characterization from in vivo data is still lacking. The aim of this study is to test the reliability of morphological criteria of the central region sulci used in post-mortem data, when applied to in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.

Does Diffusion Lesion Volume Above 70 mL Preclude Favorable Outcome Despite Post-Thrombolysis Recanalization?

Background And Purpose: Whether to withhold recanalization treatment when the diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion exceeds a given volume is unsettled. Our aim was to assess the impact of recanalization on outcome in patients with baseline DWI lesion ≥70 mL (DWI≥70 mL) treated ≤4.5 hours from onset.

Groupwise connectivity-based parcellation of the whole human cortical surface using watershed-driven dimension reduction.

Segregating the human cortex into distinct areas based on structural connectivity criteria is of widespread interest in neuroscience. This paper presents a groupwise connectivity-based parcellation framework for the whole cortical surface using a new high quality diffusion dataset of 79 healthy subjects. Our approach performs gyrus by gyrus to parcellate the whole human cortex.

Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Vascular Hyperintensities-Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Mismatch Identifies Acute Stroke Patients Most Likely to Benefit From Recanalization.

Background And Purpose: Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensities (FVH) beyond the boundaries of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion (FVH-DWI mismatch) have been proposed as an alternative to perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI)-DWI mismatch. We aimed to establish whether FVH-DWI mismatch can identify patients most likely to benefit from recanalization.

Methods: FVH-DWI mismatch was assessed in 164 patients with proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion before intravenous thrombolysis.

Intermittent theta burst stimulation over left BA10 enhances virtual reality-based prospective memory in healthy aged subjects.

Prospective memory (PM) refers to a complex cognitive ability that underpins the delayed execution of previously formulated intentions. PM performance declines early in normal aging and this process is accentuated in Alzheimer's disease. The left frontopolar cortex (BA10) has been consistently assigned a major role in PM functioning, but whether it can be noninvasively modulated to enhance PM performance in aged people has not been addressed so far.

Interest of HYPR flow dynamic MRA for characterization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: comparison with TRICKS MRA and catheter DSA.

Objective: HYPR flow is a 3D dynamic contrast-enhanced MRA technique providing isotropic sub-millimetre resolution with half-second temporal resolution. We compared HYPR flow and time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) MRA for the characterization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (cAVMs), using catheter DSA as reference.

Methods: Twenty-two patients underwent HYPR flow and TRICKS MRA within 15 days of DSA.

Sulcus-based MR analysis of focal cortical dysplasia located in the central region.

Objective: Focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) are mainly located in the frontal region, with a particular tropism for the central sulcus. Up to 30% of lesions are undetected (magnetic resonance [MR]-negative FCD patients) or belatedly diagnosed by visual analysis of MR images. We propose an automated sulcus-based method to analyze abnormal sulcal patterns associated with central FCD, taking into account the normal interindividual sulcal variability.

Three-tesla functional MR language mapping: comparison with direct cortical stimulation in gliomas.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of functional MRI (fMRI) at 3T, as currently used in the preoperative mapping of language areas, compared with direct cortical stimulation (DCS) during awake surgery, in patients with supratentorial gliomas; and to identify clinical, histopathologic,and radiologic factors associated with fMRI/DCS discrepancies.

Methods: Language mapping with fMRI and DCS of 40 consecutive patients with gliomas(24 low-grade, 16 high-grade) in functional areas were retrospectively analyzed. Three block designed tasks were performed during fMRI (letter word generation, category word generation,semantic association).

The power button sign: a newly described central sulcal pattern on surface rendering MR images of type 2 focal cortical dysplasia.

Purpose: To compare the occurrence of several central sulcus variants and to assess the reproducibility of a sulcal pattern named the power button sign (PBS) in patients with type 2 focal cortical dysplasia (FCD2) and healthy control subjects.

Materials And Methods: The local institutional review board approved the study, and written informed consent was waived for patients and was obtained from control subjects. Four readers reviewed three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images in 37 patients (13 with negative MR imaging findings) with histologically proven FCD2 of the central region and 44 control subjects on the basis of a visual analysis of a 3D reconstruction of cortical folds.

3T MRI improves the detection of transmantle sign in type 2 focal cortical dysplasia.

Purpose: Type 2 focal cortical dysplasia (FCD2) is one of the main causes of refractory partial epilepsy, but often remains overlooked by MRI. This study aimed to elucidate whether 3T MRI offers better detection and characterization of FCD2 than 1.5T, using similar coils and acquisition time.

MR selective flow-tracking cartography: a postprocessing procedure applied to four-dimensional flow MR imaging for complete characterization of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of a selective flow-tracking cartographic procedure applied to four-dimensional (4D) flow imaging and to demonstrate its usefulness in the characterization of dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs).

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained, and all patients provided written informed consent. Eight patients (nine DAVFs) underwent 3.

Total mismatch in anterior circulation stroke patients before thrombolysis.

Background And Purpose: Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of negative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with total perfusion-diffusion mismatch in a large series of anterior circulation stroke patients treated with thrombolysis and to describe the characteristics of these patients.

Materials And Methods: From January 2006 to December 2010, a retrospective search was made for total perfusion-diffusion (PWI-DWI) mismatch patterns on pretreatment 1.5-T MRI scans of 166 consecutive thrombolyzed patients taken<4.

Clot burden score on admission T2*-MRI predicts recanalization in acute stroke.

Background And Purpose: To propose a T2*-MR adaptation of the computed tomography angiography-clot burden score (CBS), and assess its value as predictor of 24-hour recanalization and clinical outcome in anterior circulation stroke treated by intravenous thrombolysis ≤4.5 hours from onset.

Methods: Two independent observers retrospectively analyzed pretreatment T2* images for evaluation of clot burden, using a 10-point scale T2*-CBS.

Mapping cortico-striatal connectivity onto the cortical surface: a new tractography-based approach to study Huntington disease.

Huntington disease (HD) is associated with early and severe damage to the basal ganglia and particularly the striatum. We investigated cortico-striatal connectivity modifications occurring in HD patients using a novel approach which focuses on the projection of the connectivity profile of the basal ganglia onto the cortex. This approach consists in computing, for each subcortical structure, surface connectivity measures representing its strength of connections to the cortex and comparing these measures across groups.

Serial brain MRI in TIA patients.

Objective: Up to 40% of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) demonstrate lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). However, the time course of these ischemic lesions is not well known. Some lesions could vanish soon after symptom onset whereas others could be visible only after a certain delay.

Inter-subject connectivity-based parcellation of a patch of cerebral cortex.

This paper presents a connectivity-based parcellation of the human post-central gyrus, at the level of the group of subjects. The dimension of the clustering problem is reduced using a set of cortical regions of interest determined at the inter-subject level using a surface-based coordinate system, and representing the regions with a strong connection to the post-central gyrus. This process allows a clustering based on criteria which are more reproducible across subjects than in an intra-subject approach.