Indirect frontocingulate structural connectivity predicts clinical response to accelerated rTMS in major depressive disorder.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), but its clinical efficacy remains rather modest. One reason for this could be that the propagation of rTMS effects via structural connections from the stimulated area to deeper brain structures (such as the cingulate cortices) is suboptimal.

Methods: We investigated whether structural connectivity — derived from diffusion MRI data — could serve as a biomarker to predict treatment response.

NeuCA-RT: A framework for real-time fMRI analysis.

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) allows visualisation of ongoing brain activity of the subject in the scanner. Denoising algorithms aim to rid acquired data of confounding effects, enhancing the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Further image processing and analysis methods, like general linear models (GLM) or multivariate analysis, then present application-specific information to the researcher.

Focal application of accelerated iTBS results in global changes in graph measures.

Graph analysis was used to study the effects of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) on the brain's network topology in medication-resistant depressed patients. Anatomical and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was recorded at baseline and after sham and verum stimulation. Depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).

Accelerated Cognitive Ageing in Epilepsy: A Neuropsychological Evaluation of Cognitive Deterioration.

Objective: Shed light on cognitive deterioration in Accelerated Cognitive Ageing (ACA) in epilepsy from a neuropsychological point of view in order to improve clinical diagnostics.

Methods: We compared the IQ-profile including GAI, OPIE IV-premorbid IQ and deterioration-scores of 21 epilepsy patients with ACA with 21 matched epilepsy patients without ACA (Epilepsy Controls) and 16 age- and education-matched Healthy Controls. Memory was also evaluated.

Functional network abnormalities consistent with behavioral profile in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the severity of symptoms varies over subjects. The iCAPs model (innovation-driven co-activation patterns) is a recently developed spatio-temporal model to describe fMRI data. In this study, the iCAPs model was employed to find functional imaging biomarkers for ASD in resting-state fMRI data.

Wavelet entropy of BOLD time series: An application to Rolandic epilepsy.

Purpose: To assess the wavelet entropy for the characterization of intrinsic aberrant temporal irregularities in the time series of resting-state blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal fluctuations. Further, to evaluate the temporal irregularities (disorder/order) on a voxel-by-voxel basis in the brains of children with Rolandic epilepsy.

Materials And Methods: The BOLD time series was decomposed using the discrete wavelet transform and the wavelet entropy was calculated.

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.

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.

Gradient Artefact Correction and Evaluation of the EEG Recorded Simultaneously with fMRI Data Using Optimised Moving-Average.

Over the past years, coregistered EEG-fMRI has emerged as a powerful tool for neurocognitive research and correlated studies, mainly because of the possibility of integrating the high temporal resolution of the EEG with the high spatial resolution of fMRI. However, additional work remains to be done in order to improve the quality of the EEG signal recorded simultaneously with fMRI data, in particular regarding the occurrence of the gradient artefact. We devised and presented in this paper a novel approach for gradient artefact correction based upon optimised moving-average filtering (OMA).

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.

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.

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.

Reduced functional integration of the sensorimotor and language network in rolandic epilepsy.

Introduction: Over the last years, evidence has accumulated that rolandic epilepsy (RE) is associated with serious cognitive comorbidities, including language impairment. However, the cerebral mechanism through which epileptiform activity in the rolandic (sensorimotor) areas may affect the language system is unknown. To investigate this, the connectivity between rolandic areas and regions involved in language processing is studied using functional MRI (fMRI).

Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals in Rolandic epilepsy, an assessment with CELF-4.

Background: In clinical practice, Rolandic epilepsy is in many cases associated with developmental language impairment. However, from the literature it is unclear exactly which domains are affected; A wide variety of investigations are reported that each provide a different representation of language performance in these patients.

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare performance on the language domains between children with Rolandic epilepsy and healthy controls.

Tract specific reproducibility of tractography based morphology and diffusion metrics.

Introduction: The reproducibility of tractography is important to determine its sensitivity to pathological abnormalities. The reproducibility of tract morphology has not yet been systematically studied and the recently developed tractography contrast Tract Density Imaging (TDI) has not yet been assessed at the tract specific level.

Materials And Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and probabilistic constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) tractography are performed twice in 9 healthy subjects.

Correlation between language impairment and problems in motor development in children with rolandic epilepsy.

Objective: An association between impaired school performance and rolandic epilepsy is frequently reported. Language outcome, in particular, seems to be affected, although rolandic epilepsy originates from the motor-sensory cortex. In this study we tried to find a correlation between locomotion problems and language impairment.

Association between frequency of nocturnal epilepsy and language disturbance in children.

In clinical practice, an association is commonly suggested between nocturnal epileptiform activity and language disorders in children. However, this association has not been studied systematically. This study explored the correlation between daily and nocturnal epileptiform discharges ratio, frequency of nocturnal epileptiform discharges, and severity of nocturnal seizures in correlation with the severity of language impairment.