Risk Factors for Rapid Cognitive Decline in Amyloid-Negative Individuals Without Cognitive Impairment or With Early-Stage Cognitive Loss in Screening Tests.

Purpose: Although rapid cognitive decline (RCD) is an important unfavorable prognostic factor, not much is known about it, especially in amyloid-negative individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for RCD in amyloid-negative individuals.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 741 individuals who were either cognitively unimpaired or had early-stage cognitive ability loss and who underwent 18 F-florbetaben (FBB) (n = 402) or 18 F-flutemetamol (FMM) (n = 339) PET/CT.

Multimodal Imaging Approach for Tumor Treatment Response Evaluation in the Era of Immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is likely the most remarkable advancement in lung cancer treatment during the past decade. Although immunotherapy provides substantial benefits, their therapeutic responses differ from those of conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy, and some patients present unique immunotherapy response patterns that cannot be judged under the current measurement standards. Therefore, the response monitoring of immunotherapy can be challenging, such as the differentiation between real response and pseudo-response.

Response-adapted consolidation therapy strategy for patients with metastatic high-risk neuroblastoma: Results of the SMC NB-2014 study.

Background: Tandem high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDCT/auto-SCT) and incorporation of I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (I-MIBG) treatment have shown positive outcomes in high-risk neuroblastoma. However, more optimized treatment strategies are still needed.

Procedure: The NB-2014 study was a nonrandomized, prospective trial that examined survival outcomes in metastatic high-risk neuroblastoma patients using response-adapted consolidation therapy.

Clinical and Pathological Validation of CT-Based Regional Harmonization Methods of Amyloid PET.

Purpose: The CT-based regional direct comparison Centiloid (dcCL) method was developed to harmonize and quantify regional β-amyloid (Aβ) burden. In the present study, we aimed to investigate correlations between the CT-based regional dcCL scales and Aβ pathological burdens and to validate the clinical utility using thresholds derived from pathological assessment.

Patients And Methods: We included a pathological cohort of 63 cases and a clinical cohort of 4062 participants, and obtained modified Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease criteria (mCERAD) scores by assessment of neuritic plaque burdens in multiple areas of each cortical region.

Metabolic bulk volume from FDG PET as an independent predictor of progression-free survival in follicular lymphoma.

Background: Total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) in F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) predicts patient outcome in follicular lymphoma (FL); however, it requires laborious segmentation of all lesions. We investigated the prognostic value of the metabolic bulk volume (MBV) obtained from the single largest lesion.

Methods: Pretreatment FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) scans of 201 patients were analyzed for TMTV and MBV using a 41% maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) threshold.

Semi-quantitative FDG parameters predict survival in multiple myeloma patients without autologous stem cell transplantation.

Background: F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is useful in multiple myeloma (MM) for initial workup and treatment response evaluation. Herein, we evaluated the prognostic value of semi-quantitative FDG parameters for predicting the overall survival (OS) of MM patients with or without autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).

Methods: Study subjects comprised 227 MM patients who underwent baseline FDG PET/CT.

Comparative analysis of batch correction methods for FDG PET/CT using metabolic radiogenomic data of lung cancer patients.

In radiomics research, the issue of different instruments being used is significant. In this study, we compared three correction methods to reduce the batch effects in radiogenomic data from fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT images of lung cancer patients. Texture features of the FDG PET/CT images and genomic data were retrospectively obtained.

A Machine Learning Approach Using FDG PET-Based Radiomics for Prediction of Tumor Mutational Burden and Prognosis in Stage IV Colorectal Cancer.

Introduction: We assessed the performance of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET)-based radiomics for the prediction of tumor mutational burden (TMB) and prognosis using a machine learning (ML) approach in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: Ninety-one CRC patients who underwent pretreatment FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) and palliative chemotherapy were retrospectively included. PET-based radiomics were extracted from the primary tumor on PET imaging using the software LIFEx.

Emerging role of vascular burden in AT(N) classification in individuals with Alzheimer's and concomitant cerebrovascular burdens.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by amyloid-beta accumulation (A), tau aggregation (T) and neurodegeneration (N). Vascular (V) burden has been found concomitantly with AD pathology and has synergistic effects on cognitive decline with AD biomarkers. We determined whether cognitive trajectories of AT(N) categories differed according to vascular (V) burden.

Methionine metabolism and endocrine function of the pituitary gland in patients with suprasellar germinoma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between methionine (MET) metabolism and endocrine function of the pituitary gland in patients with suprasellar region tumor.

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with intracranial germinoma were included in this study. Initial staging and all surveillance MET PET/CT scans and comparable serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were analyzed.

The prognostic value of radiomic features from pre- and post-treatment F-FDG PET imaging in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is widely used for management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Combining the radiomic features of pre- and post-treatment FDG PET images may improve tumor characterization and prognostic predication. We investigated prognostic value of radiomic features from pre- and post-radiotherapy FDG PET images in patients with NPC.

Cluster analysis of autoencoder-extracted FDG PET/CT features identifies multiple myeloma patients with poor prognosis.

F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is a robust imaging modality used for staging multiple myeloma (MM) and assessing treatment responses. Herein, we extracted features from the FDG PET/CT images of MM patients using an artificial intelligence autoencoder algorithm that constructs a compressed representation of input data. We then evaluated the prognostic value of the image-feature clusters thus extracted.

Clinical outcomes of increased focal amyloid uptake in individuals with subthreshold global amyloid levels.

Background: Although the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) method is objective and simple, cut-off optimization using global SUVR values may not reflect focal increased uptake in the cerebrum. The present study investigated clinical and neuroimaging characteristics according to focally increased β-amyloid (Aβ) uptake and global Aβ status.

Methods: We recruited 968 participants with cognitive continuum.

Heritability of cognitive abilities and regional brain structures in middle-aged to elderly East Asians.

This study examined the single-nucleotide polymorphism heritability and genetic correlations of cognitive abilities and brain structural measures (regional subcortical volume and cortical thickness) in middle-aged and elderly East Asians (Korean) from the Gwangju Alzheimer's and Related Dementias cohort study. Significant heritability was found in memory function, caudate volume, thickness of the entorhinal cortices, pars opercularis, superior frontal gyri, and transverse temporal gyri. There were 3 significant genetic correlations between (i) the caudate volume and the thickness of the entorhinal cortices, (ii) the thickness of the superior frontal gyri and pars opercularis, and (iii) the thickness of the superior frontal and transverse temporal gyri.

Extra-Basal Ganglia Brain Structures Are Related to Motor Reserve in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The "motor reserve" is an emerging concept based on the discrepancy between the severity of parkinsonism and dopaminergic degeneration; however, the related brain structures have not yet been elucidated.

Objective: We investigated brain structures relevant to the motor reserve in Parkinson's disease (PD) in this study.

Methods: Patients with drug-naïve, early PD were enrolled, who then underwent dopamine transporter (DAT) scan and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Development and clinical validation of CT-based regional modified Centiloid method for amyloid PET.

Background: The standard Centiloid (CL) method was proposed to harmonize and quantify global F-labeled amyloid beta (Aβ) PET ligands using MRI as an anatomical reference. However, there is need for harmonizing and quantifying regional Aβ uptakes between ligands using CT as an anatomical reference. In the present study, we developed and validated a CT-based regional direct comparison of F-florbetaben (FBB) and F-flutemetamol (FMM) Centiloid (rdcCL).

Metabolic parameters on baseline F-FDG PET/CT are potential predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: We evaluated baseline F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) metabolic parameters for predicting prognosis in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who were receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In addition, we also investigated the relationships between immunohistochemical (IHC) biomarkers and metabolic parameters.

Materials And Methods: A total of 39 patients with HNSCC who underwent F-FDG PET/CT prior to ICI therapy between November 2015 and December 2020 were enrolled.

Machine learning-based automatic estimation of cortical atrophy using brain computed tomography images.

Cortical atrophy is measured clinically according to established visual rating scales based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although brain MRI is the primary imaging marker for neurodegeneration, computed tomography (CT) is also widely used for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia. However, they are seldom investigated.

F-THK5351 PET Positivity and Longitudinal Changes in Cognitive Function in β-Amyloid-Negative Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Purpose: Neuroinflammation is considered an important pathway associated with several diseases that result in cognitive decline. F-THK5351 positron emission tomography (PET) signals might indicate the presence of neuroinflammation, as well as Alzheimer's disease-type tau aggregates. β-amyloid (Aβ)-negative (Aβ-) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) may be associated with non-Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology.

Corneal Epithelial Removal with a Newly Designed Epithelial Brush.

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of a newly developed epithelial removal brush with conventional methods in a rabbit model of corneal epithelial defects. The corneal epithelia of thirty-seven rabbits were removed by three different methods including blades (blade group), newly developed epithelial brushes (Ocu group), and conventional rotating brushes (Amo group). The defect area was measured with light microscopy immediately and at 4, 18, 24, and 50 hours after removal.

Value of C-11 methionine PET/CT in patients with intracranial germinoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of C-11 methionine (MET) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with intracranial germinoma (IG).

Material And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 21 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed IGs and eight patients with intracranial non-germinomas (INGs) located in a similar region. Clinical characteristics, imaging findings, and tumor markers such as α-fetoprotein (AFP) and β-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) were used as clinical variables.

Distinctive Mediating Effects of Subcortical Structure Changes on the Relationships Between Amyloid or Vascular Changes and Cognitive Decline.

We investigated the mediation effects of subcortical volume change in the relationship of amyloid beta (Aβ) and lacune with cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We prospectively recruited 101 patients with MCI who were followed up with neuropsychological tests, MRI, or Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) PET for 3 years. The mediation effect of subcortical structure on the association of PiB or lacunes with cognitive function was analyzed using mixed effects models.

Predictive role of lymphoscintigraphy undergoing lymphovenous anastomosis in patients with lower extremity lymphedema: a preliminary study.

Background: We investigated whether preoperative lymphoscintigraphy could predict the treatment response of unilateral lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) in patients with lower extremity lymphedema.

Materials And Methods: A total of 17 patients undergoing lymphoscintigraphy subsequent to LVA was included. As qualitative lymphoscintigraphic indicators, ilioinguinal lymph node uptake, main lymphatic vessel, collateral vessel, and four types of dermal backflow patterns (absent; distal only; proximal only; whole lower limb) were evaluated.