Location and progression of cerebral small-vessel disease and atrophy, and depressive symptom profiles: the Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease (SMART)-Medea study.

Background: The 'vascular depression' hypothesis states that brain changes located in frontal-subcortical pathways increase vulnerability for specific depressive symptom profiles, but studies examining locations of small-vessel and degenerative changes with individual symptoms are scarce. We examined whether location and progression of white-matter lesions (WMLs), lacunar infarcts and atrophy were associated with motivational and mood symptoms in patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic disease.

Method: In 578 patients [63 (s.

Ischemic lesion volume correlates with long-term functional outcome and quality of life of middle cerebral artery stroke survivors.

Purpose: Previous studies investigating relationships between stroke lesion volume and outcome were restricted to short follow-up periods (3-6 months) and outcome measures of stroke severity and activities only, whereas functional improvement has been found to extend far beyond six months. Therefore, this study investigated relationships between infarct volume and a broad range of outcomes of stroke survivors at a long follow-up period.

Methods: Correlations between lesion volumes (determined by conventional MRI scans in the second week post-stroke) and outcomes after one year of 75 first-ever ischemic stroke survivors were investigated.

Relationship between ischemic lesion volume and functional status in the 2nd week after middle cerebral artery stroke.

Objective: To examine the relationship between the volume of the middle cerebral artery stroke lesion and functional status in the subacute phase of stroke.

Methods: Infarctvolumes of 94 patients with a 1st middle cerebral artery stroke assessed on conventional MRI scans obtained in the 2nd week poststroke were related to a clinical measure of stroke severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS]) and to functional status: motor impairment (Motricity Index [MI]) and limitation in activities (Barthel Index [BI] and modified Rankin Scale). Separate correlations were computed for patients with large (>30 ml) and small (30 ml) lesions, and to investigate the influence of lesion location on the relationship between volume and functional status, correlations were computed for patients with left and right hemisphere lesions and for patients with cortical and subcortical lesions.

Delayed radiation toxicity after focal or whole brain radiotherapy for low-grade glioma.

To evaluate the influence of radiation volume and other risk factors for the development of delayed radiation toxicity in patients treated for low-grade glioma, a retrospective analysis of 41 adult patients treated with focal or whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) was performed. For all patients CT and MRI scans were revised to quantify brain atrophy and white matter lesions. Medical data were reviewed concerning baseline and tumor characteristics, treatment, survival, signs and symptoms of clinical encephalopathy and cardiovascular risk factors.

Diazepam-enhanced beta activity in Sturge Weber syndrome: its diagnostic significance in comparison with MRI.

Objectives: This study was performed to assess the extent of functional involvement of the affected hemisphere in Sturge Weber syndrome in comparison with the uninvolved hemisphere. To this end beta activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG) was measured, both before and after administration of diazepam intravenously (i.v.