Functional Connectivity Pattern Using Resting-state fMRI as an Assessment Tool for Spatial Neglect during the Recovery Stage of Stroke: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To determine if functional connectivity measured with resting-state functional MRI could be used as a tool to assess unilateral spatial neglect during stroke recovery.

Methods: Resting-state functional MRI was performed on 13 stroke patients with lesions in the right cerebral hemisphere and 31 healthy subjects. The functional connectivity score was defined as a correlation of a target region with the right inferior parietal lobule.

Investigation of Acupuncture-specific BOLD Signal Changes Using Multiband Acquisition and Deconvolution Analysis.

Purpose: We investigated the temporal dynamics of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal responses during various stimuli, including real acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and palm scrubbing. For this purpose, deconvolution analysis was used to perform measurements using multi-band (MB) echo-planar imaging (EPI), which can improve time resolution, and to analyze brain responses without an expected reference function.

Methods: We devided 26 healthy right-handed adults into a group of 13 who received real acupuncture stimulation with manual manipulation and the other group of 13 who received sham acupuncture and palm scrubbing tactical stimulations.

Resting-state functional connectivity predicts recovery from visually induced motion sickness.

Movies depicting certain types of motion often provoke uncomfortable symptoms similar to motion sickness, termed visually induced motion sickness (VIMS). VIMS generally evolves slowly during the viewing of a motion stimulus and, when the stimulus is removed, the recovery proceeds over time. Recent human neuroimaging studies have provided new insights into the neural bases of the evolution of VIMS.

Inter-hemispheric desynchronization of the human MT+ during visually induced motion sickness.

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is triggered in susceptible individuals by stationary viewing of moving visual scenes. VIMS is often preceded by an illusion of self-motion (vection) and/or by inappropriate optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) responses associated with increased activity in the human motion-sensitive middle temporal area (MT+). Neuroimaging studies have reported predominant right hemispheric activation in MT+ during both vection and OKN, suggesting that VIMS may result from desynchronization of activity between left and right MT+ cortices.

Deconvolution analyses with tent functions reveal delayed and long-sustained increases of BOLD signals with acupuncture stimulation.

We used deconvolution analysis to examine temporal changes in brain activity after acupuncture stimulation and assess brain responses without expected reference functions. We also examined temporal changes in brain activity after sham acupuncture (noninsertive) and scrubbing stimulation. We divided 26 healthy right-handed adults into a group of 13 who received real acupuncture with manual manipulation and a group of 13 who received both tactical stimulations.