Shoulder apprehension: A multifactorial approach.

Shoulder apprehension is related to changes in functional cerebral networks induced by dislocations, peripheral neuromuscular lesions and persistent mechanical glenohumeral instability consisting of micro-motion.All the damage to the osseous and soft-tissue stabilizers of the shoulder, as well as neurologic impairment persisting even after stabilization, must be properly identified in order to offer the best possible treatment to the patient.There is growing evidence supporting the use of a global multimodal approach, involving, on the one hand, shoulder 'reafferentation', including proprioception, mirror therapy and even cognitive behavioural approaches, and, on the other hand, surgical stabilization techniques and traditional physical therapy in order to minimize persistent micro-motion, which may help brain healing.

Cerebral Microbleeds: Imaging and Clinical Significance.

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), also referred to as microhemorrhages, appear on magnetic resonance (MR) images as hypointense foci notably at T2*-weighted or susceptibility-weighted (SW) imaging. CMBs are detected with increasing frequency because of the more widespread use of high magnetic field strength and of newer dedicated MR imaging techniques such as three-dimensional gradient-echo T2*-weighted and SW imaging. The imaging appearance of CMBs is mainly because of changes in local magnetic susceptibility and reflects the pathologic iron accumulation, most often in perivascular macrophages, because of vasculopathy.

Caffeine impact on working memory-related network activation patterns in early stages of cognitive decline.

Purpose: Recent evidence indicates that caffeine may have a beneficial effect on cognitive decline and dementia. The current investigation assessed the effect of acute caffeine administration on working memory during the earliest stage of cognitive decline in elderly participants.

Methods: The study includes consecutive 45 elderly controls and 18 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 71.

Radiologic-Histopathologic Correlation of Cerebral Microbleeds Using Pre-Mortem and Post-Mortem MRI.

Introduction: Cerebral microbleeds (CMB), also known as cerebral microhemorrhages, are small areas of susceptibility on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that are increasingly detected due to the higher availability of high-field MRI systems and dedicated pulse sequences. The prevalence of CMBs increases in cases with cognitive decline. The current investigation assessed the poorly investigated radiologic-histopathologic correlation of CMBs on MRI.

Sex Effects on Smoking Cue Perception in Non-Smokers, Smokers, and Ex-Smokers: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Recent neuroimaging research suggests sex-related brain differences in smoking addiction. In the present pilot study, we assessed gender-related differences in brain activation in response to cigarette-related video cues, investigating non-smokers, smokers, and ex-smokers.

Methods: First, we compared 29 females (28.

Influence of Vascular Variant of the Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA) on Cerebral Blood Flow, Vascular Response to CO2 and Static Functional Connectivity.

Introduction: The fetal origin of the posterior cerebral artery (fPCA) is a frequent vascular variant in 11-29% of the population. For the fPCA, blood flow in the PCA originates from the anterior instead of the posterior circulation. We tested whether this blood supply variant impacts the cerebral blood flow assessed by arterial spin labeling (ASL), cerebrovascular reserve as well as resting-state static functional connectivity (sFC) in the sense of a systematic confound.

Discriminating among degenerative parkinsonisms using advanced (123)I-ioflupane SPECT analyses.

(123)I-ioflupane single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a sensitive and well established imaging tool in Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS), yet a discrimination between PD and APS has been considered inconsistent at least based on visual inspection or simple region of interest analyses. We here reappraise this issue by applying advanced image analysis techniques to separate PD from the various APS. This study included 392 consecutive patients with degenerative parkinsonism undergoing (123)I-ioflupane SPECT at our institution over the last decade: 306 PD, 24 multiple system atrophy (MSA), 32 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 30 corticobasal degeneration (CBD) patients.

Cigarette smoking leads to persistent and dose-dependent alterations of brain activity and connectivity in anterior insula and anterior cingulate.

Although many smokers try to quit smoking, only about 20-25 percent will achieve abstinence despite 6 months or more of gold-standard treatment. This low success rate suggests long-term changes in the brain related to smoking, which remain poorly understood. We compared ex-smokers to both active smokers and non-smokers using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore persistent modifications in brain activity and network organization.