Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) microscopy on a 7.0T system demonstrated the corticomedullary junction (CMJ) to be a high-susceptibility region (HSR) in young normal subjects, suggesting that functional alteration of cortical microcirculation could be assessed with this imaging method. ⋯ CMJ-HSR expands significantly as a function of aging. Since CMJ-HSR represents a functionally distinct area with relatively slow venous flow, the observed expansion is believed to reflect alteration in cerebral microcirculation with increased age, providing another clue for pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
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Studies have demonstrated that computed tomography (CT) angiography source images (CTA-SI) acquired under near-steady-state contrast concentration provide infarct core estimates equivalent to diffusion-weighted images (DWI). We sought to test this relationship using our current CTA protocol optimized for faster scan acquisition. ⋯ CTA-SI performed using a fast-acquisition protocol overestimates the infarct core on DWI. Substantial differences are observed in over 25% of cases, and are associated with reduced collateralization.
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In multiple sclerosis (MS), the presence of lesions and normal-appearing white matter damage may affect the reliability of diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based tractography. We compared the performance of an individual-based method for corpus callosum (CC) fiber tracking in MS with those of two atlas-based methods. ⋯ CC DT tractography using an individual-based method is more sensitive than the atlas-based ones to tract-specific alterations related to MS disability. An atlas-based method with nonlinear registration can be a valid alternative when an automated postprocessing is warranted, such as in the case of high volumes of data.
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Limited data exist regarding the long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients with spontaneous cervico-cranial arterial dissection treated with stent placement. ⋯ This study demonstrates the feasibility, safety, and intermediate term effectiveness of endovascular stent reconstruction of spontaneous, cervico-cranial arterial dissection.
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Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to basilar artery thrombosis (BAT) causes high mortality and severe disability. Early neurological assessment and timely thrombolysis might improve outcome. BAT is difficult to diagnose due to wide spectrum of presentation and decreased conscious level. Emergency physicians often intubate BAT patients with airway compromise before arrival of stroke neurologist. We evaluated role of computerized tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) of brain and cervical arteries in early diagnosis of acute BAT in intubated patients and facilitating decision for thrombolysis. ⋯ In patients with BAT, intubated before assessment by neurologist, CTA might help in confirming the diagnosis and facilitating therapeutic decision making for initiating thrombolysis.