Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Bowel incontinence in multiple sclerosis might be associated with specific lesion sites. This study intended to determine associations between bowel incontinence and cerebral multiple sclerosis lesions using a voxel-wise lesion symptom mapping analysis. ⋯ Our analysis indicates associations between bowel incontinence and lesions in the left supramarginal gyral area contributing to integrating anorectal-visceral sensation and in the right parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala contributing to generating visceral autonomic arousal states. Moreover, our results suggest left hemispheric dominance of sensory visceral integration, while limbic areas of the right hemisphere seem to contribute to the autonomic component of the defecation process. A limitation of our study is the retrospective evaluation of the bowel incontinence status based on medical records. Further research should evaluate the bowel incontinence status in multiple sclerosis patients prospectively to overcome the limitations of the current study.
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Congenital cerebrovascular anomalies in the pediatric age group are myriad with diverse etiologies. The purpose of this paper is to provide an imaging overview of congenital vascular malformations and vascular tumors, as these conditions are varied and the characteristic vascular abnormality may even suggest the underlying systemic condition in helping to guide further management. For example, the identification of an arterial anomaly such as agenesis/hypoplasia/duplication may warrant further evaluation for an associated syndrome. ⋯ An accurate description of vascular lesions is critical for understanding the natural history of the disease process and ultimately for guiding treatment. An important example of this includes Sturge-Weber syndrome, which is often incorrectly viewed as an arteriovenous malformation, but actually a type of venous malformation. Another example which is important to recognize includes the differentiation between an infantile hemangioma and a vascular malformation, particularly as the course of the pathology and the treatment is so different between the two.
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The role of Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score (ASPECTS) in predicting which patients are likely to benefit from endovascular therapy (EVT) is not well defined. An automated software (e-ASPECTS) has been created to solve its poor interrater reliability. We aim to evaluate correlation between radiologist (Rx) and e-ASPECTS scoring with cerebral blood volume (CBV) infarct core and with final infarct volume; as well as with long-term functional outcome. ⋯ ASPECTS and e-ASPECTS showed a mild correlation with CBV. Rx-ASPECTS, e-ASPECTS, and CBV predicted a low infarct volume after thrombectomy in recanalized patients but only Rx-ASPECTS and e-ASPECTS predicted functional independence at 3 months.
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Early ischemic changes on noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) are often subtle. We developed a novel postprocessing technique that aids in detecting such changes. ⋯ In this proof-of-concept study, the rNCCT appears promising for detecting and quantifying early ischemic changes. These findings should be confirmed in a larger cohort.
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The complex function of memory has been linked to both brain gray and white matter (WM). WM abnormalities are associated with memory impairment in pathological conditions. We investigated whether variation in WM microstructure in healthy children also correlates with memory performance. ⋯ Significant correlations between DTI parameter values and CMS indices in multiple WM tracts in healthy children indicate that neuroimaging can sensitively detect brain WM changes associated with variations of memory function, even for that in the normal range.