Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) face a dismal prognosis, with an average survival of 6-7 months after recurrence. There remains no consensus for managing these patients due to the heterogeneity of these tumors. Imaging may affect treatment decisions by helping to stratify patient prognosis. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the added utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) over magnetic resonance (MR) imaging metrics in predicting survival. ⋯ Tumor size on FDG-PET adds prognostic information to enhancing tumor size on MRI at first suspected recurrence of GBM.
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The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECTS) leptomeningeal collaterals score on CT-angiography helps in prognosticating functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis. We evaluated whether a simplified topological ASPECTS collaterals scoring could serve as a rapid biomarker for early prediction in thrombolyzed AIS patients. ⋯ Good collaterals in the M5 region are associated with good functional outcome. Addition of this simple neuroimaging tool to the pretreatment NIHSS may serve as a reliable biomarker for prognosis.
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The aim of this study was to describe in detail the characteristics and accreditation compliance of laboratories in the United States applying for Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) transcranial Doppler (TCD) accreditation. ⋯ The results suggest that there are significant differences between IAC applicant laboratories and laboratories represented by Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) claims data. In addition, accurate study reporting, physician training, and ongoing quality improvement activities may not be optimized in laboratories applying for accreditation. With the information learned from this study, educational strategies by professional organizations, including the IAC, can be tailored to help improve TCD practice.
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The corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is a clinical diagnosis that comprises a group of rare neurodegenerative diseases manifesting in movement disorder and cognitive impairment. While diagnosis is based upon clinical criteria, there have been a number of molecular imaging studies, albeit in rather small cohorts. Therefore, we investigated the pattern of cerebral glucose metabolism, as well as dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in a large and clinically well-defined cohort. ⋯ We replicated and refined earlier findings of impaired glucose metabolism and nigrostriatal degeneration in CBS, highlighting asymmetric cortical and subcortical hypometabolism, symmetrically reduced metabolism in the thalamus, and only a slightly asymmetric reduction in DAT, while D2/3 receptors seem to be mainly preserved. These results provide systematic evidence for the usefulness of FDG PET and dopaminergic SPECT imaging to characterize CBS.
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The current prognostic biomarker of functional outcome in brachial plexus birth palsy is serial clinical examination throughout the first 6 months of age. This can delay surgical treatment and prolong parental anxiety in neonates who will recover spontaneously. A potentially superior biomarker is a volumetric proton density MRI performed at clinical presentation and within the first 12 weeks of life, providing a high spatial and contrast resolution examination in 4 minutes. ⋯ Rapid non-sedated volumetric Cube Proton Density MRI protocol performed at initial clinical presentation can accurately grade severity of brachial plexus birth palsy injury and predict functional performance at 6 months of age.