Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Although transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard for right to left shunt detection, we observed that transcranial Doppler (TCD) was more sensitive and sought an explanation. ⋯ TEEs and TCDs are operator dependent and thus subject to false negatives. The lower yield and interoperator variability in TEE results appear to reflect the lack of performance protocols and engender concern about false negatives in community use. Consensus performance protocols and certification criteria for both modalities should have an impact on accuracy of shunt detection.
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Integration of functional connectivity analysis based on resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and structural connectivity analysis based on Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) has shown great potential to improve understanding of the neural networks in the human brain. However, there are sensitivity and specificity-related interpretation issues that must be addressed. ⋯ This fMRI/DWI integration study suggests that functional connectivity analysis might be a more sensitive and robust approach in understanding the connectivity between cortical regions, and can be used to improve DWI-based structural connectivity analysis.
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The "ears of the lynx" sign was previously reported as a neuroimaging finding observed in patients with autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia in association with a thin corpus callosum (ARHSP-TCC). We report a patient with a chronic form of Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) that presented with this imaging feature. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fiber-tracking data support that this finding is a consequence of the structural derangement, which enlarges a preexisting border zone of the bundles of fibers from the corpus callosum (CC) genu to the forceps minor and anterior corona radiata. Therefore, we assume that despite their pathological differences, damage to the anterior portion of the CC is responsible for the imaging similarities between MBD and ARHSP-TCC.
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Comparative Study
Evaluating of small intracranial aneurysms by 64-detector CT Angiography: a comparison with 3-dimensional rotation DSA or surgical findings.
The diagnostic performance of 64-detector computed tomographic angiography (CTA) for detection of small intracranial aneurysms (SIAs) was evaluated. ⋯ The diagnostic performance of 64-detector CTA did not improve much compared with 16-detector CTA for detecting SIAs, especially for very small aneurysms. VR-RDSA is still necessary for patients with a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage if the CTA findings are negative.
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Previous studies have found gray matter alterations in the cerebellum and in the visual system in both adults and adolescents with schizophrenia. The present study was conducted to investigate whether white matter tracts associated with these regions are also affected in the early stages of the disorder. ⋯ Our findings of altered fiber integrity in the optic radiations in adolescents with schizophrenia are in line with gray matter alterations in the visual cortices previously reported in the same sample and are in accordance with other studies that found decreased fractional anisotropy in these regions. These findings support the view that the visual system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and may enhance our understanding of associations between the visual cortex and symptoms of the disorder.