Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
SonoVue in transcranial Doppler investigations of the cerebral arteries.
The authors investigated the safety and diagnostic potential of a new ultrasound contrast agent (SonoVue) using transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS). ⋯ The results obtained from this multicenter study demonstrate that the administration of SonoVue to patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease who undergo TCCS examination of cerebral vessels improves the visualization of intracranial arteries, providing a dose-dependent contrast enhancement and a clinically useful duration of signal enhancement related to the dose. During this multicenter study, SonoVue proved to be a safe and well-tolerated compound.
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Comparative Study
Transcranial sonography of brain tumors in the adult: an in vitro and in vivo study.
Few reports indicate the potential of transcranial sonography (TCS) in detecting human brain tumors. ⋯ The value of TCS for the diagnostics of brain tumors is at present limited. Once the tumor has been identified, sonographic results match well with those of MRI.
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The authors investigate changes in brain metabolites among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Twelve patients diagnosed with definite ALS (and 2 subgroups with either pronounced upper motoneuron signs or less obvious, probable upper motoneuron involvement) and 10 controls were examined. 1H studies were performed on a 1.5-T Siemens Magnetom Vision with single voxel (SV). A voxel (TR = 1500 ms, TE = 270 ms, 512 acquisitions, VOI = 8 cm3) was placed bilaterally in the precentral gyrus. In addition, chemical shift imaging (CSI) (VOI = 1 x 1 x 1.5 cm, TR = 1500 ms, TE = 135 ms) was performed. Ratios of peak integrals (N-acetyl-aspartate/choline, N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine, and creatine/choline) were determined. A Mann-Whitney U Test and a Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Test were applied. ⋯ The authors conclude that CSI is more effective at detecting lower N-acetyl-aspartate/choline levels among ALS patients than is SV.
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Patients with cerebellar infarction are threatened by infratentorial herniation and impaired circulation of cerebrospinal fluid if mass effect in posterior fossa develops. Clinical assessment is often impaired in patients with disturbances of consciousness. Therefore, computed tomography (CT) examination is essential in the diagnosis of complication and decision for operative treatment. ⋯ The proposed CT score is of high interrater and retest reliability, supplements the clinical assessment of the patient, and is able to monitor the efficacy of decompressive treatment.
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Comparative Study
Transcranial Doppler pulsatility indices as a measure of diffuse small-vessel disease.
Elevation in pulsatility indices (PIs) as measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) have been postulated to reflect downstream increased vascular resistance caused by small-vessel ischemic disease. ⋯ Elevation in PIs as measured by TCD shows strong correlation with MRI evidence of small-vessel disease. TCD may be a useful physiologic index of the presence and severity of diffuse small-vessel disease.