NeuroImage. Clinical
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Clinical TrialFrontal brain activity and cognitive processing speed in multiple sclerosis: An exploration of EEG neurofeedback training.
Cognitive deficits including impaired information processing speed as assessed by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). Oscillatory markers of processing speed may be extracted from magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and electroencephalographic (EEG) resting-state recordings. In this context, an increased proportion of frontal slow-wave (theta, 4-8 Hz) to fast-wave (beta, 13-30 Hz) EEG activity was indicative of impaired SDMT performance. Such an increased theta/beta ratio may reflect oscillatory slowing associated with deficits in attention control. Therapeutic approaches that consider atypical oscillatory activity in MS remain sparse. ⋯ These findings provide support for utilizing frontal EEG theta activity as an inverse marker of processing speed in MS. Across sessions, there was no support for successful operant conditioning of the theta/beta ratio during the two-week training period. The observed state-specific shift within sessions, involving a transient reduction in theta activity, nevertheless may provide a rationale for a further investigation of neurofeedback as a treatment approach in MS.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Clinical TrialCause or effect: Altered brain and network activity in cervical dystonia is partially normalized by botulinum toxin treatment.
Idiopathic cervical dystonia (CD) is a chronic movement disorder characterized by impressive clinical symptoms and the lack of clear pathological findings in clinical diagnostics and imaging. At present, the injection of botulinum toxin (BNT) in dystonic muscles is an effective therapy to control motor symptoms and pain in CD. ⋯ The changes in brain function and network activity in CD can be interpreted as related to the underlying cause, the effort to compensate or a mixture of both. Although BNT is applied in the last stage of the cortico-neuromuscular pathway, brain patterns are shifted towards those of healthy controls.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
White matter microstructural differences identified using multi-shell diffusion imaging in six-year-old children born very preterm.
The underlying microstructural properties of white matter differences in children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) can be investigated in depth using multi-shell diffusion imaging. The present study compared white matter across the whole brain using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics in children born very preterm and full-term children at six years of age. We also investigated associations between white matter microstructure with early brain injury and developmental outcomes. ⋯ Children born very preterm exhibit lower FA and higher ODI than full-term children. NODDI metrics provide more biologically specific information beyond DTI metrics as well as additional information of the impact of prematurity and white matter microstructure on cognitive outcomes at six years of age.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Comparative StudyCortical thinning in military blast compared to non-blast persistent mild traumatic brain injuries.
In the military, explosive blasts are a significant cause of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). The symptoms associated with blast mTBIs causes significant economic burdens and a diminished quality of life for many service members. At present, the distinction of the injury mechanism (blast versus non-blast) may not influence TBI diagnosis. ⋯ Self-report assessments suggest significant differences in the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (p < 0.05, Bonferroni-corrected) and the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (p < 0.01, uncorrected) between the blast and non-blast mTBI groups. These results suggest that blast may cause a unique injury pattern related to a reduction in cortical thickness within specific brain regions which could affect symptoms. No other study has found cortical thickness difference between blast and non-blast mTBI groups and further replication is needed to confirm these initial observations.
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NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2019
Differences in brain processing of proprioception related to postural control in patients with recurrent non-specific low back pain and healthy controls.
Patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) show an impaired postural control during standing and a slower performance of sit-to-stand-to-sit (STSTS) movements. Research suggests that these impairments could be due to an altered use of ankle compared to back proprioception. However, the neural correlates of these postural control impairments in NSLBP remain unclear. ⋯ Activity in the right amygdala during ankle proprioceptive processing correlated with an impaired proprioceptive use in the patients with NSLBP, but not in healthy controls. Moreover, while activity in the left superior parietal lobule, a sensory processing region, during back proprioceptive processing correlated with a better use of proprioception in the NSLBP group, it was associated with a less optimal use of proprioception in the control group. These findings suggest that functional brain changes during proprioceptive processing in patients with NSLBP may contribute to their postural control impairments.