Practical aspects of functional mri in clinical examinations / Aspectos práticos de rm funcional em exames clínicos / Aspectos prácticos de la rm funcional en los exámenes clínicos

The eloquent cerebral cortices are involved in movement, sensation, speech, vision, and higher cortical functions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows the evaluation of brain function, aiding in neurosurgical planning by mapping eloquent cortical areas. Considering the high cost of the hardware involved, the purpose of this work is to present a more affordable, in-house alternative for these studies that can provide adequate results in a clinical setting. We also present some practical information on how to perform these exams. We describe an affordable in-house hardware solution used by an imaging center, and examples of fMRI paradigms used to evaluate motor and language tasks. The fMRI studies show robust activations in eloquent areas consistent with the tasks performed on the exam. Images of post-processed studies illustrate clinical cases. The fMRI have well-established applications, mapping eloquent cortical areas in patients with brain lesions. In the case of surgical planning, it allows the surgeon to maximize the resection area while minimizing sequelae. More affordable hardware can reduce the cost of these exams, making them more accessible to the general public.

O córtex cerebral eloquente está envolvido nas atividades motora, sensação, fala, visão e funções corticais superiores. A ressonância magnética funcional (RMf) permite a avaliação da função cerebral, ajudando no planejamento neurocirúrgico através do mapeamento de áreas corticais eloquentes. Considerando o elevado custo do hardware envolvido, o objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma alternativa mais acessível para estes estudos, que possa fornecer resultados adequados em um ambiente clínico. Também apresentamos algumas informações práticas sobre a realização destes exames. Descrevemos uma solução de hardware acessível utilizada por um centro de imagens, e exemplos de paradigmas de RMf usados para avaliar tarefas motoras e relacionadas à fala. Os estudos de RMf mostram ativações em áreas eloquentes, consistentes com as tarefas realizadas no exame com imagens de estudos pós-processados ilustrando casos clínicos. A RMf tem aplicações bem estabelecidas, mapeando áreas corticais eloquentes em pacientes com lesões cerebrais. No caso do planejamento cirúrgico, permite que o cirurgião maximize a área de ressecção enquanto minimiza potenciais sequelas. Equipamentos mais acessíveis podem reduzir o custo destes exames, podendo aumentar a disponibilização ao público em geral.

La corteza cerebral elocuente está implicada en las actividades motoras, la sensibilidad, el habla, la visión y las funciones corticales superiores. La resonancia magnética funcional (RMf) permite la evaluación de la función cerebral, ayudando en la planificación neuroquirúrgica mediante el mapeo de las áreas corticales elocuentes. Teniendo en cuenta el elevado coste del hardware implicado, el objetivo de este artículo es presentar una alternativa más asequible para estos estudios que pueda proporcionar resultados adecuados en un entorno clínico. También presentamos información práctica sobre cómo realizar estos exámenes. Describimos una solución de hardware asequible utilizada por un centro de diagnóstico por imagen, y ejemplos de paradigmas de RMf utilizados para evaluar tareas motoras y relacionadas con el habla. Los estudios de RMf muestran activaciones en áreas elocuentes, coherentes con las tareas realizadas en el examen, con imágenes de estudios postprocesados que ilustran casos clínicos. La RMf tiene aplicaciones bien establecidas en el mapeo de áreas corticales elocuentes en pacientes con lesiones cerebrales. En el caso de la planificación quirúrgica, permite al cirujano maximizar el área de resección minimizando las posibles secuelas. Un equipo más asequible puede reducir el coste de estas exploraciones, aumentando potencialmente su disponibilidad para el público en general.

Seed-Based Resting-State Functional MRI for Presurgical Localization of the Motor Cortex: A Task-Based Functional MRI-Determined Seed Versus an Anatomy-Determined Seed

OBJECTIVE: For localization of the motor cortex, seed-based resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) uses the contralateral motor cortex as a seed. However, research has shown that the location of the motor cortex could differ according to anatomical variations. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of rsfMRI using two seeds: a template seed (the anatomically expected location of the contralateral motor cortex) and a functional seed (the actual location of the contralateral motor cortex determined by task-based functional MRI [tbfMRI]). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients (4 with glioma, 3 with meningioma, and 1 with arteriovenous malformation) and 9 healthy volunteers participated. For the patients, tbfMRI was performed unilaterally to activate the healthy contralateral motor cortex. The affected ipsilateral motor cortices were mapped with rsfMRI using seed-based and independent component analysis (ICA). In the healthy volunteer group, both motor cortices were mapped with both-hands tbfMRI and rsfMRI. We compared the results between template and functional seeds, and between the seed-based analysis and ICA with visual and quantitative analysis. RESULTS: For the visual analysis, the functional seed showed significantly higher scores compared to the template seed in both the patients (p = 0.002) and healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). Although no significant difference was observed between the functional seed and ICA, the ICA results showed significantly higher scores than the template seed in both the patients (p = 0.01) and healthy volunteers (p = 0.005). In the quantitative analysis, the functional seed exhibited greater similarity to tbfMRI than the template seed and ICA. CONCLUSION: Using the contralateral motor cortex determined by tbfMRI as a seed could enhance visual delineation of the motor cortex in seed-based rsfMRI.

DNA barcoding reveals the diversity of sharks in Guyana coastal markets

A fundamental challenge for both sustainable fisheries and biodiversity protection in the Neotropics is the accurate determination of species identity. The biodiversity of the coastal sharks of Guyana is poorly understood, but these species are subject to both artisanal fishing as well as harvesting by industrialized offshore fleets. To determine what species of sharks are frequently caught and consumed along the coastline of Guyana, we used DNA barcoding to identify market specimens. We sequenced the mitochondrial co1 gene for 132 samples collected from six markets, and compared our sequences to those available in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) and GenBank. Nearly 30% of the total sample diversity was represented by two species of Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna mokarran and S. lewini), both listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Other significant portions of the samples included Sharpnose Sharks (23% - Rhizoprionodon spp.), considered Vulnerable in Brazilian waters due to unregulated gillnet fisheries, and the Smalltail Shark (17% - Carcharhinus porosus). We found that barcoding provides efficient and accurate identification of market specimens in Guyana, making this study the first in over thirty years to address Guyana's coastal shark biodiversity.(AU)

Um desafio fundamental para a pesca sustentável e a proteção da biodiversidade nos neotrópicos é a identificação precisa das espécies. A biodiversidade dos tubarões costeiros da Guiana é pouco compreendida, porém essas espécies estão sujeitas tanto à pesca artesanal quanto à pesca industrializada não costeira. Para determinar quais espécies de tubarões são frequentemente capturadas e consumidas ao longo do litoral da Guiana, utilizamos DNA barcoding para identificar espécimes comumente encontrados e adquiridos em mercados. Nós sequenciamos o gene mitocondrial coI para 132 espécimes adquiridos de seis mercados e comparamos estas sequências com as disponíveis no Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) e GenBank. Quase 30% da diversidade total amostrada foi constituída por duas espécies de tubarões martelo (Sphyrna mokarran e S. lewini), ambas listadas como espécies ameaçadas pela UICN. Outras porções significativas da amostragem incluem Cações-Frango (23% - Rhizoprionodon spp.), considerados vulneráveis em águas brasileiras, devido a pesca de arrasto não regulamentada, e o Cação-azeiteiro (17% - Carcharhinus porosus). Descobrimos que o barcoding é uma forma identificação eficiente e precisa para espécimes de mercado na Guiana, tornando este estudo o pioneiro na documentação da biodiversidade dos tubarões costeiros da Guiana.(AU)

Using DNA barcodes to identify forensically important species of Diptera in Espírito Santo State, Brazil

ABSTRACT Accurate insect specimen identification is usually a crucial first step in a forensic entomological analysis. It is traditionally done by morphological classification using identification keys. However, due to sensibility limitations in the identification of animal species based only on their morphology, new methods have been developed, including species identification by DNA barcodes. The objective of this study was to identify forensically important species of Diptera in Espirito Santo state using DNA barcodes. For this, adult flies were collected in Espirito Santo, Southeast Region of Brazil. After DNA extraction, COI gene was amplified and sequenced. All sequences were matched to BOLD platform and alternatively to GenBank MegaBLAST. As result, 281 adult flies were collected and identified morphologically. From these, 36% of samples were classified as Calliphoridae, 34% of Muscidae and 30% of Sarcophagidae. Approximately 10% of all collected samples were analyzes by DNA. It was possible to identify only 35.7% of tested samples, probably due to lack of samples deposited in databases. Therefore, more efforts should be made to deposit a greater variety of dipterous in databases to allow the use of this technique in forensic routine, especially in BOLD.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Arterial Spin Labeling: Techniques and Potential Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE: To describe technical methods for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with arterial spin labeling (ASL) compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) technique and discuss the potential of ASL for research and clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task-based (n = 1) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) (n = 20) were performed using ASL and BOLD techniques. Results of both techniques were compared. RESULTS: For task-based fMRI with finger-tapping, the primary motor cortex of the contralateral frontal lobe and the ipsilateral cerebellum were activated by both BOLD and ASL fMRI. For rs-fMRI of sensorimotor network, functional connectivity showed similar results between BOLD and ASL. CONCLUSION: ASL technique has potential application in clinical and research fields because all brain perfusion imaging, CBF measurement, and rs-fMRI study can be performed in a single acquisition.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Arterial Spin Labeling: Techniques and Potential Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE: To describe technical methods for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with arterial spin labeling (ASL) compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) technique and discuss the potential of ASL for research and clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task-based (n = 1) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) (n = 20) were performed using ASL and BOLD techniques. Results of both techniques were compared. RESULTS: For task-based fMRI with finger-tapping, the primary motor cortex of the contralateral frontal lobe and the ipsilateral cerebellum were activated by both BOLD and ASL fMRI. For rs-fMRI of sensorimotor network, functional connectivity showed similar results between BOLD and ASL. CONCLUSION: ASL technique has potential application in clinical and research fields because all brain perfusion imaging, CBF measurement, and rs-fMRI study can be performed in a single acquisition.

A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingstudy in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia and offspring of schizophrenia patients / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To explore the similarities and differences in amplitude of low frequency fluctuation ( ALLF) between patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia and offspring of schizophrenia patients.Methods ALFF values were estimated by measuring the Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent ( BOLD) signal using resting state function-al magnetic resonance imaging ( rs-fMRI) .The fMRI date were acquired from 23 patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia (SZ), 25 offsprings of schizophrenia patients (OS) and 29 age -and gender -matched health controls ( HC) .The ALFF value of each subject was calculated by MATLAB-based DPARSF software.Results Compared with HC, the ALFF values of SZ and OS were significantly different in the left posterior part of the inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left hippocampus, right postcentral gyrus and bilateral precuneus.The ALFF values were not signif-icantly different between these two groups in the aforementioned regions.Compared with OS and HC, the ALFF values of SZ were significantly different in the left anterior part of the inferior temporal gyrus, left temporal pole and bilateral calcarine cortex.But there was no significant difference between OS and HC.Conclusions The brain function is abnormal in pa-tients with early schizophrenia and offspring of schizophrenia patients.The significant difference of ALFF in the left posterior part of the inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left hippocampus, right postcentral gyrus and bilateral pre-cuneus may suggest the heredodiathesis-related brain functional alterations.Significant difference of ALFF in the left ante-rior part of the inferior temporal gyrus and the left temporal pole bilateral calcarine cortex may suggest the disease-related brain alterations.

Applied value of 3.0T blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI in the diagnosis of hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury (WIRI) in rabbits / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To investigate the applied value of 3.0T blood oxygen level dependent(BOLD) MRI in the diagnosis of hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury (WIRI) in rabbits.Method Twenty healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups by using the stochastic indicator method.In 10 rabbits enrolled in the treatment group,the model of hepatic WIRI after ischemia for 30 min followed by 6-h reperfusion was established,and the remaining 10 rabbits were chosen as the normal control group and were not subjected to any surgery.All the experimental rabbits were scanned by 3.0T MRI and BOLD MRI.T2* values were separatelymeasured by 2 considered radiologists and the R2* values were calculated (R2* =1/T2*).Thereafter,the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to check the consistency.All rabbits were killed after MR examination and routine assays were performed for testing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotransferase (AST),and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the ear vein blood serum.The contents of total superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in liver tissues were determined,and histopathological changes were examined.The correlation between R2 * value and clinical test index was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis.The R2* value was evaluated by ROC curve.Result ICC =0.87 ＞ 0.75,suggesting that the repeatability of the outcome is good.Compared to the normal control group,R2*value of the warm ischemia-reperfusion injury group was increased (P =0.000).The differences in ALT,AST,LDH,total SOD,MDA and MPO between the two groups were statistically significant (P＜0.01).R2* values were significantly positively correlated with ALT,AST,LDH,MDA and MPO (r＞0.6,P＜0.05),and there was a significantly negative correlation between R2* and total SOD (r=-0.663,P=0.001).The R2* value could efficiently diagnose rabbit hepatic WIRI (AUC =0.99) with the best diagnostic threshold being 116.40 Hz.Conclusion 3.0T BOLD MRI can accurately and non-invasively assess the pathophysiologic changes caused by WIRI.It is of great importance for 3.0T BOLD MRI in dynamically monitoring and evaluating hepatic WIRI.

The brain areas related to generating Uyghur and Chinese verbs / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe brain areas activated during verb generation in Uyghur and Chinese,and thus to explore the neural mechanism of speech formation and understanding and the language barriers after brain injury and during recovery.Methods The blood oxygen level dependent contrast functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to scan activated brain areas of 31 cases of Uyghur and 28 cases of Chinese speakers as they completed a verb generation task.Results The mainareas activated in the brains of the Chinese group were the left caudate nucleus,the left inferior occipital gyrus,the left fusiformgyrus,bilateral supplementary motor areas (BA8/6),the left BA32 area,the left precuneus,the left superior parietal lobe (BA7),the left inferior parietal lobe,the left angular gyrus,the right precentral area (BA9),the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus,the pars opercularis of the right inferior frontal gyrus and the bilateral cerebellum.The main activated areas of the Uyghur group were the left precentral area (BA9),the pars opercularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus,the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left cerebellum.Moreover,the Chinese group showed significantlygreater activation in left caudate body,the left orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus,the right caudate head and the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA32) compared to the Uyghur group.The Uyghur group,on the other hand,did not show activation significantly greater than that of the Chinese group in any area.Conclusions The brain areas activated when generating verbs in Uyghur and Chinese are not exactly the same-the processing of Uyghur mainly occursin the left hemisphere,while that of Chinese may need the participation of more brain areas in the right hemisphere.

Modulation of cerebral haemodynamic response to olfactory stimuli by emotional valence detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging / Modulação da resposta hemodinâmica cerebral pela valência emocional de estímulos olfativos detectada pela por ressonância magnética funcional

ABSTRACT. Olfactory perception, although restricted to just a few contexts in everyday life, is key in medicine. Several dementia conditions have been associated with early loss of olfactory discrimination. Despite the fact that several brain areas have been associated with olfaction in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the mechanisms by which emotional valence is conveyed to the brain are not fully understood. Methods. In this study, we compared cerebral activations by olfactory stimuli using different emotional valence stimuli on event-related fMRI. We used three standard olfactory odorants with different valence (positive, neutral and negative). Forty-three healthy subjects (22 males) were scanned on a 3.0T MR system. Olfactory stimulation was attained through a delivery system synchronized with image acquisition and subjects´ breathing instructions. fMRI data analysis was performed by the FSL package (Oxford University) including head movement correction, GLM modeling of the neurovascular (BOLD) response and group activation maps produced at p<0.05 and corrected for multiple comparison. Results. Increased cerebral responses within the anterior cingulate, amygdaloid nuclei, as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal, occipital and orbitofrontal cortices were observed in positive and negative valence conditions, while response to neutral valence arousal was less intense and not observed in the amygdaloid complex. The most significant statistical response aroused from the stimuli clusters was observed in the negative condition. Conclusion. The results of the present study support the hypothesis that neutral stimuli may be more sensitive to early losses in pathological conditions, particularly dementia.

RESUMO. Apesar de praticamente restrita a alguns contextos na rotina diária, a percepção de estímulos olfativos é bastante relevante em medicina. Várias condições patológicas, e em particular as demências, estão associadas à perda precoce da capacidade de discriminação e percepção olfativa. Apesar de estudos de ressonância magnética funcional (RMf), terem identificado várias áreas cerebrais relacionadas à percepção olfativa, ainda não sabemos quais destas são moduladas pela valência emocional do estímulo olfativo. Neste estudo investigamos o padrão de resposta cerebral à odorantes com diferentes valências emocionais em indivíduos saudáveis estudados por RMf relacionada à eventos. Métodos. Comparamos a resposta cerebral em um desenho de RMf relacionado à eventos e com uso de três estímulos olfatórios padronizados e com diferentes valências emocionais (positiva, neutra e negativa). Quarenta e três indivíduos normais (22 homens) foram estudados por RMf relacionada à eventos em aparelho de 3T. A estimulação olfativa foi realizada por meio de sistema sincronizado à aquisição das imagens e às instruções dadas aos sujeitos. A análise dos dados foi feita por meio do software FSL (Universidade de Oxford) e incluiu correções de movimento, modelagem de sinal com técnica GLM e mapas de grupo com nível de significância < 0,5. Resultados. As respostas cerebrais no cíngulo anterior, bem como no córtex dorsolateral pré-frontal, occipital e órbitofrontal foram observadas nas condições de valência positiva e negativa, porém a resposta ao estímulo neutro foi menos intensa e não foi observada em complexos amigdaloides. A resposta estatística mais significante foi observada no cluster de estímulos com valência negativa. Conclusão. Estes dados representam evidências para a hipótese de que possivelmente a perda da percepção discriminativa de estímulos com valência emocional neutra pode ser mais sensível em relação às manifestações iniciais de condições patológicas, inclusive demências.

Feeding preferences of experienced and naïve goats and sheep for the toxic plant Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa / Comportamento ingestivo de caprinos e ovinos habituados e não habituados a ingerir Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa

Ipomoea carnea is a toxic plant that grazing goats and cattle may learn to ingest with repeated exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding preferences of experienced and non-experienced (naïve) goats and sheep for I. carnea.The study used 3 groups of 5 goats (Group 1, experienced that were previously poisoned by the plant; group 2, naïve; Group 3, experienced eaters, composed of animals adapted to eat the fresh plant) and 2 groups of sheep (group 4, experienced that were previously poisoned by the plant; and group 5, naïve). For the test, the animals were placed daily for 10 minutes and 4 days in a rectangular stall (5x7m) with 4 feeders, each with 200g of a different food (Ipomoea carnea, commercial concentrate food, recently harvested green grass (mainly Brachiaria spp.), and Cynodon dactylonhay. The intake of concentrate food was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the consumption of green grass, hay and I. carnea. In a second 4 day trial, in which the commercial concentrate food was replaced by freshly harvested Amorimia septentrionalis, the ingestion of green grass (Brachiaria spp.) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the consumption of other foods. In both trials there was no significant difference in food consumption between eaters and naïve animals. The results suggest that experienced or naïve sheep and goats do not prefer I. carnea when it is offered with other foods or forages, suggesting that animals will avoid the plant and not become poisoned if other food options are available.

Ipomoea carnea é uma planta tóxica para caprinos e bovinos, que podem desenvolver o hábito de ingeri-la de forma compulsiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento ingestivo de caprinos e ovinos habituados e não habituados a ingerir I. carnea. O estudo utilizou três grupos de cinco caprinos (Grupo 1, animais previamente intoxicados pela planta; Grupo 2, controle; Grupo 3, animais adaptados a ingerir a planta fresca) e dois grupos de cinco ovinos (Grupo 4, animais previamente intoxicados pela planta; e Grupo 5, controle). Para o teste, os animais foram introduzidos por 10 minutos, durante 4 dias consecutivos, em uma baia retangular (5x7m), com 4 caixas de alimentação, cada uma com 200g de um alimento diferente (Ipomoea carnea; concentrado comercial; capim verde recém colhido, principalmente Brachiaria spp.; e feno de Cynodon dactylon). A ingestão de concentrado foi significativamente maior (P<0,05) do que o consumo de capim verde, feno e I. carnea. Em um segundo ensaio de 4 dias, em que o concentrado foi substituído por Amorimia septentrionalis recém-colhida, a ingestão de capim verde (Brachiaria spp.) foi significativamente maior (P<0,05) do que o consumo dos outros alimentos. Em nenhuma das duas espécies, houve diferenças no comportamento ingestivo entre animais habituados e não habituados a ingerir I. carnea. Os resultados sugerem que ovinos e caprinos habituados e não habituados a ingerir I. carnea não preferem a planta quando é oferecida com outros alimentos ou forragens, o que sugere que os animais irão evitar a planta e não haverá intoxicação se outras opções de alimentos estão disponíveis.

Adubação boratada e produção de sementes de trigo / Boron fertilization on wheat seed production

A deficiência de B pode diminuir a fertilidade das flores, prejudicando a produtividade de sementes de trigo. O trabalho objetivou avaliar a produção e a qualidade fisiológica de sementes de trigo produzidas sobre épocas e doses de aplicação de B. O experimento foi desenvolvido no laboratório didático de análise de sementes e em casa de vegetação, no município do Capão do Leão (RS). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi completamente casualizado, com quatro repetições e em esquema fatorial, envolvendo estádio de aplicação (semeadura e perfilhamento), e doses de B (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 e 5kg B ha^-1). A fonte de B utilizada foi o tetraborato de sódio (boráx), o qual apresenta 11,5% de B. A adubação boratada, aplicada na semeadura ou perfilhamento, em doses entre 2,5kg e 3kg de B ha^-1 ocasionam aumento no número de sementes e espigas produzidas por planta, redução do rendimento de sementes por planta, peso de mil sementes e o peso hectolítrico, sem causar redução na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de trigo. As plantas de trigo apresentam maior absorção de B na aplicação no estádio de perfilhamento, em relação à fase de semeadura.

Boron deficiency can decrease fertility of flowers, harming productivity of wheat seeds. The experiment was conducted in didactic laboratory seed testing and in the greenhouse, both located in the municipality of Capão do Leão (RS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the production and physiological quality of wheat seed produced on time and doses of B application. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications in a factorial arrangement involving application stage (seeding and tillering), and B doses (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5kg ha^-1). The B source utilized was sodium tetraborate (borax), which has 11.5% of B. Boron fertilization applied at sowing and tillering at doses ranging from 2.5kg to 3kg B ha^-1 causing an increase in the number of seeds produced per plant and spikes, reduction of seed yield per plant, thousand seed weight and weight hectoliter, no reduction in physiological seed quality of wheat. Wheat plants have a higher absorption of B application on the tillering stage in relation to the stage of sowing.

Functional and structural abnormalities associated with empathy in patients with schizophrenia: An fMRI and VBM study.

Empathy deficit is a core feature of schizophrenia which may lead to social dysfunction. The present study was carried out to investigate functional and structural abnormalities associated with empathy in patients with schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). A sample of 14 schizophrenia patients and 14 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and education were examined with structural highresolution T1-weighted MRI; fMRI images were obtained during empathy task in the same session. The analysis was carried out using SPM8 software. On behavioural assessment, schizophrenic patients (83.00±29.04) showed less scores for sadness compared to healthy controls (128.70±22.26) (p<0.001). fMRI results also showed reduced clusters of activation in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, left lingual gyrus, left middle and inferior occipital gyrus in schizophrenic subjects as compared to controls during empathy task. In the same brain areas, VBM results also showed reduced grey and white matter volumes. The present study provides an evidence for an association between structural alterations and disturbed functional brain activation during empathy task in persons affected with schizophrenia. These findings suggest a biological basis for social cognition deficits in schizophrenics.

Comparison of the Medication Effects between Milnacipran and Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Syndrome Using a Functional MRI: a Follow-up Study

PURPOSE: In this study, the medication effects of Milnacipran and Pregabalin, as well known as fibromyalgia treatment medicine, in fibromyalgia syndrome patients were compared through the change of BOLD signal in pain related functional MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty fibromyalgia syndrome patients were enrolled in this study and they were separated into two groups according to the treatment medicine: 10 Milnacipran (MLN) treatment group and 7 Pregabalin (PGB) treatment group. For accurate diagnosis, all patients underwent several clinical tests. Pre-treated and post-treated fMRI image with block-designed pressure-pain stimulation for each group were obtained to conduct the statistical analysis of paired t-test and two sample t-test. All statistical significant level was less than 0.05. RESULTS: In clinical tests, the clinical scores of the two groups were not significantly different at pre-treatment stage. But, PGB treatment group had lower Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) score than those of MLN treatment group at post-treatment stage. In functional image analysis, BOLD signal of PGB treatment group was higher BOLD signal at several regions including anterior cingulate and insula than MLN treatment group at post-treatment stage. Also, paired t-test values of the BOLD signal in MLN group decreased in several regions including insula and thalamus as known as 'pain network'. In contrast, size and number of regions in which the BOLD signal decreased in PGB treatment group were smaller than those of MLN treatment group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that MLN group and PGB group have different medication effects. It is not surprising that MLN and PGB have not the same therapeutic effects since these two drugs have different medicinal mechanisms such as antidepressants and anti-seizure medication, respectively, and different detailed target of fibromyalgia syndrome treatment. Therefore, it is difficult to say which medicine will work better in this study.

Differential Effects of Anaesthesia on the phMRI Response to Acute Ketamine Challenge.

Aims: Pharmacological-challenge magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) is powerful new tool enabling researchers to map the central effects of neuroactive drugs in vivo. To employ this technique pre-clinically, head movements and the stress of restraint are usually reduced by maintaining animals under general anaesthesia. However, interactions between the drug of interest and the anaesthetic employed may potentially confound data interpretation. NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonists used widely to mimic schizophrenia have recently been shown to interact with the anaesthetic halothane. It may be the case that neural and cerebrovascular responses to NMDAR antagonists are dependent on the types of anaesthetic used. Methodology: We compared the phMRI response to NMDAR antagonist ketamine in rats maintained under -chloralose to those under isoflurane anaesthesia. A randomized placebo/vehicle controlled design was used in each of the anaesthetic groups. Results: Changes in the anaesthetic agent resulted in two very different profiles of activity. In the case of -chloralose, positive activations in cortical and sub-cortical structures reflected a response which was similar to patterns seen in healthy human volunteers and metabolic maps of conscious rats. However, the use of isoflurane completely reversed such effects, causing widespread deactivations in the cortex and hippocampus. Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence for a drug-anesthetic interaction between ketamine and isoflurane that is very different from responses to -chloraloseketamine.

Renal oxygen content is increased in healthy subjects after angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition

OBJECTIVE: The association between renal hypoxia and the development of renal injury is well established. However, no adequate method currently exists to non-invasively measure functional changes in renal oxygenation in normal and injured patients. METHOD: R2* quantification was performed using renal blood oxygen level-dependent properties. Five healthy normotensive women (50±5.3 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging in a 1.5T Signa Excite HDx scanner (GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI). A multiple fast gradient-echo sequence was used to acquire R2*/T2* images (sixteen echoes from 2.1 ms/slice to 49.6 ms/slice in a single breath hold per location). The images were post-processed to generate R2* maps for quantification. Data were recorded before and at 30 minutes after the oral administration of an angiotensin II-converting enzyme inhibitor (captopril, 25 mg). The results were compared using an ANOVA for repeated measurements (mean + standard deviation) followed by the Tukey test. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01545479. RESULTS: A significant difference (p<0.001) in renal oxygenation (R2*) was observed in the cortex and medulla before and after captopril administration: right kidney, cortex = 11.08 ± 0.56ms, medulla = 17.21 ± 1.47ms and cortex = 10.30 ± 0.44ms, medulla = 16.06 ± 1.74ms, respectively; and left kidney, cortex= 11.79 ± 1.85ms, medulla = 17.03 ± 0.88ms and cortex = 10.89 ± 0.91ms, medulla = 16.43 ± 1.49ms, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that the technique efficiently measured alterations in renal blood oxygenation after angiotensin II-converting enzyme inhibition and that it may provide a new strategy for identifying the early stages of renal disease and perhaps new therapeutic targets.

Áreas corticales elocuentes: estudio con RMF bases fisiológicas, procedimiento y aplicaciones clínicas / Eloquent cortical areas: RMF study physiological bases, procedures and clinical applications

El conocimiento de la anatomía funcional del cerebro es útil para correlacionar síntomas específicos con la localización de lesiones en áreas específicas. La RM funcional es una herramienta diagnóstica no invasiva que permite estudiar funciones cerebrales en base a una técnica denominada BOLD (blood oxygenation level dependent). Si bien la principal indicación de la RMf corresponde a la evaluación prequirúrgica de tumores cerebrales, esta metodología diagnóstica también es útil, entre otras aplicaciones, para el estudio de la lateralización del lenguaje, de la memoria y de la neuroplasticidad como mecanismo compensador de daño cerebral de origen traumático o vascular.

The knowledge of the brain functional anatomy is useful to link specific symptoms with the lesion´s location in specific areas. Functional MRI is a non-invasive diagnostic tool able to visualize brain function with a technique named BOLD(blood oxygenation level dependent). The most important indication of fMRI is for presurgical planning in patients with brain tumors, moreover this technique can use to study language lateralization, memoryand neuroplasticity, among other functions.

BOLD-fMRI Study of Auditory Cortex in Patients with Sensorineural Hearing Loss / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Objective BOLD-fMRI was used to observe the activated auditory cortex evoked by pure tone stimuli in patients with sensorineural hearing loss and this paper is to discuss the objective measure for patient with sensorineural hearing toss. Methods BOLD-fMRI examinations were taken in 22 patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorneural hearing loss and 15 control subjects. The volumes and intensities of the two hemispheres of the activated auditory cortex were analyzed quantitatively. Results Significant activation was found in the temporal lobe in control subjects, and significant differences in the volume and intensity were noted between the contralateral and ipsilateral activated auditory cortexes in them (P<0.01), exhibiting clearly eontralateral predominance. When the normal ear of patients with sensorineural hearing loss received signals, there was no significant difference be-tween contralateral and ipsilateral activated auditory cortexes (P>0.05). Conclusion When the normal ear of pa-tients with sensorneural hearing loss was stimulated by pure tone, the contralateral hemisphere predominance disap-peared. This result seems to show the plasticity of auditory cortex of patients with unilateral hearing loss.

The Differences between Fixation Devices for Proximal Chevron Osteotomy in Hallux Valgus Surgery / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: The authors evaluated the differences between K-wires and Bold screw for fixing the proximal metatarsal chevron osteotomy of moderate and severe hallux valgus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 59 patients (81 feet) who were moderate and severe degree hallux valgus according to the classification of Mann. They all got the proximal chevron osteotomy when correcting the deformity. All patients were followed up at least 6 months. We divided the patients into 2 groups, K-wires fixed group as A, Bold screw fixed group as B. Group A were 42 patients (63 feet) and Group B were 18 patients (19 feet). Among the Group B, 2 feet who were failed to fix the oetotomy site with Bold screw, were fixed with K-wires during operation. We measured the AOFAS score preoperatively, postoperatively and at final follow-up, VAS score at 2 weeks after the operation. Also preoperative, postoperative and follow-up hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (IMA) were measured for each patients. RESULTS: Mean follow up period was 1.34 year (range: 6 months-6.16 years). Mean VAS score of group A was 3.21+/-1.7 and group B 1.76+/-1.0. Preoperative mean AOFAS score of group A was 45.61+/-8.3, group B 44.41+/-8.9, the final mean score of group A was 88.87+/-8.3 and group B 92.47+/-4.4. Preoperative mean HVA was 30.82+/-6.6 degrees in group A and 32.88+/-14.5 degrees in group B, the final mean angle of group A was 14.89+/-8.3 degrees and group B 17+/-4.4 degrees. The preoperative mean IMA of group A was 13.69+/-3.6 degrees and group B 12.35+/-5.2, the final mean angle of group A was 9.26+/-3.6 degrees and group B 12.35+/-5.8 degrees. CONCLUSION: There were no statistical differences in radiologic and clinical results (p>0.05) but, group B exceeded group A in VAS score (p=0.0007) and had no statistical significance in terms of reduction angle loss (p=0.06). Early returning to normal life activity may be possible for patients using Bold screws.

Identification of Active and Passive Hands Motor Cortex Area with Functional MR Imaging in Hemipegic Patients after Stroke / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo identify the finding of functional MRI(fMRI) during active and passive fingers moving in hemipegic patients after stroke.Methods23 stroke patients with hemipegia were asked to actively moving their fingers and then passively moving with others' help.MSEPI technique was performed with planar parallel AC-PC.During each scan series,they were asked to perform repetitive finger-thumb opposition movement in the same period of active and rest.All the scanning data was transferred to a workstation and dealt with statistical method.Some patients examined fMRI again after rehabilitation.ResultsfMRI showed normal in the healthy side,with the decrease or displacement in the affected side of motor cortex area.Motor cortex area in the affected side would be recovered after rehabilitation.ConclusionfMRI can be used to evaluate the difference between active and passive moving motor cortex,and help to judge the prognosis of the patients with motor functional disorder.