Clinical characteristics of 42 cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension with cerebrospinal leakage / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the clinical characteristics of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 42 SIH patients with cerebrospinal leakage, whose diagnosis met the criteria of the International Headache Classification, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into short (n=27) and long (n=15) course groups. The clinical data and imaging features were compared between two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-nine patients (92.9%) had orthostatic headache. Compared with the short course group, the frequency of headache were significantly lower in patients with long disease duration (80% vs 100%, P =0.040); the ratio of high CSF opening pressure (>=60.0 mm H2O), the average CSF opening pressure, and the frequencies of subdural hematoma were higher in long course group than those in short course group [60.0% vs 20.8%, (64.7±42.1) vs (40.0±33.8)mm H2O, and 50.0% vs 11.6%; P=0.019, 0.038 and 0.018, respectively]. Forty-two patients underwent CT myelography;definite focal CSF leakage sites were found in all patients and multiple sites of CSF leakage in 38 patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>All SIH do not necessarily show the typical clinical manifestations, and cranial MRI and CT myelography are helpful in the diagnosis. Because of higher risk of subdural hemorrhage, patients with long disease duration require active intervention.</p>

Researching the character and stenosis of coronary calcified plaques by using 16-slice spiral CT / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the characters of coronary calcified plaques by using 16-slice spiral CT and determine their stenosis degree according to the results of catheter coronary angiography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty patients who had received 16-slice spiral CT coronary angiography and conventional coronary angiography (CAG) were found to be with calcified plaques. The characters of these plaques, including the diameter of calcified plaques and lumen diameter of the exact artery segment, were retrospectively analyzed. The stenosis degree of the corresponding segment was judged in accordance with the results of CAG.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 84 calcified plaques were observed in 16-slice spiral CT images in these 20 patients. Among them there were 16 small nodules (diameter: < 0.15 cm), 56 purely calcified plaques (diameter: > or = 0. 15 cm), and 12 complex plaques with calcify component. There was no obvious stenosis in artery segments with little calcified nodules. The stenosis degree of most segments with purely calcified plaques (75%) was less than 50%. The stenosis degree had no significant correlation with the size of plaques (P > 0.05). However, the stenosis degree of complex plaques had much closer relationship with the characters of mixed plaques.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Most coronary segments with calcified plaques have slight stenosis. Their stenosis degree is not related with the size of plaques. The stenosis degree of complex plaques has a closer relationship with the characters of mixed plaques.</p>

Functional MRI of human brain in musicians and non-musicians / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the differences in brain activation between musicians and non-musicians by use of functional MRI.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve right-handed musicians and twelve right-handed non-musicians were recruited in the study. During a listening task, they were scanned on the Sigma 1.5T scanner (GE) while they were passively listening to several segments of music of "the Butterfly Love" and the white noise with same physical energy.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Both musicians and non-musicians demonstrated bilateral transverse gyrus weak activated while listening to the white noise. But when listening to music, they showed bilateral temporal areas strongly activated including superior temporal gyrus, transverse gyrus and some middle temporal areas. Moreover, musicians showed relative left dominance (10/12), whereas non-musicians demonstrated right dominance(11/12). Furthermore,besides bilateral temporal areas, more and stronger activated areas were found in musicians such as cuneus, precuneus,medial frontal and left middle occipital gyrus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are different neuro-patterns between musicians and non-musicians.</p>