Performance of Single-Shot Echo-Planar Imaging in Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Rat Sciatic Nerve Compared With Readout-Segmented Echo-Planar Imaging.

Objectives: To compare the performances of single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) and readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (RS-EPI) for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the rat sciatic nerve. Methods: Eight healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and scanned with a 3T MRI scanner using SS-EPI and RS-EPI DTI sequences. The image quality in terms of the morphology of the nerve, distortions of the nearby femur, muscles, and homogeneity of neuromuscular were evaluated and scored. The correlations between the DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and histopathological parameters were calculated by using the Pearson correlation coefficient and compared by the modified Fisher Z-transform, respectively. Results: The quality scores were higher for the images from the SS-EPI sequence compared with the RS-EPI sequence for characteristics such as sharpness of the sciatic nerve margin (P = 0.008), artifacts of the sciatic nerve (P = 0.008), and homogeneity of the neuromuscular region (P = 0.007), as well as the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of DW images (P < 0.001). The correlation coefficients were higher for the FA and RD values from the SS-EPI sequence compared with those from the RS-EPI sequence. Furthermore, the correlation coefficients between FA and myelin thickness (P = 0.027), FA and diameter of the myelinated fiber (P = 0.036), as well as RD and myelin thickness (P = 0.05) were statistically higher for the SS-EPI sequence compared with those for the RS-EPI sequence. Conclusion: Diffusion tensor imaging analysis of the rat sciatic nerve showed that the image quality from the SS-EPI sequence was significantly higher compared with that from the RS-EPI sequence. Furthermore, the FA and RD derived from the SS-EPI sequence are promising and sensitive biomarkers to detect the histopathological changes in the rat sciatic nerve.

[Effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method on fractional anisotropy of diffusion densor imaging and upper extremity motor function after cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method (for regulating the function of the Conception Vessel and promoting the circulation of the Governor Vessel) on fractional anisotropy (FA) and upper-extremity motor function after cerebral infarction by diffusion densor imaging (DTI) technology. METHODS: The patients with cerebral infarction were divided into an acupuncture group and a control group according to the random number table method, 27 cases in each group. In the control group, the basic treatment with conventional medication was used. In the acupuncture group, on the basic treatment as the control group, the tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method was provided. Main acupoints included Baihui (GV20), Shuigou(GV26), Chengjiang(CV24), Guanyuan(CV4), Qihai (CV6), Zhongwan (CV12), Shenting(GV24) and Mingmen(GV4). Supplementary points included Jianyu(LI15), Chize(LU5), Houxi (SI3), Weizhong (BL40), Zusanli (ST36) and Taichong (LR3) on the affected side. The needles were retained for 30 min. Acupuncture was given once a day, at the interval of 1 days every week, consecutively for 4 weeks. The upper extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (UE-FMA) was used to evaluate the motor function of upper extremity before and after treatment. DTI was adopted to observe the FA values of infarct focus, posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) and cerebral peduncle on the affected side, as well as FA values at the corresponding parts on the healthy side in the patients of two groups. The relative differences (rFA) were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with their own pretreatment, the UE-FMA value was significantly higher after treatment in either of two groups separately (P<0.05 in the control group, P<0.01 in the acupuncture group). The difference of UE-FMA before and after treatment in the acupuncture group was larger than that in the control group (P<0.05). The FA and rFA values in infarct focus were higher than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05). The FA and rFA differences before and after treatment in the infarct focus and PLIC on the affected side were higher in the acupuncture group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The UE-FMA difference was positively correlated with the rFA difference of each part in either group (P<0.05), and the correlation was the strongest in PLIC on the affected side in either group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Tiaoren tongdu acupuncture significantly improves the upper limb movement function after cerebral infarction. The rFA value of PLIC combined with UE-FMA can be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the upper extremity movement after cerebral infarction.

Cortical Alterations Are Associated with Depression in Subcortical Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment Revealed by Surface-Based Morphometry.

BACKGROUND: Late-life depression often coexists with vascular cognitive impairment and affects the quality of life for elders. However, little is known about cortical morphometric interactions between subcortical vascular mild cognitive impairment (svMCI) and concomitant mild depressive symptoms at the early stage. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate cortical alterations of svMCI with and without depressive symptoms and determine whether these parameters are associated with depression symptoms and/or cognitive impairments. METHODS: Surface based morphometry was performed on 18 svMCI patients with depressive symptoms (svMCI + D), 16 svMCI patients without depressive symptoms (svMCI-D), and 23 normal controls (NC). RESULTS: Compared to NC, both svMCI + D and svMCI-D patients exhibited significantly decreased surface area (SA) in many cortical areas. Interestingly, svMCI + D patients showed significantly increased rather than decreased SA in right lateral occipital gyrus (LOG.R), and a consistent trend of increased SA in these areas compared to svMCI-D. In addition, the svMCI + D showed increased gray matter volume of left pericalcarine (periCAL.L) than svMCI-D, whereas svMCI-D showed decreased gray matter volume of periCAL.L than NC. Further correlation analyses revealed that the SA of left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L) and right lateral orbital part of frontal gyrus (lorbFG.R) were significantly correlated with Hamilton depression rating scale of svMCI + D. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results extend our insight into svMCI and add weight to reevaluation of concomitant early stage depressive symptoms. Moreover, we suggest that LOG.R∖periCAL.L∖STG.L∖lorbFG.R might serve as sensitive and trait-dependent biomarkers to detect concomitant depressive symptoms in svMCI patients.

Burden, Positive Aspects, and Predictive Variables of Caregiving: A Study of Caregivers of Patients with Pediatric Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine the presence of burden and positive aspects among caregivers of patients with pediatric glaucoma (PG) and to establish whether they were influenced by the characteristics of the caregivers and the patients. METHOD: This study was designed to be cross-sectional and descriptive. The Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) questionnaires were used to evaluate the caregivers. The demographic data of the enrolled participants were also collected. The CBI and the PAC scores were analyzed in relation to each other and different characteristics of the patients with PG and their caregivers through a generalized linear regression model. RESULT: Most of enrolled 57 caregivers were found to act with a moderate level of burden and benefits. The emotional subscale score of the CBI is negatively related to the aggregate score of the PAC and to that of outlook on life. Moreover, patients with a longer duration of disease and caregivers who were female, had jobs, had lower education levels, and had lower household incomes have qualities that are positively related to the summary score of the CBI. However, no factors we collected were significantly related to the PAC score. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that caregivers perceive positive and negative experiences in the care and support of patients suffering from PG. In addition, we should pay more attention to the caregivers with a high risk of experiencing caregiver burden, especially females with jobs and also with lower incomes and lower levels of education.

Impact of Mobile-Based Health Education on the Awareness and Knowledge of Glaucoma in Chinese Patients.

Introduction:Mobile devices have been rapidly integrated into clinical practice. The present study is to compare the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma in patients with and without access to mobile-based public health education.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional survey was performed on individuals without health education from the outpatient department, and individuals with mobile-based glaucoma education from WeChat® service account (WeChat, a social media service). The participants were subcategorized based on whether glaucoma was present. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information and glaucoma knowledge divided into 15 true-or-false questions. Each question was assigned two points if correct and zero if incorrect or unclear. Statistical analyses were used to analyze the differences and correlation of scores and influencing factors between each group.Results:A total of 1,459 valid questionnaires was obtained, including 585 individuals from outpatient department and 874 from WeChat. Patients with health education had higher rate of correctness for each of the 15 questions than those without. In the absence of the education group, glaucoma patients had a median score of 16 out of total 30 points, 8 points higher than among nonglaucoma patients (p < 0.001), whereas those with education attained a median score of 24 points, greater than those without (p < 0.001), regardless of whether they had glaucoma. These significances were still evident after adjustment for various potential confounding factors.Conclusions:Patients' awareness and knowledge level of glaucoma are limited, but significantly enhanced after educational intervention. Mobile-based education is essential to ameliorate public awareness of glaucoma.