Investigating functional connectivity related to stroke recovery: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke recovery is a complex process influenced by various factors, including specific neural reorganization. The objective of this systematic review was to identify important functional connectivity (FC) changes in resting-state fMRI data that were often correlated with motor, emotional, and cognitive outcome improvement. METHOD: A systematic search using PubMed and SCOPUS databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. RESULTS: A total of 766 studies were identified, of which 20 studies (602 S individuals) met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen studies focussed on motor recovery while six on cognitive recovery. All studies reported interhemispheric FC to be strongly associated with motor and cognitive recovery. The preservation and changes of M1-M1 (eight incidences) and M1-SMA (nine incidences) FC were found to be strongly correlated with motor function improvement. For cognitive recovery, restoration and preservation of FC with and between default mode network (DMN)-related regions were important for the process. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified specific patterns of FC that were consistently reported with recovery of motor and cognitive function. The findings may serve in refining future management strategies to enhance patient outcomes.

Marrow Fat-Cortical Bone Relationship in ß-Thalassemia: A Study Using MRI.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that marrow adipocytes play an active role in the regulation of bone metabolism and hematopoiesis. However, research on the relationship between bone and fat in the context of hematological diseases, particularly ß-thalassemia, remains limited. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between marrow fat and cortical bone thickness in ß-thalassemia and to identify key determinants influencing these variables. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Thirty-five subjects in four subject groups of increasing disease severity: 6 healthy control (25.0 ± 5.3 years, 2 male), 4 ß-thalassemia minor, 13 intermedia, and 12 major (29.1 ± 6.4 years, 15 male). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T, 3D fast low angle shot sequence and T1-weighted turbo spin echo. ASSESSMENT: Analyses on proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and R2* values in femur subregions (femoral head, greater trochanter, intertrochanteric, diaphysis, distal) and cortical thickness (CBI) of the subjects' left femur. Clinical data such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and disease severity were also included. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), mixed ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple regression. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Bone marrow PDFF significantly varied between the femur subregions, F(2.89,89.63) = 44.185 and disease severity, F(1,3) = 12.357. A significant interaction between subject groups and femur subregions on bone marrow PDFF was observed, F(8.67,89.63) = 3.723. Notably, a moderate positive correlation was observed between PDFF and CBI (r = 0.33-0.45). Multiple regression models for both PDFF (R2 = 0.476, F(13,151) = 10.547) and CBI (R2 = 0.477, F(13,151) = 10.580) were significant. Significant predictors for PDFF were disease severity (ßTMi = 0.36, ßTMa = 0.17), CBI (ß = 0.24), R2* (ß = -0.32), and height (ß = -0.29) while for CBI, the significant determinants were sex (ß = -0.27), BMI (ß = 0.55), disease severity (ßTMi = 2.15), and PDFF (ß = 0.25). DATA CONCLUSION: This study revealed a positive correlation between bone marrow fat fraction and cortical bone thickness in ß-thalassemia with varying disease severity, potentially indicating a complex interplay between bone health and marrow composition. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Bone Marrow Fat Distribution in Patients With ß-Thalassemia: A Study Using Chemical Shift-Based Water-Fat MRI.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Molecular studies have shown the changes in bone marrow fat in relation to altered hematopoiesis. This study aims to investigate the changes in the bone marrow fat in patients affected by ß-thalassemia by using chemical shift-encoded (CSE)-MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three subjects, comprising of six healthy (17-31 years old) and 17 ß-thalassemia subjects (19-39 years old), were scanned using a multiecho fast low angle shot sequence (0.94 × 0.94 × 3.00 mm3) and a stimulated echo acquisition mode sequence using 3T MRI. Bone marrow proton density fat fraction (PDFF) was quantified in the left femur of each subject. Regression and Bland-Altman analysis were used to analyze agreement between CSE-MRI and 1H-MRS. PDFF distribution was analyzed using Hartigan's dip test and the computed Wasserstein distances. Jonckheere-Terpstra trend analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of disease severity on PDFF distribution. RESULTS: An excellent agreement was found between PDFF measured using CSE-MRI with 1H-MRS (R2 = 0.91; bias =-1.41%). Healthy subjects showed left-skewed or bimodal PDFF distribution while ß-thalassemia subjects showed bimodal, normal or right-skewed distribution. Jonckheere-Terpstra test shows that PDFF distribution was increasingly different from the norm as disease severity increased (TJT = 166.0, z = 3.806, p < 0.05). Increase in variability of PDFF distribution within each subject group was also seen with increasing disease severity (TJT = 169.0, z = 3.971, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CSE-MRI is a promising tool to demonstrate spatial changes and variability in marrow fat distribution, resulting from ineffective erythropoiesis.

Marrow Fat Content and Composition in ß-Thalassemia: A Study using 1 H-MRS.

BACKGROUND: ß-thalassemia is a genetic disease that causes abnormal production of red blood cells (ineffective erythropoiesis, IE). IE is a condition known to change bone marrow composition. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of IE on the marrow fat content and fat unsaturation levels in the proximal femur using 1 H-MRS. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Twenty-three subjects were included in this study, seven control and 16 ß-thalassemia subjects. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0T; stimulated echo acquisition Mode (STEAM); magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) sequence. ASSESSMENT: Multiecho MRS scans were performed in four regions of the proximal left femur of each subject, that is, diaphysis, femoral neck, femoral head, and greater trochanter. The examined regions were grouped into red (diaphysis and femoral neck) and yellow marrow regions (femoral head and greater trochanter). STATISTICAL TESTS: The Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used to evaluate the impact of increasing disease severity on bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF), marrow conversion index, and fat unsaturation index (UI). Pairwise comparison analysis was performed when a significant trend (P < 0.05) was found. K-means clustering analysis was used to examine the clusters observed when BMFF in the red and yellow regions were studied (diaphysis against greater trochanter). RESULTS: BMFF showed a significant decreasing trend with increasing disease severity in both red (TJT = 109.00, z = -4.414, P < 0.05) and yellow marrow regions (TJT = 108.00, z = -4.438, P < 0.05). The opposite trend was observed in UI in both bone marrow regions (red marrow: TJT = 180.5, z = 3.515, P < 0.05; yellow marrow: TJT = 155.0, z = 2.282, P = 0.05). Three distinct forms of marrow adipogenesis were found when plotting BMFF diaphysis against BMFF greater trochanter: 1) normal (centroid: 80.4%, 66.6%), 2) partial disruption (centroid: 51.1%, 16.6%), and 3) total disruption (centroid: 2.6%, 1.6%). DATA CONCLUSION: ß-thalassemia is associated with decreased marrow fat, and increased marrow fat unsaturation level. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 3.