Main effects and interactions of cerebral hemispheres, gender, and age in the calculation of volumes and asymmetries of selected structures of episodic memory.

The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of anatomical (cerebral hemisphere) and demographic (age and gender) variables on the gray matter (GM) volumes and volumetric asymmetry indices (VAIs) of selected structures involved in episodic memory. A cross-sectional study was performed in 47 healthy volunteers. Neuropsychological evaluation revealed similar IQs across the sample. Using SPM-based software, brain segmentation, labeling and volume measurements of the hippocampus, amygdala, middle temporal gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus were performed in each cerebral hemisphere. A two-way between-groups multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was applied to GM volumes and VAIs. The main effects of gender and cerebral hemisphere on GM volumes were significant (p < .001), while there was no significant interaction effect between gender and cerebral hemisphere. VAI measurements showed a nonsignificant effect of gender, but a significant influence of age (p = .015). The linear model of interactions and main effects explained 33% of the variance influencing the GM volume quantification. While cerebral hemisphere and gender were found to affect the volumes of brain structures involved in episodic memory, the calculation of VAIs was affected only by age. A comprehensive understanding of the main effects and interaction effects of cerebral hemisphere, gender and age on the volumes and asymmetries of structures related to episodic memory might help neurologists, psychiatrists, geriatricians and other neuroscientists in the study of degenerative brain diseases.

Dual-source 256-MDCT for diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage in pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the MDCT findings of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (APVD) in a pediatric population using a 256-MDCT dual-source scanner with a high-pitch protocol. CONCLUSION: MDCT is a fast and noninvasive technique that allows detailed and comprehensive visualization of APVD characteristics in a pediatric population. High-pitch acquisitions with scanners using a high volume of coverage permit low radiation doses and are an accurate modality for assessing these patients.

Neuroanatomy of episodic and semantic memory in humans: a brief review of neuroimaging studies.

One of the most basic functions in every individual and species is memory. Memory is the process by which information is saved as knowledge and retained for further use as needed. Learning is a neurobiological phenomenon by which we acquire certain information from the outside world and is a precursor to memory. Memory consists of the capacity to encode, store, consolidate, and retrieve information. Recently, memory has been defined as a network of connections whose function is primarily to facilitate the long-lasting persistence of learned environmental cues. In this review, we present a brief description of the current classifications of memory networks with a focus on episodic memory and its anatomical substrate. We also present a brief review of the anatomical basis of memory systems and the most commonly used neuroimaging methods to assess memory, illustrated with magnetic resonance imaging images depicting the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and hippocampal formation, which are the main brain structures participating in memory networks.

Ectopia cordis with tetralogy of Fallot in an infant with pentalogy of Cantrell: high-pitch MDCT exam.

We report the MDCT findings of a 17-month-old girl with Cantrell's pentalogy, a rare congenital disease characterized by several defects in the ventral thoracoabdominal wall including ectopia cordis, and, in this patient, associated with tetralogy of Fallot. This case provides an example of the utility of a wide volume in coverage and high-pitch MDCT scan in the evaluation of complex cardiovascular anatomy in infants with congenital heart disease without the need of an ECG-gating acquisition.