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1.
Value Health ; 27(6): 692-701, 2024 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38871437

RESUMO

This ISPOR Good Practices report provides a framework for assessing the suitability of electronic health records data for use in health technology assessments (HTAs). Although electronic health record (EHR) data can fill evidence gaps and improve decisions, several important limitations can affect its validity and relevance. The ISPOR framework includes 2 components: data delineation and data fitness for purpose. Data delineation provides a complete understanding of the data and an assessment of its trustworthiness by describing (1) data characteristics; (2) data provenance; and (3) data governance. Fitness for purpose comprises (1) data reliability items, ie, how accurate and complete the estimates are for answering the question at hand and (2) data relevance items, which assess how well the data are suited to answer the particular question from a decision-making perspective. The report includes a checklist specific to EHR data reporting: the ISPOR SUITABILITY Checklist. It also provides recommendations for HTA agencies and policy makers to improve the use of EHR-derived data over time. The report concludes with a discussion of limitations and future directions in the field, including the potential impact from the substantial and rapid advances in the diffusion and capabilities of large language models and generative artificial intelligence. The report's immediate audiences are HTA evidence developers and users. We anticipate that it will also be useful to other stakeholders, particularly regulators and manufacturers, in the future.


Assuntos
Lista de Checagem , Registros Eletrônicos de Saúde , Avaliação da Tecnologia Biomédica , Registros Eletrônicos de Saúde/normas , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Comitês Consultivos , Tomada de Decisões
2.
J Comp Eff Res ; 12(12): e230154, 2023 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37965898

RESUMO

Digital health technologies (DHTs) are a broad and rapidly innovating class of interventions with distinctive pathways for development, regulatory approval, uptake and reimbursement. Given the unique nature of DHTs, existing value assessment frameworks and evidence standards for health technologies such as drugs and devices are not directly applicable. The value assessment framework presented here describes a conceptual model and associated methods to guide assessments of DHTs. The framework seeks to accomplish two goals: to set evidence standards that guide technology developers to generate robust evidence on their products; and to provide reviews that help organizations adopt high-impact DHTs with the strongest evidence for delivering improved clinical outcomes and cost savings. This assessment framework will serve as the roadmap for future evaluations of DHTs by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI). We believe that all stakeholders will benefit from comprehensive and explicit standards of evidence on the different dimensions necessary to understand the value of DHTs.


Assuntos
Tecnologia Biomédica , Avaliação da Tecnologia Biomédica , Humanos , Avaliação da Tecnologia Biomédica/métodos
3.
Stroke ; 54(9): 2286-2295, 2023 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37477008

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Damage to the primary visual cortex following an occipital stroke causes loss of conscious vision in the contralateral hemifield. Yet, some patients retain the ability to detect moving visual stimuli within their blind field. The present study asked whether such individual differences in blind field perception following loss of primary visual cortex could be explained by the concentration of neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate or activity of the visual motion processing, human middle temporal complex (hMT+). METHODS: We used magnetic resonance imaging in 19 patients with chronic occipital stroke to measure the concentration of neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate (proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and functional activity in hMT+ (functional magnetic resonance imaging). We also tested each participant on a 2-interval forced choice detection task using high-contrast, moving Gabor patches. We then measured and assessed the strength of relationships between participants' residual vision in their blind field and in vivo neurotransmitter concentrations, as well as visually evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in their hMT+. Levels of GABA and glutamate were also measured in a sensorimotor region, which served as a control. RESULTS: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy-derived GABA and glutamate concentrations in hMT+ (but not sensorimotor cortex) strongly predicted blind-field visual detection abilities. Performance was inversely related to levels of both inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in hMT+ but, surprisingly, did not correlate with visually evoked blood oxygenation level-dependent signal change in this motion-sensitive region. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of GABA and glutamate in hMT+ appear to provide superior information about motion detection capabilities inside perimetrically defined blind fields compared to blood oxygenation level-dependent signal changes-in essence, serving as biomarkers for the quality of residual visual processing in the blind-field. Whether they also reflect a potential for successful rehabilitation of visual function remains to be determined.


Assuntos
Acidente Vascular Cerebral , Córtex Visual , Humanos , Ácido Glutâmico , Individualidade , Córtex Visual/diagnóstico por imagem , Estimulação Luminosa/métodos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem
4.
Sci Rep ; 13(1): 6437, 2023 04 20.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37081073

RESUMO

In humans, motor learning is underpinned by changes in sensorimotor network functional connectivity (FC). Unilateral contractions increase FC in the ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA); areas involved in motor planning and execution of the contralateral hand. Therefore, unilateral contractions are a promising approach to augment motor performance in the contralateral hand. In a within-participant, randomized, cross-over design, 15 right-handed adults had two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions, where functional-MRI and MR-Spectroscopic Imaging were acquired before and after repeated right-hand contractions at either 5% or 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Before and after scanning, response times (RTs) were determined in both hands. Nine minutes of 50% MVC contractions resulted in decreased handgrip force in the contracting hand, and decreased RTs and increased handgrip force in the contralateral hand. This improved motor performance in the contralateral hand was supported by significant neural changes: increased FC between SMA-SMA and increased FC between right M1 and right Orbitofrontal Cortex. At a neurochemical level, the degree of GABA decline in left M1, left and right SMA correlated with subsequent behavioural improvements in the left-hand. These results support the use of repeated handgrip contractions as a potential modality for improving motor performance in the contralateral hand.


Assuntos
Força da Mão , Córtex Motor , Adulto , Humanos , Tempo de Reação , Mãos/fisiologia , Córtex Motor/fisiologia , Lateralidade Funcional/fisiologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos
5.
Value Health ; 26(3): 378-383, 2023 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36566884

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of drug price dynamics in cost-effectiveness analyses. METHODS: We evaluated scenarios involving typical US drug price increases during the exclusivity period and price decreases after the loss of exclusivity (LOE). Worked examples are presented using the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's assessments of tezepelumab for the treatment of severe asthma and targeted immune modulators for rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: Tezepelumab case: yearly 2% price increases during the period of exclusivity and a post-LOE price decrease of 25% yielded an incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained that increased over the base case from $430 300 to $444 600 (+3.2%). Yearly 2% price increases followed by a steeper post-LOE price reduction of 40% resulted in a cost per QALY gained of $401 400 (6.8% reduction vs the base case). Rheumatoid arthritis case: incorporating post-LOE price reductions for etanercept (intervention) and adalimumab (comparator) ranging from 25% to 40% yielded an incremental cost per QALY of $121 000 and $122 300, respectively (< 3% increase from the base case of $119 200/QALY). Including a 2% yearly price increase during the projected exclusivity periods of both intervention and comparator increased the cost per QALY gained by > 60%. CONCLUSION: Two biologic treatment cases incorporating price dynamics in cost-effectiveness analyses had varied impacts on the cost-effectiveness ratio depending on the magnitude of pre-LOE price increase and post-LOE price decrease and whether the LOE also affected the comparator. Yearly price increase magnitude during the period of exclusivity, among other factors, may counterbalance the effects of lower post-LOE intervention prices.


Assuntos
Artrite Reumatoide , Produtos Biológicos , Humanos , Análise Custo-Benefício , Etanercepte/uso terapêutico , Artrite Reumatoide/tratamento farmacológico , Adalimumab/uso terapêutico , Produtos Biológicos/uso terapêutico , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida
6.
Neuroimage Clin ; 36: 103273, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36451375

RESUMO

The Oxford Brain Health Clinic (BHC) is a joint clinical-research service that provides memory clinic patients and clinicians access to high-quality assessments not routinely available, including brain MRI aligned with the UK Biobank imaging study (UKB). In this work we present how we 1) adapted the UKB MRI acquisition protocol to be suitable for memory clinic patients, 2) modified the imaging analysis pipeline to extract measures that are in line with radiology reports and 3) explored the alignment of measures from BHC patients to the largest brain MRI study in the world (ultimately 100,000 participants). Adaptations of the UKB acquisition protocol for BHC patients include dividing the scan into core and optional sequences (i.e., additional imaging modalities) to improve patients' tolerance for the MRI assessment. We adapted the UKB structural MRI analysis pipeline to take into account the characteristics of a memory clinic population (e.g., high amount of white matter hyperintensities and hippocampal atrophy). We then compared the imaging derived phenotypes (IDPs) extracted from the structural scans to visual ratings from radiology reports, non-imaging factors (age, cognition) and to reference distributions derived from UKB data. Of the first 108 BHC attendees (August 2020-November 2021), 92.5 % completed the clinical scans, 88.0 % consented to use of data for research, and 43.5 % completed the additional research sequences, demonstrating that the protocol is well tolerated. The high rates of consent to research makes this a valuable real-world quality research dataset routinely captured in a clinical service. Modified tissue-type segmentation with lesion masking greatly improved grey matter volume estimation. CSF-masking marginally improved hippocampal segmentation. The IDPs were in line with radiology reports and showed significant associations with age and cognitive performance, in line with the literature. Due to the age difference between memory clinic patients of the BHC (age range 65-101 years, average 78.3 years) and UKB participants (44-82 years, average 64 years), additional scans on elderly healthy controls are needed to improve reference distributions. Current and future work aims to integrate automated quantitative measures in the radiology reports and evaluate their clinical utility.


Assuntos
Bancos de Espécimes Biológicos , Encéfalo , Humanos , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/patologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Atrofia/patologia , Reino Unido
7.
J Neurosci ; 42(41): 7721-7732, 2022 10 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36414012

RESUMO

Motor adaptation is crucial for performing accurate movements in a changing environment and relies on the cerebellum. Although cerebellar involvement has been well characterized, the neurochemical changes in the cerebellum underpinning human motor adaptation remain unknown. We used a novel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) technique to measure changes in the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the human cerebellum during visuomotor adaptation. Participants (n = 17, six female) used their right hand to adapt to a rotated cursor in the scanner, compared with a control task requiring no adaptation. We spatially resolved adaptation-driven GABA changes at the cerebellar nuclei and cerebellar cortex in the left and the right cerebellar hemisphere independently and found that simple right-hand movements increase GABA in the right cerebellar nuclei and decreases GABA in the left. When isolating adaptation-driven GABA changes, we found that GABA in the left cerebellar nuclei and the right cerebellar nuclei diverged, although GABA change from baseline at the right cerebellar nuclei was not different from zero at the group level. Early adaptation-driven GABA fluctuations in the right cerebellar nuclei correlated with adaptation performance. Participants showing greater GABA decrease adapted better, suggesting early GABA change is behaviorally relevant. Early GABA change also correlated with functional connectivity change in a cerebellar network. Participants showing greater decreases in GABA showed greater strength increases in cerebellar network connectivity. Results were specific to GABA, to adaptation, and to the cerebellar network. This study provides first evidence for plastic changes in cerebellar neurochemistry during motor adaptation. Characterizing these naturally occurring neurochemical changes may provide a basis for developing therapeutic interventions to facilitate human motor adaptation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite motor adaptation being fundamental to maintaining accurate movements, its neurochemical basis remains poorly understood, perhaps because measuring neurochemicals in the human cerebellum is technically challenging. Using a novel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging method, this study provides evidence for GABA changes in the left compared with the right cerebellar nuclei driven by both simple movement and motor adaptation. Although right cerebellar GABA changes were not significantly different from zero at the group level, the adaptation-driven GABA fluctuations in the right cerebellar nuclei correlated with adaptation performance and with functional connectivity change in a cerebellar network. These results show the first evidence for plastic changes in cerebellar neurochemistry during a cerebellar learning task. This provides the basis for developing therapeutic interventions that facilitate these naturally occurring changes to amplify cerebellar-dependent learning.


Assuntos
Cerebelo , Desempenho Psicomotor , Humanos , Feminino , Cerebelo/diagnóstico por imagem , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico
10.
J Manag Care Spec Pharm ; 28(5): 577-580, 2022 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35471071

RESUMO

DISCLOSURES: Drs Rind, Campbell, Pearson, Ms Herce-Hagiwara, Ms Fluetsch, and Ms Herron-Smith report grants from Arnold Ventures; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc; The Patrick and Catherine Donaghue Medical Research Foundation; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; and California Healthcare Foundation during the course of this study.


Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados , Asma , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Asma/tratamento farmacológico , Análise Custo-Benefício , Humanos , Massachusetts
11.
Int J Technol Assess Health Care ; 38(1): e32, 2022 Mar 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35357284

RESUMO

Health technology assessment (HTA) agencies are considering adopting a lifecycle approach to assessments to address uncertainties in the evidence base at launch and to revisit the clinical and economic value of therapies in a dynamic clinical landscape. For reassessments of therapies post launch, HTA agencies are looking to real-world evidence (RWE) to enhance the clinical and economic evidence base, though challenges and concerns in using RWE in decision-making exists. Stakeholders are embarking on demonstration projects to address the challenges and concerns and to further define when and how RWE can be used in HTA decision making. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review piloted a 24-month observational RWE reassessment. Key learnings from this pilot include identifying the benefits and challenges with using RWE in reassessments and considerations on prioritizing and selecting topics relevant for RWE updates.


Assuntos
Tomada de Decisões , Avaliação da Tecnologia Biomédica
12.
J Am Med Dir Assoc ; 23(3): 359-366, 2022 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34146521

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Patients discharged from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) are not typically part of a heart failure disease management program (HF-DMP). The objective of this study is to determine if an HF-DMP in SNF improves outcomes for patients with HF. DESIGN: Cluster-randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: The trial was conducted in 47 SNFs, and 671 patients were enrolled (329 HF-DMP; 342 to usual care). METHODS: The HF-DMP included documentation of ejection fraction, symptoms, weights, diet, medication optimization, education, and 7-day visit post SNF discharge. The composite outcome was all-cause hospitalization, emergency department visits, or mortality at 60 days. Secondary outcomes included the composite endpoint at 30 days, change in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire and the Self-care of HF Index at 60 days. Rehospitalization and mortality rates were calculated as an exploratory outcome. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 79 ± 10 years, 58% were women, and the mean ejection fraction was 51% ± 16%. At 30 and 60 days post SNF admission, the composite endpoint was not significant between DMP (29%) and usual care (32%) at 30 days and 60 days (43% vs 47%, respectively). The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire significantly improved in the HF-DMP vs usual care for the Physical Limitation (11.3 ± 2.9 vs 20.8 ± 3.6; P = .039) and Social Limitation subscales (6.0 ± 3.1 vs 17.9 ± 3.8; P = .016). Self-care of HF Index was not significant. The total number of events (composite endpoint) totaled 517 (231 in HF-DMP and 286 in usual care). Differences in the 60-day hospitalization rate [mean HF-DMP rate 0.43 (SE 0.03) vs usual care 0.54 (SE 0.05), P = .04] and mortality rate (HF-DMP 5.2% vs usual care 10.8%, P < .001) were significant. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The composite endpoint was high for patients with HF in SNF regardless of group. Rehospitalization and mortality rates were reduced by the HF-DMP. HF-DMPs in SNFs may be beneficial to the outcomes of patients with HF. SNFs should consider structured HF-DMPs for their patients.


Assuntos
Insuficiência Cardíaca , Instituições de Cuidados Especializados de Enfermagem , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Gerenciamento Clínico , Feminino , Insuficiência Cardíaca/terapia , Hospitalização , Humanos , Alta do Paciente , Readmissão do Paciente
13.
Neuroepidemiology ; 54(2): 123-130, 2020.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31991409

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic neurologic disease of young adults, placing a heavy burden on patients, families, and the healthcare system. Ongoing surveillance of the incidence and prevalence of MS is critical for health policy and research, but feasible options are limited in the United States and many other countries. We investigated the feasibility of monitoring the prevalence of MS using a large national telephone survey of the adult US population. METHODS: We developed questions to estimate the lifetime prevalence and age of onset of MS using the US-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and piloted these questions in 4 states (MN, RI, MD, and TX). There was a total of 45,198 respondents aged 18 years and above. Analyses investigated individual state and combined prevalence estimates along with health-related comorbidities and limitations. MS prevalence estimates from the BRFSS were compared to estimates from multi-source administrative claims and traditional population-based methods. RESULTS: The estimated lifetime prevalence of self-reported MS (per 100,000 adults) was 682 (95% CI 528-836); 384 (95% CI 239-529) among males and 957 (95% CI 694-1,220) among females. Estimates were consistent across the 4 states but much higher than recently published estimates using population-based administrative claims data. This was observed for both national results and for MS prevalence estimates from other studies within specific states (MN, RI, and TX). Prevalence estimates for Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic respondents were 824, 741, and 349 per 100,000 respectively. Age and sex distributions were consistent with prior epidemiologic reports. Comorbidity and functional limitations were more pronounced among female than male respondents. CONCLUSIONS: While yielding higher overall MS prevalence estimates compared to recent studies, this large-scale self-report telephone method yielded relative prevalence estimates (e.g., prevalence patterns of MS by sex, age, and race-ethnicity) that were generally comparable to other surveillance approaches. With certain caveats, population-based telephone surveys may eventually offer the ability to investigate novel disease correlates and are relatively feasible, and affordable. Further work is needed to create a valid question set and methodology for case ascertainment before this approach could be adopted to accurately estimate MS prevalence.


Assuntos
Inquéritos Epidemiológicos/métodos , Esclerose Múltipla/epidemiologia , Vigilância da População/métodos , Telefone , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Sistema de Vigilância de Fator de Risco Comportamental , Comorbidade , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Inquéritos Epidemiológicos/normas , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Esclerose Múltipla/etnologia , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Adulto Jovem
14.
BMC Public Health ; 19(1): 1234, 2019 Sep 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31492118

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness of community health worker (CHW)-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk-reduction interventions is not well established. Colorado Heart Healthy Solutions is a CHW-based intervention designed to reduce modifiable CVD risk factors. This program has previously demonstrated success, but the cost-effectiveness is unknown. CHW-based interventions are potentially attractive complements to healthcare delivery because laypersons implement the intervention at a lower cost relative to medical care and may be attractive in rural settings with limited clinical resources. METHODS: CHWs performed screenings and provided ongoing participant support within predominantly rural communities. A point-of-service software tool was used to generate 10-year Framingham CVD risk scores and assist CHWs to make medical referrals and provide ongoing individualized support for lifestyle changes. A sample of program participants returned for reassessment of risk factors. We calculated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and program costs using a Markov model. Transition probabilities were calculated using Framingham risk equations or derived from the literature using the observed mean reduction in 10-year CVD risk score over of 37- months follow-up. Program cost-effectiveness was calculated for both at-risk (abnormal baseline CVD risk factors) and overall program populations. RESULTS: The base-case scenario evaluating a 52-year-old male participant revealed an incremental cost savings of $3576 and a gain of 0.16 QALYs associated with the intervention. Cost savings were greater in at-risk populations. The economic dominance of the model was robust in multiple sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: A community-based CVD intervention demonstrated to reduce CVD risk is cost-effective. This suggests that population-based public health programs may have the potential to complement primary care preventative services to improve health and reduce the burden of traditional medical care.


Assuntos
Doenças Cardiovasculares/prevenção & controle , Promoção da Saúde/economia , Saúde Pública , Colorado , Agentes Comunitários de Saúde , Redução de Custos , Análise Custo-Benefício , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Anos de Vida Ajustados por Qualidade de Vida , Fatores de Risco , População Rural
15.
Muscle Nerve ; 60(5): 513-519, 2019 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31397910

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Our pilot study tested the feasibility and performance of an eye-controlled power wheelchair for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. METHODS: In this prospective pilot study, participants drove the wheelchair three times around an indoor course. We assessed the time to complete the course; starting and stopping on command; turning 90, 135, and 180 degrees; time to backup; and obstacle negotiation. Following their use of the wheelchair, subjects were given a questionnaire to assess user experience. RESULTS: Twelve patients participated, and all were able to complete three trials without difficulty. Eight participants completed all of the individual tasks (eg, turning, stopping, etc.) without any errors. Overall performance ratings were high across all participants (4.6/5-excellent). CONCLUSIONS: Our eye-controlled power wheelchair prototype is feasible and has a very favorable user experience. This system has the potential to improve the mobility and independence of ALS patients, and other groups with motor impairments.


Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/reabilitação , Desenho de Equipamento , Movimentos Oculares , Satisfação do Paciente , Cadeiras de Rodas , Adulto , Idoso , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Projetos Piloto , Estudos Prospectivos
16.
J Neurosci ; 39(40): 7968-7975, 2019 10 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31358655

RESUMO

We investigated the relationship between neurochemical and hemodynamic responses as a function of image contrast in the human primary visual cortex (V1). Simultaneously acquired BOLD-fMRI and single voxel proton MR spectroscopy signals were measured in V1 of 24 healthy human participants of either sex at 7 tesla field strength, in response to presentations (64 s blocks) of different levels of image contrast (3%, 12.5%, 50%, 100%). Our results suggest that complementary measures of neurotransmission and energy metabolism are in partial agreement: BOLD and glutamate signals were linear with image contrast; however, a significant increase in glutamate concentration was evident only at the highest intensity level. In contrast, GABA signals were steady across all intensity levels. These results suggest that neurochemical concentrations are maintained at lower ranges of contrast levels, which match the statistics of natural vision, and that high stimulus intensity may be critical to increase sensitivity to visually modulated glutamate signals in the early visual cortex using MR spectroscopy.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Glutamate and GABA are the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters of the brain. To better understand the relationship between MRS-visible neurochemicals, the BOLD signal change, and stimulus intensity, we measured combined neurochemical and BOLD signals (combined fMRI-MRS) to different image contrasts in human V1 at 7 tesla. While a linear change to contrast was present for both signals, the increase in glutamate was significant only at the highest stimulus intensity. These results suggest that hemodynamic and neurochemical signals reflect common metabolic markers of neural activity, whereas the mismatch at lower contrast levels may indicate a sensitivity threshold for detecting neurochemical changes during visual processing. Our results highlight the challenge and importance of reconciling cellular and metabolic measures of neural activity in the human brain.


Assuntos
Oxigênio/sangue , Córtex Visual/química , Córtex Visual/fisiologia , Adulto , Mapeamento Encefálico , Feminino , Ácido Glutâmico/fisiologia , Humanos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Desempenho Psicomotor , Visão Ocular/fisiologia , Percepção Visual , Adulto Jovem
17.
Neurology ; 92(10): 469-480, 2019 03 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30770422

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Considerable gaps exist in knowledge regarding the prevalence of neurologic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), in the United States. Therefore, the MS Prevalence Working Group sought to review and evaluate alternative methods for obtaining a scientifically valid estimate of national MS prevalence in the current health care era. METHODS: We carried out a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis for 3 approaches to estimate MS prevalence: population-based MS registries, national probability health surveys, and analysis of administrative health claims databases. We reviewed MS prevalence studies conducted in the United States and critically examined possible methods for estimating national MS prevalence. RESULTS: We developed a new 4-step approach for estimating MS prevalence in the United States. First, identify administrative health claim databases covering publicly and privately insured populations in the United States. Second, develop and validate a highly accurate MS case-finding algorithm that can be standardly applied in all databases. Third, apply a case definition algorithm to estimate MS prevalence in each population. Fourth, combine MS prevalence estimates into a single estimate of US prevalence, weighted according to the number of insured persons in each health insurance segment. CONCLUSIONS: By addressing methodologic challenges and proposing a new approach for measuring the prevalence of MS in the United States, we hope that our work will benefit scientists who study neurologic and other chronic conditions for which national prevalence estimates do not exist.


Assuntos
Modelos Teóricos , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/epidemiologia , Humanos , Prevalência , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia
18.
Invest Radiol ; 53(12): 705-713, 2018 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29979328

RESUMO

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the development of morphologic and diffusion tensor imaging sequences of peripheral nerves at 7 T, using carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as a model system of focal nerve injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Morphologic images were acquired at 7 T using a balanced steady-state free precession sequence. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed using single-shot echo-planar imaging and readout-segmented echo-planar imaging sequences. Different acquisition and postprocessing methods were compared to describe the optimal analysis pipeline. Magnetic resonance imaging parameters including cross-sectional areas, signal intensity, fractional anisotropy (FA), as well as mean, axial, and radial diffusivity were compared between patients with CTS (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 6) using analyses of covariance corrected for age (significance set at P < 0.05). Pearson correlations with Bonferroni correction were used to determine association of magnetic resonance imaging parameters with clinical measures (significance set at P < 0.01). RESULTS: The 7 T acquisitions with high in-plane resolution (0.2 × 0.2mm) afforded detailed morphologic resolution of peripheral nerve fascicles. For diffusion tensor imaging, single-shot echo-planar imaging was more efficient than readout-segmented echo-planar imaging in terms of signal-to-noise ratio per unit scan time. Distortion artifacts were pronounced, but could be corrected during postprocessing. Registration of FA maps to the morphologic images was successful. The developed imaging and analysis pipeline identified lower median nerve FA (pisiform bone, 0.37 [SD 0.10]) and higher radial diffusivity (1.08 [0.20]) in patients with CTS compared with healthy controls (0.53 [0.06] and 0.78 [0.11], respectively, P < 0.047). Fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity strongly correlated with patients' symptoms (r = -0.866 and 0.866, respectively, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate the feasibility of morphologic and diffusion peripheral nerve imaging at 7 T. Fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity were found to be correlates of symptom severity.


Assuntos
Síndrome do Túnel Carpal/diagnóstico por imagem , Imagem de Tensor de Difusão/métodos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Nervos Periféricos/diagnóstico por imagem , Adulto , Artefatos , Imagem Ecoplanar/métodos , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Razão Sinal-Ruído
20.
Neuroimage ; 171: 277-295, 2018 05 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29277648

RESUMO

Because of their low bandwidth in the phase-encode (PE) direction, the susceptibility-induced off-resonance field causes distortions in echo planar imaging (EPI) images. It is therefore crucial to correct for susceptibility-induced distortions when performing diffusion studies using EPI. The susceptibility-induced field is caused by the object (head) disrupting the field and it is typically assumed that it remains constant within a framework defined by the object, (i.e. it follows the object as it moves in the scanner). However, this is only approximately true. When a non-spherical object rotates around an axis other than that parallel with the magnetic flux (the z-axis) it changes the way it disrupts the field, leading to different distortions. Hence, if using a single field to correct for distortions there will be residual distortions in the volumes where the object orientation is substantially different to that when the field was measured. In this paper we present a post-processing method for estimating the field as it changes with motion during the course of an experiment. It only requires a single measured field and knowledge of the orientation of the subject when that field was acquired. The volume-to-volume changes of the field as a consequence of subject movement are estimated directly from the diffusion data without the need for any additional or special acquisitions. It uses a generative model that predicts how each volume would look predicated on field change and inverts that model to yield an estimate of the field changes. It has been validated on both simulations and experimental data. The results show that we are able to track the field with high accuracy and that we are able to correct the data for the adverse effects of the changing field.


Assuntos
Artefatos , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , Imagem Ecoplanar/métodos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Algoritmos , Movimentos da Cabeça , Humanos , Movimento (Física)
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