Toward applying a device to reduce motion artifact during imaging: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: One of the most critical problems in different types of medical imaging modalities is unwanted patient movement during imaging procedures, which mainly occurs because of stress, anxiety, and restlessness in patients, resulting in poor image quality and decreased diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial comprised 267 patients who underwent MPI, randomly divided into three groups; Group I: streaming music with a special binaural beat frequency (MBB); Group II: streaming simple music (SM) and Group III: control group. Anxiety level was determined by the Depression Anxiety Stress-Scale (DASS) questionnaire and heart rate was monitored. RESULTS: Stress and anxiety scores were significantly lower in the MBB group compared with both SM and control group (P˂0.0001). Additionally, a significant decrease in heart rate of patients who were in the MBB group in comparison with the SM (p = 0.005) and control group (P = 0.018) was observed. The study revealed a significant decrease in motion artifact in the MBB group compared with the SM (P = 0.003) and control (P˂0.0001) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Using the proposed device capable of streaming special binaural beat frequency embedded music can cause a significant reduction in anxiety level, heart rate, and consequently motion artifact.

Adrenocortical adenoma manifesting as false-positive iodine accumulation in a patient with history of thyroid carcinoma.

A 47-year-old female diagnosed with well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma was referred to our center for a 131Iodine whole body scintigraphy as follow-up. The patient had been previously treated with total thyroidectomy and ablative dose of 175mCi 131I three years ago. Diagnostic 131I scan showed a zone of radioiodine uptake in posterior aspect of the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Spiral abdominal and pelvic CT scan showed an enhancing solid mass in superior aspect of the left adrenal gland, which was in favor of metastasis to the lymph node or an adrenal tumor. A biopsy was performed from the lesion. Histological examination of the surgical specimen was consistent with adrenocortical adenoma. Even though rare, adrenocortical adenoma should be included in the potential causes of false-positive results of radioiodine scans.

The healing effect of bone marrow-derived stem cells in acute radiation syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on regeneration of bone marrow and intestinal tissue and survival rate in experimental mice with acute radiation syndrome (ARS). METHODS: Forty mice were randomly divided into two equal groups of A receiving no BMSC transplantation and B receiving BMSCs. BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow and cultured in DMEM media. Both groups were irradiated with 10 Gy (dose rate 0.28 Gy/ min) (60)CO during 35 minutes with a field size of 35×35 for all the body area. Twenty-four hours after γ irradiation, 150×10(3) cells of passage 5 in 150 µl medium were injected intravenously into the tail. Animals were euthanized one and two weeks after cell transplantation. They were evaluated histologically for any changes in bone marrow and intestinal tissues. The survival rate in mice were also determined. RESULTS: A significant increase for bone marrow cell count and survival rate were observed in group B in comparison to group A. Histological findings denoted to a healing in sample tissues. CONCLUSION: BMSCs could significantly reduce the side effects of ARS and increase the survival rate and healing in injured tissue. As such their transplantation may open a window in treatment of patients with ARS.