Correlation between cerebral hemodynamic functional near-infrared spectroscopy and positron emission tomography for assessing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: An exploratory study.

This study was performed to investigate the usefulness of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) by conducting a comparative analysis of hemodynamic activation detected by fNIRS and positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants were divided into four groups: the subjective memory impairment (SMI), amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), and AD groups. We recorded the hemodynamic response during the semantic verbal fluency task (SVFT) using a commercial wireless continuous-wave NIRS system. The correlation between the parameters of the neuroimaging assessments among the groups was analyzed. Region of interest-based comparisons showed that the four groups had significantly different hemodynamic responses during SVFT in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The linear mixed effect model result indicates that the mean ΔHbO2 from the bilateral DLPFC regions showed a significant positive correlation to the overall FDG-PET after controlling for age and group differences in the fNIRS signals. Amyloid PET signals tended to better differentiate the AD group from other groups, and fNIRS signals tended to better differentiate the SMI group from other groups. In addition, a comparison between the group pairs revealed a mirrored pattern between the hippocampal volume and hemodynamic response in the DLPFC. The hemodynamic response detected by fNIRS showed a significant correlation with metabolic and anatomical changes associated with disease progression. Therefore, fNIRS may be considered as a screening tool to predict the hemodynamic and metabolic statuses of the brain in patients with MCI and AD.

Assessment of Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy by Comparing Prefrontal Cortex Activity: A Cognitive Impairment Screening Tool.

Many studies have suggested the possibility of using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) devices as neuroimaging tools in various patients. We aimed to evaluate whether fNIRS to measure the prefrontal cortex (PFC fNIRS) is suitable as a screening tool for cognitive impairments. Sixty participants, divided into normal, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia groups, were instructed to wear an fNIRS device during cognitive assessments to assess whether there is a significant difference in the PFC activity between the groups. A significant difference in PFC activity between the groups was observed during the verbal fluency test. Moreover, the PFC activity during the verbal fluency test significantly correlated with the existing cognitive screening tool score. These results suggested that PFC fNIRS can be used as a cognitive impairment screening tool for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. A larger sample size is needed to validate the potential of PFC fNIRS as a cognitive impairment screening tool.

Prefrontal Asymmetry during Cognitive Tasks and its Relationship with Suicide Ideation in Major Depressive Disorder: An fNIRS Study.

Reduced oxygenation changes in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive tasks have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, prefrontal asymmetry during cognitive tasks and its relation to suicide ideations have been less frequently examined in patients with MDD. This study investigated prefrontal asymmetry and its moderating effect on the relationship between depression severity and suicidal ideation in MDD patients during cognitive tasks. Forty-two patients with MDD and 64 healthy controls (HCs) were assessed for changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) in the prefrontal cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the verbal fluency task (VFT), Stroop task, and two-back task. Depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation were measured through self-report questionnaires. Relatively smaller left oxy-Hb changes during VFT, but not during the Stroop or two-back tasks, were found in MDD patients compared with HCs. Furthermore, prefrontal asymmetry during VFT moderated the effect of depression severity on suicide ideation, and was significantly and positively correlated with suicide ideation in patients with MDD. Specifically, relatively greater left oxy-Hb changes were associated with greater suicide ideation. These findings suggest fNIRS-measured prefrontal asymmetry as a potential biomarker for MDD and for the assessment of suicidal risk in patients with MDD.

Neural Compensatory Response During Complex Cognitive Function Tasks in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

The present pilot study was aimed at conducting a comparative analysis of the level of activation in the prefrontal cortex among a normal elderly group and amnestic and nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) groups and investigating the presence of neural compensatory mechanisms according to types of MCI and different cognitive tasks. We performed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) along with cognitive tasks, including two-back test, Korean color word Stroop test, and semantic verbal fluency task (SVFT), to investigate hemodynamic response and the presence of neural compensation and neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex of patients with amnestic and nonamnestic MCI compared with a healthy elderly group. During the two-back test, there was no significant difference in the bilateral region-of-interest (ROI) analysis in the three groups. During the Stroop test, right-sided hyperactivation compared to the left side during the task was shown in the nonamnestic MCI and normal groups with statistical significance. Mean acc∆HbO2 on the right side was highest in the nonamnestic MCI group (0.30 µM) followed by the normal group (0.07 µM) and the amnestic MCI group (-0.10 µM). Otherwise, intergroup ROI analysis of acc∆HbO2 in these activated right sides showed no significant difference. During the VFT test, there was no significant difference in the bilateral region-of-interest analysis in the three groups. The highest mean acc∆HbO2 was shown in the normal group (0.79 µM) followed by the nonamnestic MCI group (0.52 µM) and the amnestic MCI group (0.21 µM). Otherwise, there was no significant difference between groups. The hemodynamic response during fNIRS showed different findings according to MCI types and cognitive tasks. Among the three tasks, the Stroop test showed results that were suggestive of neural compensatory mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex in nonamnestic MCI.

Hepatoprotective effect of 2,3-dehydrosilybin on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of 2,3-dehydrosilybin (DHS) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver injury in rats. Administration of DHS significantly attenuated the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and liver lipid peroxidation in CCl(4)-treated rats. Moreover, we showed that DHS prevented DNA damage and decreased the protein levels of γ-H2AX, which is a specific DNA damage marker, in CCl(4)-treated rat livers. DHS also markedly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in CCl(4)-treated rat livers. Furthermore, we found that DHS significantly inhibited the production of serum nitric oxide as well as the levels of serum IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in CCl(4)-treated rats. Additionally, DHS significantly suppressed iNOS expression on the protein levels in CCl(4)-treated rat livers. Collectively, the present study suggests that DHS protects the liver from CCl(4)-induced hepatic damage via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Absorbed-dose estimation and quality attributes of gamma-irradiated fresh shiitake mushrooms.

BACKGROUND: The general use of food irradiation requires reliable identification methods as well as extensive quality characterization. Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms, packed in polystyrene trays and covered with polyvinylchloride film, were investigated for dose-dependent identification and quality characterization upon gamma irradiation (0, 1, 2, and 3 kGy). RESULTS: Thermoluminescence (TL) analysis of separated minerals provided excellent results to characterize the irradiated mushrooms. Low-dose re-irradiation (200-600 Gy), medium-dose re-irradiation (1-3 kGy) and high-dose re-irradiation (2-6 kGy) were performed and compared using an additive dose method. An electronic-nose analysis showed a difference in the volatile profiles of mushrooms following irradiation. One-kGy-irradiated mushrooms showed similar or better quality attributes to those of the control samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the dose-dependent degradation in microstructure of mushrooms upon irradiation. CONCLUSION: An absorbed dosed estimation was possible using TL analysis in which 1-3 kGy re-irradiation technique gave most promising results. An E-nose analysis effectively distinguished the samples based on irradiation history. The best quality attributes were observed at 1 kGy irradiation. However, the drastic effects of irradiation were prominent in 2 and 3 kGy-irradiated mushrooms.