[Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for tracing corticospinal tracts in rat brain using 7.0 T MRI].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the methods of manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in 7.0 T magnetic field for tracing corticospinal tract in rat brain in vivo. METHODS: 0.4 microl volume of 1 mol/L aqueous solution of MnCl(2) was injected into the primary motor cortex of 9 SD rats under stereotaxis. MRI studies were performed for tracing corticospinal tract and other coherent nerve tracts before injection and 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, 7 days after injection respectively using 7.0T Micro-MRI. RESULTS: Corticospinal tract was visualized perfectly from primary motor cortex, thalamus, cerebral peduncle to pons at different time points after Mn(2+) administration, and the best contrast was achieved after 24-48 h. At the same time, a small quantity of Mn(2+) reached the opposite somatosensory cortex through the corpus callosum. CONCLUSION: Manganese enhanced MRI visualizes perfectly the transport of Mn(2+) through axoplasmic flow in corticospinal tracts. This method may be used to investigate the change of corticospinal tract and the functional connectivity between two sides of hemisphere in rat brain.

[Prospective comparison of functional magnetic resonance imaging and intraoperative motor evoked potential monitoring for cortical mapping of primary motor areas].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the relation between the preoperative functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) technique and intraoperative motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring for cortical mapping of primary motor cortex in patients with tumors near the central area. And to determine whether non-invasive preoperative fMRI can provide results equivalent to those achieved with the invasive neurosurgical "gold standard". METHODS: A prospective study of 16 patients with various pathological tumors of the central area was conducted. Preoperative fMRI scans using the BOLD contrast technique in each patient were performed. An activation scan was achieved by using a motor task paradigm, which consisted of simple flexion-extension finger movements and finger-to-thumb touching in a repeating pattern. The anatomical structure was delineated by the T(1)-weighted three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient recalled sequence (3D/FSPGR) immediately afterward. The BOLD images were overlaid on the T(1)-weighted 3D/FSPGR images, and then co-registered to the neuronavigation system. The fMRI activations were documented by using a neuronavigation system in sequence, and compared to standardized intraoperative MEP monitoring, which included direct cortical electrical stimulation (DCES) or transcranial cortical electrical stimulation (TCES) or their combination. The compound muscle action potentials of forearm flexor and hand muscle responses were recorded during either TCES or DCES. Two techniques were compared to determine the accuracy for cortical mapping of primary motor areas with fMRI. RESULTS: Overall, the intraoperative MEP monitoring showed good correlation with fMRI activation in 92.3% of cases. The coincidence rate, however, was 100.0% between TCES and fMRI, and 66.7% between DCES and fMRI respectively. There was no statistically difference between two cortical mapping techniques, chi-square test of paired comparison of enumeration data, P < 0.01. CONCLUSION: BOLD fMRI was a high sensitive and reliable technique to locate the position of the primary motor areas and their spatial relation with adjacent tumor, especially for the presurgical planning in patients with central area brain tumor.

[Regional modulation of primary motor cortex after peripheral nerve injury: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study].

OBJECTIVE: To map dynamic changes of primary motor cortex after total brachial plexus traction injury by using functional magnetic resonance imaging, and to explore underlying probable mechanisms. METHODS: Five patients with total traumatic root avulsions of the brachial plexus underwent varied kinds of nerve transfer to restore partially shoulder or elbow function. Four of them (cases 1, 3, 4, 5) accepted the first fMRI examination prior to surgery treatment, and four of them (cases 2, 3, 4, 5) accepted second or third or fourth fMRI follow-up re-examinations after surgery treatment. Maps of neuronal activation within the motor cortex were generated for both hands in each patient by using BOLD-fMRI and the cluster size and position were recorded. The motor tasks consisted of simple hand grasping of both hands respectively. Patients with paralytic hand were asked to complete task under "virtual" condition. The cluster size and intensity as well as location of motor activation within the primary motor cortex of the affected hand generated were compared with those of unaffected hand generated as reference in single subject, and the resultant maps of follow-up re-examinations were also compared with those of the prior examinations. RESULTS: All patients' unaffected hand movement generated strong signal change within the contralateral primary motor cortex. In contrast, the clusters generated by affected hand showed very small and lower intensity than usual (2 cases) or could not be induced (2 case) in the first examination that prior to surgery treatment and seemed larger gradually in the following re-examination with time increasing. CONCLUSION: Peripheral nerve injury can produced significant changes in the motor cortex of human brain. fMRI is a valuable tool to evaluate neural plasticity in motor cortex after peripheral nerve injury.

[Integrating functional magnetic resonance imaging in neuronavigation surgery of brain tumors involving motor cortex].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of integrating blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in neuronavigation surgery of brain tumors involving motor cortex. METHODS: A total of 58 patients with brain tumors in or directly adjacent to the motor cortex, with 18 lesions located in primary motor area, 18 lesions located in premotor area, 11 lesions located in primary motor sensory area, 9 lesions located in primary sensory area, and 2 lesions located in supplementary motor area respectively, were randomly divided into 2 groups: trial group including 30 cases undergoing BOLD navigation and control group with 28 cases undergoing routine navigation. A prospective random and matched controlled study was carried out to compare the clinical outcome between the two groups. For the patients in the trial group, the motor tasks consisted of simple flexion-extension finger movements and finger-to-thumb touching in a repeating, pre-planned sequence of either hand. A standard 1.5 T MR system had been utilized to localize the cortical motor hand area, using the BOLD contrast technique. The BOLD images were integrated with the routine navigational MR images (T1-weighted three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient recalled sequence), and then co-registered to the neuronavigation system. For the patients in the control group, the navigational MR imaging examinations were carried out only. RESULTS: The statistics analysis confirmed a good balance of main variations between the trial and control groups. The percentage of completely resection of tumors was 86.7% in trial group and 60.7% in control group (P < 0.05). The postoperative contralateral extremities muscle strength were 4.3 +/- 1.1 degree for trial group and 2.5 +/- 1.9 degree for the control group (P < 0.01). The motor functional deficit was observed in 23.3% of the cases of trial group and 71.4% of the cases in trial group (P < 0.05). The mean Karnofsky prognosis scale of the trial group was 88 +/- 27, significantly higher than that of the control group (65 +/- 32, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: BOLD functional MR imaging is of great value in surgical planning and intraoperative functional brain mapping of motor cortex individually. To integrate BOLD data with the routine navigational MR images can supply more precise and real-time information about the relationship between lesions and neighboring cortical motor area. It should be used in neuronavigation surgery to increase the ratio of total resection of brain tumors and decrease the risk of postoperative hemiplegia.