Low blood concentration of alcohol enhances activity related to stopping failure in the right inferior frontal cortex.

This study investigated the effects of low doses of alcohol, which are acceptable for driving a car, on inhibitory control and neural processing using the stop-signal task (SST) in 17 healthy right-handed social drinkers. The study employed simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography (EMG) recordings to assess behavioral and neural responses under conditions of low-dose alcohol (breath-alcohol concentration of 0.15 mg/L) and placebo. The results demonstrated that even a small amount of alcohol consumption prolonged Go reaction times in the SST and modified stopping behavior, as evidenced by a decrease in the frequency and magnitude of partial response EMG that did not result in button pressing during successful inhibitory control. Furthermore, alcohol intake enhanced neural activity during failed inhibitory responses in the right inferior frontal cortex, suggesting its potential role in behavioral adaptation following stop-signal failure. These findings suggest that even low levels of alcohol consumption within legal driving limits can greatly impact both the cognitive performance and brain activity involved in inhibiting responses. This research provides important evidence on the neurobehavioral effects of low-dose alcohol consumption, with implications for understanding the biological basis of impaired motor control and decision-making and potentially informing legal guidelines on alcohol consumption.

[Optimized magnetic resonance sequences and parameters with operative assisted images for radical prostatectomy at 3 tesla-magnetic resonance image].

The objective of our study was to optimize magnetic resonance image (MRI) sequences and parameters using operative assisted images (three-dimensional images) for radical prostatectomy at 3 tesla (T) MRI. Five healthy volunteers underwent MRI on the 3.0 T scanner. Various sequences and parameters [Cube (TE/TR = 18, 50, 90 ms/2000 ms), FIESTA (TE/TR/FA = 2.4 ms/5 ms/40 degrees, 90 degrees), fSPGR (TE/TR/FA = 2.3 ms/11.2 ms/20 degrees), slice thickness = 1.2 mm, matrix = 192 x 160] were respectively compared. Several structures of the pelvis (the central zones and transition zones of the prostate, the peripheral zones of the prostate, seminal vesicles, rectum wall, bladder, muscle and fat) were determined. The signal intensities of these structures were measured on reformatted axial images and compared against several structures of the pelvis. Correlation with various sequences and parameters was based on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the contrast ratio (CR) and the presence of artifacts. Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. With Cube (TE/TR = 50 ms/2000 ms), the average value of visual evaluation with artifacts was high, and SNR and CR were higher than for other sequence and parameters. Optimized MRI sequences and parameters were Cube (TE/TR = 50 ms/2000 ms) which provides improved SNR and CR and the presence of artifacts with operative assisted images for radical prostatectomy. These operative assisted images obtained from Cube (TE/TR = 50 ms/2000 ms) are likely to be useful for surgery.

Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging sequences for depicting the subthalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation.

Electrodes are surgically implanted into the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of Parkinson's disease patients to provide deep brain stimulation. For ensuring correct positioning, the anatomic location of the STN must be determined preoperatively. Magnetic resonance imaging has been used for pinpointing the location of the STN. To identify the optimal imaging sequence for identifying the STN, we compared images produced with T2 star-weighted angiography (SWAN), gradient echo T2*-weighted imaging, and fast spin echo T2-weighted imaging in 6 healthy volunteers. Our comparison involved measurement of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the STN and substantia nigra and a radiologist's interpretations of the images. Of the sequences examined, the CNR and qualitative scores were significantly higher on SWAN images than on other images (p < 0.01) for STN visualization. Kappa value (0.74) on SWAN images was the highest in three sequences for visualizing the STN. SWAN is the sequence best suited for identifying the STN at the present time.