Anisotropic anomalous diffusion assessed in the human brain by scalar invariant indices.

A new method to investigate anomalous diffusion in human brain, inspired by the stretched-exponential model proposed by Hall and Barrick, is proposed here, together with a discussion about its potential application to cerebral white matter characterization. Aim of the work was to show the ability of anomalous diffusion indices to characterize white matter structures, whose complexity is only partially accounted by diffusion tensor imaging indices. MR signal was expressed as a stretched-exponential only along the principal axes of diffusion; whereas, in a generic direction, it was modeled as a combination of three stretched-exponentials. Indices to quantify the tissue anomalous diffusion and its anisotropy, independently of the experiment reference frame, were derived. Experimental results, obtained on 10 healthy subjects at 3T, show that the new parameters are highly correlated to intrinsic local geometry when compared with Hall and Barrick indices. Moreover, they offer a different contrast in white matter regions when compared with diffusion tensor imaging. Specifically, the new indices show a higher capability to discriminate among areas of the corpus callosum associated to different distribution in axonal densities, thus offering a new potential tool to detect more specific patterns of brain abnormalities than diffusion tensor imaging in the presence of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Regional brain atrophy and functional disconnection across Alzheimer's disease evolution.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of regional grey matter (GM) atrophy and functional disconnection in determining the level of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at different clinical stages. METHODS: Ten patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI), 11 patients with probable AD and 10 healthy controls were recruited. T1 volumes were obtained from each subject and postprocessed according to an optimised voxel based morphometry protocol. Resting state functional MRI data were also collected from the same individuals and analysed to produce connectivity maps after identification of the default mode network (DMN) by independent component analysis. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, both AD and a-MCI patients showed a similar regional pattern of brain disconnection between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the medial prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain. Conversely, the distribution of GM atrophy was significantly more restricted in a-MCI than in AD patients. Interestingly, the PCC showed reduced connectivity in a-MCI patients in the absence of GM atrophy, which was, in contrast, detectable at the stage of fully developed AD. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that disconnection precedes GM atrophy in the PCC, which is a critical area of the DMN, and supports the hypothesis that GM atrophy in specific regions of AD brains likely reflects a long term effect of brain disconnection. In this context, our study indicates that GM atrophy in PCC accompanies the conversion from MCI to AD.

Nonergodic arrested state in diluted clay suspensions monitored by triple-quantum 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance.

The aging of water suspension of the synthetic clay Laponite has been studied by liquid-state triple-quantum filter nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, in a range of clay weight concentration (Cw = 0.012-0.028) known as the isotropic phase. Counterions dynamic parameters (rotational correlation time tauc and quadrupolar coupling constant e2qQ/h) have been extracted from sodium triple-quantum filtered experimental data within the multi-exponential quadrupolar relaxation theory in the fast exchange approximation. By monitoring quadrupolar sodium ions dynamical (tauc and e2qQ/h) and static (counterion concentration pb) properties during the aging, we find two different mechanisms of transition toward an arrested state. Our experimental findings match with the description which states, at low concentration, the formation of clusters of Laponite disks trigger the reaching of the arrested state, while at high concentration, single disks are the basic units of the arrested phase. The procedure proposed in this paper, based on multiple quantum filtered NMR data analysis, results to be a useful means to study the routes to arrested states in aqueous colloidal dispersions.

Bilayer rigidity of the erythrocyte membrane2H-NMR of a perdeuterated palmitic acid probe.

Perdeuterated palmitic acid was intercalated into the human erythrocyte membrane and its motion studied by dueterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H-NMR). From analysis of temperature dependent changes in the 2H-NMR spectra and from an analysis of derived moments we conclude that the acyl chains of the erythrocyte lipids do not exhibit a detectable phase transition.

Human erythrocyte membranes are fluid down to -5 degrees C.

This first observation of the deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H-NMR) spectrum of phospholipid molecules incorporated into intact human erythrocyte ghosts shows that the liquid crystalline phase is stable down to a temperature of -5 degrees C. The quality of the 3H-NMR spectra indicate that it is now possible to carry out clinical studies of erythrocyte membranes using the techniques employed in this study.

Alteration of the passive electrical properties of lymphocyte membranes induced by GM1 and GM3 glycolipids.

The electrical conductivity of normal human lymphocyte suspensions has been measured in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 MHz, where a well-pronounced conductivity dispersion occurs, caused by the surface polarization at the interface between the cell membrane and the extracellular solution. We have investigated the alteration of the passive electrical properties of the cytoplasmatic cell membrane induced by two different gangliosides (GM1 and GM3) inserted, at various concentrations, into the outer leaflet of membrane double layer. The alterations observed in the dielectric parameters (the membrane conductivity and the membrane permittivity) derived on the basis of a 'double-shell' model, result in an overall increase of the ion permeation across the membrane and an enhanced polarizability of its hydrophilic region for both gangliosides investigated. The relevance of these alterations is discussed.

The aerobic brain: lactate decrease at the onset of neural activity.

The metabolic events of neuronal energetics during functional activity are still partially unexplained. In particular, lactate (and not glucose) was recently proposed as the main substrate for neurons during activity. By means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, lactate was reported to increase during the first minutes of prolonged stimulation, but the studies reported thus far suffered from low temporal resolution. In the present study we used a time-resolved proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy strategy in order to analyse the evolution of lactate during the early seconds following a brief visual stimulation (event-related design). A significant decrease in lactate concentration was observed 5 s after the stimulation, while a recovering of the baseline was observed at 12 s.

Multiple spin echoes in heterogeneous systems: physical origins of the observed dips.

Dipolar interactions in liquids have recently offered a new challenge to investigate porous media by exploiting intermolecular quantum coherences, which are obtained through a simple two-pulse sequence (90 degrees -tau-120 degrees ). This sequence, in the presence of an external gradient (G), refocuses a train of echoes at multiple integer values of time tau. The first and second echo amplitudes are acquired for heterogeneous systems such as porous media at different time values (tau). In our first experiments on bovine bone samples we have observed unpredicted dips on the second echo time behavior. We argue that a strict relation occurs between the average pore dimensions and the dips time position through the correlation distance d=pi/(gamma G tau) (defined as half a cycle of the magnetization helix, which originates in the presence of an external gradient). Although the experimental results have revealed an exceptional connection between the porous structure and the correlation distance, no physical explanation was so far provided. In this paper we propose a possible physical cause of the observed phenomenon. In addition we report an accurate analysis of new experiments performed on glass beads phantoms, which confirms our conclusions.

Perfusion- and BOLD-based fMRI in the study of a human pathological model for task-related flow reductions.

In the present work, an arteriovenous malformation was taken as a pathological model for studying task-related flow decreases during a motor task. Combined Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD)-perfusion experiments were applied in order to evaluate the relative sensitivity of these techniques to task-related reductions in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Results shows that, by matching the sensitivity of the methods (which exhibit a different contrast-to-noise ratio) in the primary motor cortex, the spatial extent of the regions of decreased perfusion signal is larger than those of the BOLD signal reduction. The above finding suggests that perfusion imaging, that already represents a gold standard method in the detection of vascular phenomena, may estimate task-related flow decreases in a functional time-series better than BOLD.

Use of low-frequency electrical impedance measurements to determine phospholipid content in amniotic fluid.

In this report we propose a new method for an in vitro test of the foetal lung maturity based on the measurement of the electrical conductivity of the overall amniotic fluid obtained from transabdominal amniocentesis, since this quantity can be linked to a first approximation in a very simple way to the phospholipid content. We have carried out measurements of 85 different samples of amniotic fluid as a function of gestation weeks and we have observed a pronounced change of the electrical conductivity that reflects the increase in the phospholipid concentration occurring at the end of normal pregnancies. The method could be further developed to obtain similar information on in vivo experiments by means of bioelectric impedance tomography, taking advantage of the frequency dependence of the tissue electrical impedance.

NMR applications to low porosity carbonate stones.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate NMR applications to porous materials widely employed in artistic and historical monuments and largely studied in the Cultural Heritage conservation field. Carrara marble, Candoglia marble and travertine samples were studied and data from relaxation times measurements were compared. Very interesting results from treated samples are reported and explained under the structure related spin lattice relaxation time point of view. Images of Carrara marble aged sample (XIX century), coming from the Florence Cathedral obtained for short absorption time of water by capillary rise and for relatively small thickness slices together show the fluid's spatial distribution within the stone. Comparative images showing untreated sample with the treated ones were obtained suggesting very useful applications for the determination of treatment effectiveness.

NMR study on the early stages of hydration of a porous carbonate stone.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance was employed to obtain information on the pore filling during the absorption process. A porous carbonate stone, largely employed for buildings and mainly outdoor decorations was studied during water absorption by capillary rise, and filled pores radii were evaluated by comparison between experimental and theoretical parametric magnetization decay curves. Non mono-exponential T2 allowed spin populations to be split among the associated different relaxation times.

Lee-Goldburg solid-state imaging.

A new approach to solid-state imaging (SSI) is presented. The method relies on narrowing the resonance line using the Lee-Goldburg sequence. The technique is easy to implement in practice and may find widespread applications in materials science.

Intermolecular double-quantum NMR techniques to probe microstructures on porous media.

In heterogeneous systems the amplitude of the intermolecular double-quantum (DQ) signal depends on sample heterogeneity over a correlation distance dc=pi/(gammaGct). In this paper two different CRAZED-type sequences were applied in a porous medium phantom. One of these sequences gives rise to a DQ-T2 weighted signal, while the other one gives rise to a DQ-T2* weighted signal. Experimental results indicate that tuning of the correlation distance dc in a porous medium can alter the DQ signal in a manner which depends on the microstructure. This is evident only using the CRAZED-type sequence which gives rise to a DQ-T2* weighted signal.

Characterization of porous media structure by non linear NMR methods.

In this paper we discuss the possibility of modifying the multiple spin echoes existing theory, developed for a homogeneous system, to describe also an inhomogeneous system such as a porous medium. We report here the first experimental application of MSE methods to materials like travertine. The ratio A(2)/A(1) from water in travertine presents minima for characteristic values of the delay time tau, like what was previously observed in the trabecular bone. By a judicious choice of the delay time tau and of the G gradient strength, the MSE sequence can be made sensitive to a specific length-scale of the sample heterogeneity. Furthermore the MSE image shows a particular new contrast that makes the non linear NMR method very attractive for the assessment of variations of the porous structure in porous systems.

Role of 3D imaging in small scale NMR tomography.

Some advantages of using 3D techniques in small scale NMR imaging are suggested. In particular the 3D methods are likely to be useful in slow dynamical processes occurring in vivo. Three-dimensional images obtained with our first home built prototype are also reported.

Intermolecular double quantum coherences (iDQc) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) imaging of the human brain at 1.5 T.

To study the sensitivity of intermolecular double quantum coherences (iDQc) imaging contrast to brain microstructure and brain anisotropy, we investigated the iDQC contrast between differently structured areas of the brain according to the strength and the direction of the applied correlation gradient. Thus diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) maps have been obtained. This procedure, which consists of analyzing both iDQc and DWI images at different gradient strength and gradient direction, could be a promising tool for clinical brain investigations performed with higher than 1.5 T magnetic fields.

The physiology and metabolism of neuronal activation: in vivo studies by NMR and other methods.

In this article, a review is made of the current knowledge concerning the physiology and metabolism of neuronal activity, as provided by the application of NMR approaches in vivo. The evidence furnished by other functional spectroscopic and imaging techniques, such as PET and optical methods, are also discussed. In spite of considerable amounts of studies presented in the literature, several controversies concerning the mechanisms underlying brain function still remain, mainly due to the difficult assessment of the single vascular and metabolic dynamics which generally influence the functional signals. In this framework, methodological and technical improvements are required to provide new and reliable experimental elements, which can support or eventually modify the current models of activation.

In vivo multiple spin echoes imaging of trabecular bone on a clinical 1.5 T MR scanner.

In vivo multiple spin echoes (MSE) images of bone marrow in trabecular bone were obtained for the first time on a clinical 1.5 T scanner. Despite of a reduced sensitivity of the MSE trabecular bone images with respect to the cerebral matter ones, it is possible to observe some features in the MSE trabecular bone images that may be useful in the diagnosis of osteopenic states. Two different CRAZED-type MSE imaging sequences based on spin-echo and EPI imaging modalities were applied in phantom and in vivo. Preliminary experimental results indicate that EPI imaging readout seems to conceal the MSE contrast correlated with pore dimension in porous media. However it is still possible to detect anisotropy effects related to the bone structure in MSE-EPI images. Some strategies are suggested to optimize the quality of MSE trabecular bone images.

T1rho space dependence in rigid polymers by effective radio frequency gradient.

An extension of the solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging based on magic angle in the rotating frame (MARF) line narrowing approach is presented. The modified magic angle in the rotating frame imaging sequence is able to yield T1rho maps of large band polymers with remarkable contrast sensitivity and without contrast parameter alteration referable to the narrowing procedure. This last feature is examined closely in order to outline the actual effectiveness of the method. Further experimental details, especially regarding probe coil design, recently improved, are discussed and some new results are presented.