Putaminal alteration in multiple sclerosis patients with spinal cord lesions.

Typical multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions occur in the brain as well as in the spinal cord. However, two extreme magnetic resonance imaging phenotypes appear occasionally: those with predominantly spinal cord lesions (MS + SL) and those with cerebral lesions and no detectable spinal lesions (MS + CL). We assessed whether morphological differences can be found between these two extreme phenotypes. We examined 19 patients with MS + SL, 18 with MS + CL and 20 controls. All subjects were examined using magnetic resonance imaging, including anatomical and diffusion tensor imaging sequences. Voxel-based morphologic and regions of interest-based analyses and tract-based spatial statistics were performed. Patients also underwent neuropsychological testing. Demographic, clinical and neuropsychological characteristics did not differ between MS + SL and MS + CL patients. Patients with MS + SL showed significantly larger putamen volumes than those with MS + CL which correlated negatively with disability. Compared to controls, only MS + CL revealed clear cortical and deep gray matter atrophy, which correlated with cerebral lesion volume. Additionally, extensive white matter microstructural damage was found only in MS + CL compared to MS + SL and controls in the tract-based spatial statistics. Higher putamen volumes in MS + SL could suggest compensatory mechanisms in this area responsible for motor control. Widely reduced fractional anisotropy values in MS + CL were caused by higher cerebral lesion volume and thus presumably stronger demyelination, which subsequently leads to higher global gray matter atrophy.

MRI and neurophysiology in vestibular paroxysmia: contradiction and correlation.

BACKGROUND: Vestibular paroxysmia (VP) is defined as neurovascular compression (NVC) syndrome of the eighth cranial nerve (N.VIII). The aim was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of MRI and the significance of audiovestibular testing in the diagnosis of VP. METHODS: 20 VP patients and, for control, 20 subjects with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) were included and underwent MRI (constructive interference in steady-state, time-of-flight MR angiography) for detection of a NVC between N.VIII and vessels. All VP patients received detailed audiovestibular testing. RESULTS: A NVC of N.VIII could be detected in all VP patients rendering a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 65% for the diagnosis of VP by MRI. Distance between brain stem and compressing vessels varied between 0.0 and 10.2 mm. In 15 cases, the compressing vessel was the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (75%, AICA), the posterior inferior cerebellar artery in one (5%, posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)), a vein in two (10%) and the vertebral artery (10%, VA) in another two cases. Audiovestibular testing revealed normal results in five patients (25%), a clear unilateral loss of audiovestibular function in nine patients (45%) and audiovestibular results with coinstantaneous signs of reduced and increased function within the same nerve in six patients (30%). From the 20 TN patients 7, (35%) showed a NVC of the N.VIII (5 AICA, 1 PICA, 1 vein). CONCLUSIONS: Only the combination of clinical examination, neurophysiological and imaging techniques is capable of (1) defining the affected side of a NVC and to (2) differentiate between a deficit syndrome and increased excitability in VP.

Minimally invasive superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass through a minicraniotomy: benefit of three-dimensional virtual reality planning using magnetic resonance angiography.

OBJECT: The aim of the authors in this study was to introduce a minimally invasive superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass surgery by the preselection of appropriate donor and recipient branches in a 3D virtual reality setting based on 3-T MR angiography data. METHODS: An STA-MCA anastomosis was performed in each of 5 patients. Before surgery, 3-T MR imaging was performed with 3D magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo sequences, and a high-resolution CT 3D dataset was obtained. Image fusion and the construction of a 3D virtual reality model of each patient were completed. RESULTS: In the 3D virtual reality setting, the skin surface, skull surface, and extra- and intracranial arteries as well as the cortical brain surface could be displayed in detail. The surgical approach was successfully visualized in virtual reality. The anatomical relationship of structures of interest could be evaluated based on different values of translucency in all cases. The closest point of the appropriate donor branch of the STA and the most suitable recipient M(3) or M(4) segment could be calculated with high accuracy preoperatively and determined as the center point of the following minicraniotomy. Localization of the craniotomy and the skin incision on top of the STA branch was calculated with the system, and these data were transferred onto the patient's skin before surgery. In all cases the preselected arteries could be found intraoperatively in exact agreement with the preoperative planning data. Successful extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery was achieved without stereotactic neuronavigation via a preselected minimally invasive approach in all cases. Subsequent enlargement of the craniotomy was not necessary. Perioperative complications were not observed. All bypasses remained patent on follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: With the application of a 3D virtual reality planning system, the extent of skin incision and tissue trauma as well as the size of the bone flap was minimal. The closest point of the appropriate donor branch of the STA and the most suitable recipient M(3) or M(4) segment could be preoperatively determined with high accuracy so that the STA-MCA bypass could be safely and effectively performed through an optimally located minicraniotomy with a mean diameter of 22 mm without the need for stereotactic guidance.

Three-dimensional Cross-Platform Planning for Complex Spinal Procedures: A New Method Adaptive to Different Navigation Systems.

STUDY DESIGN: A feasibility study. OBJECTIVE: To develop a method based on the DICOM standard which transfers complex 3-dimensional (3D) trajectories and objects from external planning software to any navigation system for planning and intraoperative guidance of complex spinal procedures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There have been many reports about navigation systems with embedded planning solutions but only few on how to transfer planning data generated in external software. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance volume data sets of the affected spinal segments were imported to Amira software, reconstructed to 3D images and fused with magnetic resonance data for soft-tissue visualization, resulting in a virtual patient model. Objects needed for surgical plans or surgical procedures such as trajectories, implants or surgical instruments were either digitally constructed or computerized tomography scanned and virtually positioned within the 3D model as required. As crucial step of this method these objects were fused with the patient's original diagnostic image data, resulting in a single DICOM sequence, containing all preplanned information necessary for the operation. By this step it was possible to import complex surgical plans into any navigation system. RESULTS: We applied this method not only to intraoperatively adjustable implants and objects under experimental settings, but also planned and successfully performed surgical procedures, such as the percutaneous lateral approach to the lumbar spine following preplanned trajectories and a thoracic tumor resection including intervertebral body replacement using an optical navigation system. To demonstrate the versatility and compatibility of the method with an entirely different navigation system, virtually preplanned lumbar transpedicular screw placement was performed with a robotic guidance system. CONCLUSIONS: The presented method not only allows virtual planning of complex surgical procedures, but to export objects and surgical plans to any navigation or guidance system able to read DICOM data sets, expanding the possibilities of embedded planning software.

Identification of cortical lesions using DIR and FLAIR in early stages of multiple sclerosis.

The use of non-routine MRI sequences such as DIR has highlighted the role of gray matter (GM) pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to assess the detection and relevance of cortical lesions (CLs) using MRI in early (<5 years) MS patients. 3D DIR and 3D FLAIR images at 3T from 122 patients [93 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 29 clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)] were scored for CLs by two blinded readers. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of CLs. For FLAIR, 51 CLs were identified, of which 13 were purely intracortical and 38 mixed CLs; for DIR, this was 60 in total and 16 and 44, respectively. In both groups, there was no difference in GM fraction. Neuropsychological testing was performed for a subgroup of 66 patients. In 22.1 % of patients CLs were identified. The number of CLs revealed an association with lower working memory scores and semantical word fluency. Overall, CLs imaged with 3D FLAIR and 3D DIR sequences are found more frequently in RRMS patients than CIS and may also be a correlate for mild neuropsychological pathology.

The impact of isolated lesions on white-matter fiber tracts in multiple sclerosis patients.

Infratentorial lesions have been assigned an equivalent weighting to supratentorial plaques in the new McDonald criteria for diagnosing multiple sclerosis. Moreover, their presence has been shown to have prognostic value for disability. However, their spatial distribution and impact on network damage is not well understood. As a preliminary step in this study, we mapped the overall infratentorial lesion pattern in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients (N = 317) using MRI, finding the pons (lesion density, 14.25/cm(3)) and peduncles (13.38/cm(3)) to be predilection sites for infratentorial lesions. Based on these results, 118 fiber bundles from 15 healthy controls and a subgroup of 23 patients showing lesions unilaterally at the predilection sites were compared using diffusion tensor imaging to analyze the impact of an isolated infratentorial lesion on the affected fiber tracts. Fractional anisotropy, mean diffusion as well as axial and radial diffusivity were investigated at the lesion site and along the entire fiber tract. Infratentorial lesions were found to have an impact on the fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity not only at the lesion site itself but also along the entire affected fiber tract. As previously found in animal experiments, inflammatory attack in the posterior fossa in multiple sclerosis impacts the whole affected fiber tract. Here, this damaging effect, reflected by changes in diffusivity measures, was detected in vivo in multiple sclerosis patients in early stages of the disease, thus demonstrating the influence of a focal immune attack on more distant networks, and emphasizing the pathophysiological role of Wallerian degeneration in multiple sclerosis.

Cerebellar speech representation: lesion topography in dysarthria as derived from cerebellar ischemia and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Lesion topography and the pathophysiological background of dysarthria due to focal cerebellar lesions have not yet been fully clarified. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the lesion topography of dysarthria due to cerebellar ischemia and evaluate brainstem functions. DESIGN: Case studies. PATIENTS: Eighteen right-handed patients with sudden-onset dysarthria and cerebellar ischemia with and without brainstem involvement and 19 healthy, right-handed, monolingual, German-speaking volunteers. METHODS: In patients, we used multimodal electrophysiologic techniques to investigate brainstem functions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in the 19 healthy volunteers. Activation tasks consisted of repetitive vertical silent movements of the tongue and lips at a self-paced rhythm. RESULTS: Cerebellar lesions and additional signs of brainstem involvement were observed in 11 patients with posterior inferior cerebellar artery, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, and superior cerebellar artery infarctions, respectively. In all other patients with isolated cerebellar infarction (n = 7), only the superior cerebellar artery territory (6 right-sided, 1 left-sided) was affected, and the common lesion site was the rostral paravermal region of the anterior lobe. Functional MRI in healthy volunteers indicated that the cerebellar representation of the tongue and orofacial muscles corresponds to that of the area involved in patients with cerebellar dysarthria. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that articulatory movements of the tongue and orofacial muscles are involved in the activation of the rostral paravermal area of the anterior lobe. This location corresponds to the area involved in cerebellar ischemia in patients with dysarthria. Lesions in the upper paravermal area of the right cerebellar hemisphere, the site of coordination of articulatory movements of the tongue and orofacial muscles, may lead to the development of dysarthria that is unrelated to (often concomitant) brainstem infarctions.

Characterization of BOLD-fMRI signal during a verbal fluency paradigm in patients with intracerebral tumors affecting the frontal lobe.

Previous studies have indicated that the BOLD-fMRI signal can be modified by tumor processes in close vicinity to functional brain areas. This effect has been investigated primarily for the perirolandic area but there is only a limited number of studies concerning frontal cortical regions. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to characterize BOLD-fMRI signal and activation patterns in patients with frontal brain tumors while performing a verbal fluency task. Six patients (ages 31-56 years) suffering from frontal (5 left sided and 1 right sided) intracerebral tumors were examined with fMRI while performing a verbal fluency task in a blocked paradigm design. Eight healthy volunteers served as the control group. The patients (5 right and 1 left handed) demonstrated left frontal activation which could be clearly located outside the tumor area and adjacent edema with varying degrees of additional right frontal activation. In the predominant left frontal activation cluster, the mean voxel based z-score and cluster size were not statistically different between patients and controls. The present fMRI study is indicating that language related BOLD signal changes in the frontal cortex of patients with tumors close to functional areas were comparable to the signal in normal controls. Additionally, the temporal hemodynamic response characteristic was comparable in both groups. This is an important finding consistent with PET results and corroborates the feasibility of functional mapping approaches in patients with tumors affecting the frontal lobe. Additional studies investigating alterations of the hemodynamic response depending on tumor location and histology are required in order to further elucidate the association between pathophysiology and BOLD fMRI signal.

Late structural alterations of cerebral white matter in long-term survivors of childhood leukemia.

PURPOSE: To look for the presence and age-dependence of late structural alterations of otherwise normal-appearing cerebral gray and white matter after radiation and chemotherapy in adult survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a group of 13 adult survivors 17-37 years old, who had been treated by total brain radiation (18-24 Gy) and chemotherapy 16-28 years ago, prospective MR examinations including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed. Evaluation included volumetry, calculation of mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA), and comparison of results to an age-matched control group. RESULTS: DTI showed significantly reduced FA values in the temporal lobes (difference of 0.069 units, P < 0.001), hippocampi (difference of 0.033 units, P < 0.001), and thalami (difference of 0.046 units, P = 0.001), which were accompanied by significant white matter volume loss (difference of 92 cm(3), P < 0.001). Significant elevations of MD were limited to the temporal white matter (difference of 42 x 10(-6) mm(2)/s, P = 0.005). Global and frontal white matter MD correlated negatively to increasing age of the survivors (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: With regard to structural white matter alterations, adult long-term survivors of childhood ALL, who had received total brain radiation and chemotherapy, apparently show the same overall age dependence as controls. Follow-up studies are needed for confirmation.

New partially parallel acquisition technique in cerebral imaging: preliminary findings.

In MRI applications where short acquisition time is necessary, the increase of acquisition speed is often at the expense of image resolution and SNR. In such cases, the newly developed parallel acquisition techniques could provide images without mentioned limitations and in reasonably shortened measurement time. A newly designed eight-channel head coil array (i-PAT coil) allowing for parallel acquisition of independently reconstructed images (GRAPPA mode) has been tested for its applicability in neuroradiology. Image homogeneity was tested in standard phantom and healthy volunteers. BOLD signal changes were studied in a group of six volunteers using finger tapping stimulation. Phantom studies revealed an important drop of signal even after the use of a normalization filter in the center of the image and an important increase of artifact power with reduction of measurement time strongly depending on the combination of acceleration parameters. The additional application of a parallel acquisition technique such as GRAPPA decreases measurement time in the range of about 30%, but further reduction is often possible only at the expense of SNR. This technique performs best in conditions in which imaging speed is important, such as CE MRA, but time resolution still does not allow the acquisition of angiograms separating the arterial and venous phase. Significantly larger areas of BOLD activation were found using the i-PAT coil compared to the standard head coil. Being an eight-channel surface coil array, peripheral cortical structures profit from high SNR as high-resolution imaging of small cortical dysplasias and functional activation of cortical areas imaged by BOLD contrast. In BOLD contrast imaging, susceptibility artifacts are reduced, but only if an appropriate combination of acceleration parameters is used.

Altered effective connectivity during working memory performance in schizophrenia: a study with fMRI and structural equation modeling.

The present study aimed to explore altered effective connectivity in schizophrenic patients while performing a 2-back working memory task. Twelve right-handed, schizophrenic patients treated with typical or atypical antipsychotics and 6 healthy control subjects were studied with fMRI while performing a "2-back" working memory task. Effective connectivity within a cortical-subcortical-cerebellar network for mnemonic information processing was assessed and compared between both groups. The path model included cortico-cortical connections comprising the parietal association cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as well as a cortico-cerebellar feedback loop comprising prefrontal cortex, contralateral cerebellum, and thalamus. Group differences were analyzed with a stacked models approach. Relative to normal controls, both patient groups revealed a pattern of reduced connectivity within the prefrontal-cerebellar and the cerebellar-thalamic limbs but enhanced connectivity in the thalamo-cortical limb of the cortical-cerebellar circuit. Moreover, a direct comparison of both treatment groups revealed enhanced connectivity in the interhemispheric connections between the cortical association areas in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. However, right prefrontal and left parieto-frontal path coefficients were lower in the patient group receiving atypical antispychotic drugs. The findings suggest that the relationship between pathology in cortical-subcortical cerebellar networks and associated functional connectivity is complex and may include aspects of increased and decreased levels of connectivity consistent with the notion of "cognitive dysmetria" in schizophrenia. The observed pronounced connectivity within thalamo-cortical projections could be attributed to a compensatory increase of thalamic input in the presence of disrupted effective connectivity within the preceding limb of the cortical-cerebellar circuitry. The study demonstrated the feasibility of structural equation modeling for the investigation of group and treatment-related differences in effective connectivity and provides a promising approach to further disentangle the relationship between altered functional capacity and associated fMRI signal changes.