Cognitive Functioning and Cortical Brain Thickness in Acromegaly Patients: A Pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive effects in acromegaly patients are poorly understood and the mechanisms involved are still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cognitive function, depression, and quality of life of acromegaly patients treated with pegvisomant versus somatostatin analogues (SRLs) and to analyze the effect of the different treatments on cognition and possible structural brain changes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 23 acromegaly patients divided into two groups according to treatment modality: One group of 9 patients treated with pegvisomant and another group of 14 patients treated with SRLs. All participants underwent blood analysis, neuropsychological tests, depression tests, quality of life assessment, and 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: We found no significant differences between groups in the neuropsychological tests, depression or quality of life; nor in the whole-brain cortical thickness. In the SRL group, the volume of the thalamus correlated positively with executive function, a correlation not found in the pegvisomant group. In addition, the pegvisomant group had significantly higher levels of insulin than the SRL group. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, in this pilot study, the type of pharmacological treatment in patients with acromegaly and good glycemic control did not influence the cognitive function and cortical brain thickness. However, pegvisomant could play a neuroprotective role on the thalamus that will have to be demonstrated with larger samples in future studies.

Evaluación prequirúrgica mediante resonancia magnética funcional en pacientes con tumores neuroepiteliales disembrioplásicos: una serie de casos / Preoperative evaluation by functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours: A case series

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los tumores neuroepiteliales disembrioplásicos (DNET) son un tipo de neoplasia glioneuronal benigna de localización típicamente temporal que producen crisis epilépticas resistentes al tratamiento farmacológico en niños y adultos jóvenes. OBJETIVO: Se muestran 4 casos valorando la utilidad de la resonancia magnética funcional en el estudio prequirúrgico de pacientes con tumores neuroepiteliales disembrionarios. Para la obtención de imágenes se utilizó un equipo de resonancia magnética Philipps Intera de 3.0 Tesla y la técnica Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent, permitiendo localizar las áreas elocuentes de lenguaje y motora mediante la aplicación de paradigmas específicos. RESULTADOS: En un caso el tumor se encontraba adyacente al área de Broca, en 2 casos coincidía con Wernicke, en un paciente estaba menos de 1cm del área motora de la mano y en otro próximo a la memoria. Solo 2 de los pacientes fueron operados, no produciéndose déficit funcional postoperatorio. Se observó activación hemisférica contralateral al tumor sugestivo de neuroplasticidad en uno de los pacientes. CONCLUSIONES: La resonancia magnética funcional supone un método no invasivo que permite evaluar la proximidad de las lesiones a las áreas elocuentes, clave en la evaluación del riesgo quirúrgico. Además, ha permitido detectar probable neuroplasticidad en un caso, la cual ha garantizado el éxito de la cirugía

INTRODUCTION: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours (DNET) are a type of benign glioneuronal neoplasia of typically temporal location that produce drug-resistant epileptic seizures in children and young adults. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to assess the usefulness of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the preoperative study in four patients with DNET. A Philips Intera 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner and the Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) technique were used to obtain the images, making it possible to locate the eloquent areas for language and motor areas through the application of specific paradigms. RESULTS: In one case the tumour was adjacent to Broca's area, in two cases it coincided with Wernicke's area, in one patient it was < 1cm from the motor area for the hand and in another close to memory. Only two of the patients were operated on, without postoperative functional deficit. Hemispheric activation contralateral to the tumour suggestive of neuroplasticity was observed in one of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI is a non-invasive method that allows us to assess the proximity of lesions to eloquent areas, which is key in the evaluation of surgical risk. In addition, it allowed the detection of probable neuroplasticity in one case, which guaranteed the success of the surgery

Preoperative evaluation by functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours: A case series. / Evaluación prequirúrgica mediante resonancia magnética funcional en pacientes con tumores neuroepiteliales disembrioplásicos: una serie de casos.

INTRODUCTION: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumours (DNET) are a type of benign glioneuronal neoplasia of typically temporal location that produce drug-resistant epileptic seizures in children and young adults. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to assess the usefulness of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the preoperative study in four patients with DNET. A Philips Intera 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner and the Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) technique were used to obtain the images, making it possible to locate the eloquent areas for language and motor areas through the application of specific paradigms. RESULTS: In one case the tumour was adjacent to Broca's area, in two cases it coincided with Wernicke's area, in one patient it was<1cm from the motor area for the hand and in another close to memory. Only two of the patients were operated on, without postoperative functional deficit. Hemispheric activation contralateral to the tumour suggestive of neuroplasticity was observed in one of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI is a non-invasive method that allows us to assess the proximity of lesions to eloquent areas, which is key in the evaluation of surgical risk. In addition, it allowed the detection of probable neuroplasticity in one case, which guaranteed the success of the surgery.