Activation of mirror-neuron system by erotic video clips predicts degree of induced erection: an fMRI study.

Although visually-induced erection is a common occurrence in human male behaviour, the cerebral underpinnings of this response are not well-known. We hypothesized that the magnitude of induced erection would be linearly correlated with the activation of the mirror-neuron system in response to sexually explicit films. When presented with sexual video clips, eight out of ten healthy subjects had an erectile response demonstrated through volumetric penile plethysmography. The level of activation of the left frontal operculum and of the inferior parietal lobules, areas which contain mirror neurons, predicted the magnitude of the erectile response. These results suggest that the response of the mirror-neuron system may not only code for the motor correlates of observed actions, but also for autonomic correlates of these actions.

Velocity encoding versus acceleration encoding for pressure gradient estimation in MR haemodynamic studies.

Many methods have been proposed to extract pressure gradient maps from magnetic resonance (MR) images. They were based on the resolution of the haemodynamic model of Navier-Stokes and needed the flow acceleration to be known. Most used velocity data acquisition and computed acceleration from temporal and spatial derivatives of the velocity field. However, MR sequences have been developed in order to acquire the acceleration field directly. Here we compared direct MR measurements of acceleration field components with those calculated from MR velocity acquisitions. Two experimental phantoms were used to separately evaluate the inertial and convective components of the acceleration. Mathematical simulation of the convective phantom further explained the origin of the noise generated by the spatial and temporal derivatives of the velocity data, and the misregistration artefacts due to MR sequences. We found that direct measurement of the acceleration field generates less noise and fewer artefacts than calculation from velocity derivatives.

Neuroanatomical correlates of penile erection evoked by photographic stimuli in human males.

The objective of this study was to identify the cerebral correlates of the early phase, and of low to moderate levels, of penile tumescence using for the first time a volumetric measure of the penile response. We hypothesized that (i) regions whose response had been found correlated with circumferential penile responses in previous studies would be identified with volumetric plethysmography and (ii) that other brain regions, including the amygdalae, would be found using the more sensitive volumetric measurement. In ten healthy males, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study brain responses to sexually stimulating photographs and to various categories of control photographs. Both ratings of perceived erection and penile plethysmography demonstrated an erectile response to the presentation of sexually stimulating photographs. Regions where the BOLD signal was correlated with penile volumetric responses included the right medial prefrontal cortex, the right and left orbitofrontal cortices, the insulae, the paracentral lobules, the right ventral lateral thalamic nucleus, the right anterior cingulate cortex and regions involved in motor imagery and motor preparation (supplementary motor areas, left ventral premotor area). This study suggests that the development of low levels of penile tumescence in response to static sexual stimuli is controlled by a network of frontal, parietal, insular and cingulate cortical areas and that penile tumescence reciprocally induces activation in somatosensory regions of the brain.

Perfusion-weighted MR imaging studies in brain hypervascular diseases: comparison of arterial input function extractions for perfusion measurement.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain hypervascular diseases are complex and induce hemodynamic disturbances on brain parenchyma, which are difficult to accurately evaluate by using perfusion-weighted (PWI) MR imaging. Our purpose was to test and to assess the best AIF estimation method among 4 patients with brain hypervascular disease and healthy volunteers. METHODS: Thirty-three patients and 10 healthy volunteers underwent brain perfusion studies by using a 1.5T MR imaging scanner with gadolinium-chelate bolus injection. PWI was performed with the indicator dilution method. AIF estimation methods were performed with local, regional, regional scaled, and global estimated arterial input function (AIF), and PWI measurements (cerebral blood volume [CBV] and cerebral blood flow [CBF]) were performed with regions of interest drawn on the thalami and centrum semiovale in all subjects, remote from the brain hypervascular disease nidus. Abnormal PWI results were assessed by using Z Score, and evaluation of the best AIF estimation method was performed by using a no gold standard evaluation method. RESULTS: From 88% to 97% of patients had overall abnormal perfusion areas of hypo- (decreased CBV and CBF) and/or hyperperfusion (increased CBV and CBF) and/or venous congestion (increased CBV, normal or decreased CBF), depending on the AIF estimation method used for PWI computations. No gold standard evaluation of the 4 AIF estimates found the regional and the regional scaled methods to be the most accurate. CONCLUSION: Brain hypervascular disease induces remote brain perfusion abnormalities that can be better detected by using PWI with regional or regional scaled AIF estimation methods.

[Diffusion, perfusion and activation functional MRI studies of brain arteriovenous malformations]. / Explorations des malformations artérioveineuses cérébrales en IRM fonctionnelle de diffusion, de perfusion er d'ativation.

The management of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations continues to be challenged by a lack of understanding and control of pathophysiological processes implied in the clinical symptoms. New data from functional MRI with diffusion-weighted, perfusion-weighted and neuronal activation highlight abnormal brain areas near or remote to the AVM nidus. Moreover, these techniques are able to show hemodynamic and neuronal adaptative phenomena involved in brain plasticity. They reflect the instantaneous hemodynamic brain conditions that may help to correlate the clinical symptoms with the anatomical and functional substratum and to influence any invasive therapy.

MR perfusion imaging in proliferative angiopathy.

Seizures, which may be the main expression of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (CAVM) can be difficult to control medically. Our goal was to use perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) in correlation with clinical data to detect abnormal areas of the cerebrum related to a particular type of CAVM (proliferative angiopathy) and to study the pathophysiology. We use PWI, with a bolus injection of contrast medium, to investigate seven patients with proliferative angiopathy and fits producing language disturbance. Perfusion parameters were calculated using the first-pass moment theory. Five patients had perimalformative and/or contralateral abnormal areas with relative hyperperfusion (cerebral blood volume +20.7+/-16.2%, blood flow 92.5+/-68.8 ml/min/100 g). Areas of hypoperfusion and venous congestion were detected in two patients. One patient who underwent MRI after a severe focal deficit had no significant haemodynamic abnormality.

Cell internalization of anionic maghemite nanoparticles: quantitative effect on magnetic resonance imaging.

Anionic iron oxide nanoparticles are efficiently internalized into macrophages where they concentrate within micrometric endosomes, conferring on them a high magnetic susceptibility. The uptake of anionic maghemite nanoparticles by macrophages was quantified by an electron spin resonance (ESR) experiment. MR spin-echo sequences were performed with various TEs and TRs. The contrast enhancement was compared between two types of agarose phantoms with the same equivalent ferrite concentrations but containing either dispersed isolated nanoparticles or magnetically labeled macrophages. It is shown that the intracellular confinement of maghemite nanoparticles within micrometric endosomes results in a significant decrease of the longitudinal relaxivity and a moderate decrease of the transverse relaxivity compared to the relaxivities of the dispersed isolated nanoparticles. As a consequence, the signature of endosomal magnetic labeling consists of a negative contrast on T(1)-weighted images in the whole ferrite concentration range, whereas the presence of extracellular isolated nanoparticles can result in a positive enhancement.

Local reconstruction of stenosed sections of artery using multiple MRA acquisitions.

A method for reconstructing magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) volumes from successive acquisitions is described. The method is based on double oblique acquisitions of highly anisotropic MRA volumes, each of which corresponds to reduced k-space filling. These partial k-spaces are then combined to obtain a 3D k-space adapted to the frequency spread of the angiographic image of the stenosis. The SNR-resolution compromise of MRA is thus improved by focusing the acquisition on the most relevant k-space regions. The reconstruction is performed directly in k-space by averaging the partial k-spaces. The feasibility of the method was demonstrated in studies on a Lucite stenosis phantom, on MRAs of carotid arteries using three bolus injections, and on MRAs of renal arteries using a single contrast injection.

Functional MRI in symptomatic proliferative angiopathies.

Seizures, the main expression of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) can be difficult to control medically. We studied fMRI in correlation with clinical findings cerebral activation clusters patterns in relation with singular AVMs (proliferative angiopathy). We carried out blood oxygen-level dependent functional MRI (fMRI) in seven patients with language problems due to capillary ectasia with verbal fluency and repetition language tasks in box-car paradigms. fMRI maps were calculated with cross-correlation coefficients and superimposed on brain anatomy. Five patients had perimalformative and/or contralateral areas of ipsi- and contralateral activation clusters redistribution. One patient who underwent fMRI after a severe focal post-ictal deficit had total hemisphere contralateral activation clusters redistribution.

MR perfusion imaging in a case of cerebral proliferative angiopathy.

Proliferative angiopathy is an uncommon type of cerebral arteriovenous shunt characterized by an extensive capillary network with normal brain intermingled and few clinical symptoms (mostly seizures and headaches). This case report depicts an extensive proliferative angiopathy located in the right hemisphere. Its hemodynamic disturbances were studied with MR perfusion imaging (local or remote areas of increased time to peak, decrease ratio of signal, and relative regional cerebral blood volume values).

Anatomy and physiology of subcutaneous adipose tissue by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy: relationships with sex and presence of cellulite.

BACKGROUND: Little is still known concerning subcutaneous adipose tissue and cellulite, and controversial questions are still under discussion. AIMS: Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy were used to address two unresolved questions relating to the anatomy and physiology of subcutaneous adipose tissue. METHODS: Using high spatial resolution magnetic resonance imaging we characterized the topography of the dermo- hypodermal junction, and the three-dimensional architecture of the subcutaneous fibrous septae. Using proton spectroscopy, we measured water and lipid fractions within a fat lobule, and T1 and T2 values of the detected compounds. All these data were analysed according to sex and presence of cellulite. RESULTS: MR imaging quantified deeper indentations of adipose tissue into the dermis, and evidenced for the first time a great increase in the thickness of the inner fat layer in women with cellulite. Moreover, 3D reconstruction of the fibrous septae network showed a higher percentage of septae in a direction perpendicular to the skin surface in women with cellulite; but our study also depicted the tortuous aspect of this network. MR proton spectroscopy could not show any differences related to sex or presence of cellulite concerning T1 and T2 relaxation times of the detected compounds within a fat lobule, neither the unsaturated lipid fraction, the saturated lipid fraction, nor the water fraction. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the 3D architecture of fibrous septae couldn't be modelled simply as perpendicular planes for women and tilted planes at 45 degrees for men. MR spectroscopy did not confirm the hypothesis of increased water content in the adipose tissue of women with cellulite as suggested by others, except if such water would be located in the connective septae.

CPMG measurements and ultrafast imaging in human lungs with hyperpolarized helium-3 at low field (0.1 T).

This work reports the use of single-shot spin echo sequences to achieve in vivo diffusion gas measurements and ultrafast imaging of human lungs, in vivo, with hyperpolarized (3)He at 0.1 T. The observed transverse relaxation time of (3)He lasted up to 10 s, which made it possible to use long Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill echo trains. Preliminary NMR studies showed that the resolution of lung images acquired with hyperpolarized (3)He and single-shot sequences is limited to about 6 mm because of the diffusion of the gas in applied field gradients. Ultrafast images of human lungs in normal subjects, achieved in less than 0.4 s with the equivalent of only 130 micromol of fully polarized (3)He, are presented. Comparison with other studies shows that there is no SNR penalty by using low fields in the hyperpolarized case. Advantage was taken of the self diffusion-weighting of the rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) sequence to acquire apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images of the lungs. Time scales of seconds could be explored for the first time because there is no hindrance from T(*)(2) as with the usual approaches. At 0.1 T, 180 degrees RF pulses can be repeated every 10 ms without exceeding specific absorption rate limits, which would not be the case for higher fields. Moreover, at low field, susceptibility-induced phenomena are expected to be milder. This supports the idea that low-field imagers can be used for hyperpolarized noble gas MRI of lungs and may be preferred for ADC measurements.

Precision of magnetic resonance velocity and acceleration measurements: theoretical issues and phantom experiments.

Magnetic resonance (MR) sequences have been developed for acquiring multiple components of velocity and/or acceleration in a reasonable time and with a single acquisition. They have many parameters that influence the precision of measurements: NS, the number of flow-encoding steps; NEX, the number of signal accumulations; and ND, the number of dimensions. Our aims were to establish a general relationship revealing the precision of these measurements as a function of NS, ND, and NEX and to validate it by experiments using phantoms. Previous work on precision has been restricted to two-step (NS = 2) or 1D (ND = 1) MR velocity measurements. We describe a comprehensive approach that encompasses both multistep and multidimensional strategies. Our theoretical formula gives the precision of velocity and acceleration measurements. It was validated experimentally with measurements on a rotating disk phantom. This phantom was much easier to handle than fluid-based phantoms. It could be used to assess both velocity and acceleration sequences and provided accurate and precise assessments over a wide, adjustable range of values within a single experiment. Increasing each of the three parameters, NS, ND, and NEX, improves the precision but makes the acquisition time longer. However, if only one parameter is to be assessed, maximizing the number of steps (NS) is the most efficient way of improving the precision of measurements; if several parameters are of interest, they should be measured simultaneously. By contrast, increasing the number of signals accumulated (NEX) is the least efficient strategy.

Hemangiomas of the fingers: MR imaging evaluation.

PURPOSE: To report the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features of finger hemangiomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients clinically suspected of having hemangioma of the finger underwent 1.5-T MR imaging with a customized local gradient coil. The location, size, margins, signal intensity, and enhancement patterns of the lesions were noted. In accordance with the literature on MR imaging of deep hemangiomas, the authors' findings could be divided into those with typical features-that is, high signal intensity at T1- and T2-weighted imaging, lobulated appearance, strong enhancement, and heterogeneous pattern with flow void artifacts-and those with atypical features. The reference standard was surgery (n = 12) or clinical outcome (n = 4). RESULTS: One posttraumatic hematoma was excluded. Most lesions were in the fingertip (n = 10), with involvement of the nail bed and/or the pulp (n = 5). Hemangiomas were classified as typical in ten cases and atypical in five. The mean size of typical lesions was larger than that of atypical lesions. The unique imaging features of atypical hemangiomas included a masslike appearance, which was either homogeneous with diffuse enhancement-suggestive of hypervascularity (n = 2)-or heterogeneous with poor enhancement (n = 3). CONCLUSION: MR imaging characteristics of finger hemangiomas can be classified as typical or atypical. Knowledge of both patterns can be helpful in the distinction of soft-tissue abnormalities at this location.

Cerebrospinal fluid flow waveforms: MR analysis in chronic adult hydrocephalus.

UNLABELLED: Henry-Feugeas MC, Idy-Peretti I, Baledent O, et al. Cerebrospinal fluid flow waveforms: MR analysis in chronic adult hydrocephalus. Invest Radiol 2001;36:146-154. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To analyze changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hydrodynamics in chronic adult hydrocephalus. METHODS: Phase-contrast cine-MR acquisitions were used to explore the ventricular system and the upper ventral cervical spaces of 16 patients. The aqueductal jet was explored in 32 control subjects. RESULTS: The duration of pulsatile caudal CSF flow (ie, CSF systole) was abnormally short in patients with active idiopathic and obstructive hydrocephalus. The duration of CSF cervical systole was normal in patients with stable hydrocephalus. The aqueductal stroke volume could be increased in stable communicating hydrocephalus. Patients who responded to shunting had shortened CSF systoles and hyperpulsatile ventricular patterns. Successful CSF diversion resulted in longer CSF systoles and CSF ventricular patterns that were no longer hyperpulsatile. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance analysis of CSF flow can show craniospinal dissociation and limitation of CSF outflow from the ventricles in both obstructive and communicating hydrocephalus; it should help determine the response to shunting in communicating hydrocephalus.

CSF flow measurement in syringomyelia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CSF circulation has been reported to represent a major factor in the pathophysiology of syringomyelia. Our purpose was to determine the CSF flow patterns in spinal cord cysts and in the subararachnoid space in patients with syringomyelia associated with Chiari I malformation and to evaluate the modifications of the flow resulting from surgery. METHODS: Eighteen patients with syringomyelia were examined with a 3D Fourier encoding velocity imaging technique. A prospectively gated 2D axial sequence with velocity encoding in the craniocaudal direction in the cervical region was set at a velocity of +/- 10 cm/s. Velocity measurements were performed in the larger portion of the cysts and, at the same cervical level, in the pericystic subarachnoid spaces. All patients underwent a surgical procedure involving dural opening followed by duroplasty. Pre- and postoperative velocity measurements of all patients were taken, with a mean follow-up of 10.2 months. We compared the velocity measurements with the morphology of the cysts and with the clinical data. Spinal subarachnoid spaces of 19 healthy subjects were also studied using the same technique. RESULTS: A pulsatile flow was observed in syrinx cavities and in the pericystic subarachnoid spaces (PCSS). Preoperative maximum systolic cyst velocities were higher than were diastolic velocities. A systolic velocity peak was well defined in all cases, first in the cyst and then in the PCSS. Higher systolic and diastolic cyst velocities are observed in large cysts and in patients with a poor clinical status. After surgery, a decrease in cyst volume (evaluated on the basis of the extension of the cyst and the compression of the PCSS) was observed in 13 patients. In the postoperative course, we noticed a decrease of systolic and diastolic cyst velocities and a parallel increase of systolic PCSS velocities. Diastolic cyst velocities correlated with the preoperative clinical status of the patients and, after surgery, in patients with a satisfactory foraminal enlargement evaluated on the basis of the visibility of the cisterna magna. CONCLUSION: CSF flow measurement constitutes a direct evaluation for the follow-up of patients with syringomyelic cysts. Diastolic and systolic cyst velocities can assist in the evaluation of the efficacy of surgery.

Multidimensional MR mapping of multiple components of velocity and acceleration by fourier phase encoding with a small number of encoding steps.

Previous studies have shown that the multi-step approach of velocity or acceleration encoding is highly efficient in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio per unit time. This work describes a multidimensional extension of this method for simultaneously measuring multiple components of velocity and acceleration with a few encoding steps. N flow dimensions were encoded with an ND-matrix, obtained by combining the various flow-encoding gradients. The small matrix obtained with as few as two encoding steps can be extended by zero-filling in all N dimensions and using ND-Fourier transformation to obtain the maximum of the resulting peak in the ND-matrix, which gives simultaneously all the components of velocity and/or acceleration. The processing time was shortened by using a method of phase computation that gives the same precision as Fourier transformation, but is much faster. A rotating disk was used to show that the velocity-to-noise ratio increases with the number of dimensions acquired, demonstrating the efficiency of multidimensional flow measurements. The feasibility of the method is illustrated by 3D maps of the myocardium velocity, and 2D measurement of velocity and acceleration in the ascending aorta-both obtained by multidimensional phase encoding in volunteers.

MR spectroscopic imaging of normal-appearing white matter in adrenoleukodystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is characterised by wide phenotypic variation, and there is no marker to predict the onset of cerebral demyelination. The indications for therapeutic approaches depend largely on the onset of cerebral demyelination. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the brain spectroscopic pattern in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) in patients with various phenotypes of ALD to determine if these abnormalities could be of useful prognostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spectroscopic imaging acquisition mode (MRSI, 16 x 16 voxels) was performed in 20 patients with ALD, including 7 neurologically asymptomatic patients without detectable demyelination on MRI, 3 patients with early signs of cerebral demyelination, 8 patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) and 2 patients with cerebral ALD who had previously undergone bone marrow transplantation. Controls were 22 healthy subjects. In all patients, four voxels entirely located in the juxtaventricular NAWM were studied. The ratios NAA/Cho, NAA/ CPC and Cho/CPC for the four ROIs were measured in the patient population and compared with control values. Results. In spite of a large distribution of ratios, the statistical tests did not show any significant difference between the ratios within NAWM in the patient population compared with control values. Means of ratios in the left posterior (LP) voxel compared normal subjects were (a) in neurologically asymptomatic ALD patients (n = 7) 2.27 +/- 0.63 for NAA/CPC, 2.21 +/- 0.75 for NAA/ Cho, 1.06 +/- 0.28 for Cho/CPC, (b) in patients with early signs of demyelination (n = 3) 3.43 +/- 0.85 for NAA/ CPC, 2.47 +/- 0.32 for NAA/Cho, 1.37 +/- 0.16 for Cho/CPC and (c) in AMN patients (n = 8) 1.47 +/- 0.53 for NAA/CPC, 2.17 +/- 1.58 for NAA/ Cho, 0.83 +/- 0.32 for Cho/CPC. Conclusions. The study did not show significant differences in metabolite ratios between patients and controls. The large distribution of results precludes the possibility of detecting small variations. Part of this distribution can be due to the CSI method. Longitudinal spectroscopic studies, preferentially using monovoxel spectroscopy, are clearly needed.

Estimation of pressure gradients in pulsatile flow from magnetic resonance acceleration measurements.

A method for estimating pressure gradients from MR images is demonstrated. Making the usual assumption that the flowing medium is a Newtonian fluid, and with appropriate boundary conditions, the inertial forces (or acceleration components of the flow) are proportional to the pressure gradients. The technique shown here is based on an evaluation of the inertial forces from Fourier acceleration encoding. This method provides a direct measurement of the total acceleration defined as the sum of the velocity derivative vs. time and the convective acceleration. The technique was experimentally validated by comparing MR and manometer pressure gradient measurements obtained in a pulsatile flow phantom. The results indicate that the MR determination of pressure gradients from an acceleration measurement is feasible with a good correlation with the true measurements (r = 0.97). The feasibility of the method is demonstrated in the aorta of a normal volunteer. Magn Reson Med 44:66-72, 2000.

Improved estimation of velocity and flow rate using regularized three-point phase-contrast velocimetry.

We improved the three-point phase-contrast method by regularization of MR velocity data after acquisition of a low velocity-to-noise ratio (VNR) velocity image and a high VNR aliased velocity image. The phase unwrapping algorithm is based on the assumed correlation of the velocity of adjacent flow voxels on the low VNR and the unaliased high VNR images. We used Fourier encoding with eight velocity-encoding gradient steps to obtain reference velocity images of the aorta from five subjects (274 images) and compared them with the phase-contrast and three-point phase-contrast images with and without regularization. The VNR of the regularized velocity image was improved by 9.1 dB and the VNR of the three-point phase-contrast velocity image was improved by 0.7 dB with respect to the low first moment velocity image. Corresponding improvements of 9 dB and 3.7 dB were obtained for the estimations of instantaneous flow rate. Magn Reson Med 44:122-128, 2000.