Altered brain spontaneous activity in patients with cerebral small vessel disease using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation of different frequency bands.

Background: Previous studies showed that cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a leading cause of cognitive decline in elderly people and the development of Alzheimer's disease. Although brain structural changes of cSVD have been documented well, it remains unclear about the properties of brain intrinsic spontaneous activity in patients with cSVD. Methods: We collected resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) and T1-weighted 3D high-resolution brain structural images from 41 cSVD patients and 32 healthy controls (HC). By estimating the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) under three different frequency bands (typical band: 0.01-0.1 Hz; slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz; and slow-5: 0.01-0.027 Hz) in the whole-brain, we analyzed band-specific ALFF differences between the cSVD patients and controls. Results: The cSVD patients showed uniformly lower ALFF than the healthy controls in the typical and slow-4 bands (pFWE < 0.05). In the typical band, cSVD patients showed lower ALFF involving voxels of the fusiform, hippocampus, inferior occipital cortex, middle occipital cortex, insula, inferior frontal cortex, rolandic operculum, and cerebellum compared with the controls. In the slow-4 band, cSVD patients showed lower ALFF involving voxels of the cerebellum, hippocampus, occipital, and fusiform compared with the controls. However, there is no significant between-group difference of ALFF in the slow-5 band. Moreover, we found significant "group × frequency" interactions in the left precuneus. Conclusion: Our results suggested that brain intrinsic spontaneous activity of cSVD patients was abnormal and showed a frequency-specific characteristic. The ALFF in the slow-4 band may be more sensitive to detecting a malfunction in cSVD patients.

Increased low frequency fluctuation in the brain after acupuncture treatment in CSVDCI patients: A randomized control trial study.

Background: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is one of two cognition-impairing diseases. Acupuncture (Acu) is a flexible treatment with few adverse effects and is thus widely used to treat neurological problems. Methods: We recruited a total of 60 patients and assigned them to two groups (n = 30 each group). During the study, some participants were excluded by quality control, and a total of 44 subjects (25 Acu and 19 controls) were completed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture on CSVD cognitive impairment (CSVDCI). The following demographic and clinical variables were compared between the two groups: gender, age, education, smoking, alcohol, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), verbal fluency test (VFT), digit span task (DST), Boston naming test (BNT) scores, and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) under the typical band (0.01-0.08 Hz). Mixed effect analysis was utilized to test for differences between the two groups before and after the treatment. Results: Following acupuncture treatment, the Acu group scored higher on MoCA, SDMT, VFT, DST, and BNT compared to controls (P < 0.05). The brain regions showing substantially greater ALFF values in the Acu group were the right inferior temporal gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, left insula, bilateral postcentral gyrus, right superior parietal gyrus, right cerebellum, right precuneus, and right precentral gyrus (P < 0.005, no correction). The ALFF values in the right inferior temporal gyrus (P = 0.027), left middle occipital gyrus (P = 0.005), left superior occipital gyrus (P = 0.011), and right superior parietal gyrus (P = 0.043) were positively associated with MoCA. Conclusion: We found that acupuncture modulates the functional activity of temporal, occipital, and parietal regions of the brain in CSVDCI patients.

Imaging diagnosis for anterior talofibular ligament injury: a systemic review with meta-analysis.

A definite diagnosis of ankle ligament injury is crucial, and many imaging examinations can be used. This review systematically analyzed the effectiveness of various examination methods in the diagnosis of anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) injuries. Three English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database) were searched and relevant studies were summarized. A total of 25 randomized controlled trials met the selection criteria, including six, 16, and three studies recruiting patients with acute, chronic, and both acute and chronic ATFL injuries, respectively. A total of 1409 participants were included. The pooled sensitivity rates of acute ATFL injuries were 82.1% (77.1%-86.5%) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 88.6% (82.0%-93.5%) by ultrasonography (US). The pooled sensitivity rates of chronic ATFL injuries were 86.3% (82.5%-89.5%) by MRI, 98.7% (95.3%-99.8%) by US, 74.4% (63.6%-83.4%) by stress radiography, and 100% (87.7%-100.0%) for MR arthrography. The pooled specificity rates of acute ATFL injuries were 37.8% (29.1%-47.2%) by MRI and 90.3% (80.1%-96.4%) by US. The pooled specificity rates of chronic ATFL injuries were 86.8% (81.3%-91.2%) by MRI, 94.0% (85.4%-98.3%) for US, 89.4% (76.9%- 96.5%) by stress radiography and 100% (54.1%-100.0%) by MR arthrography. In conclusion, US may be a valuable imaging technique with high sensitivity for diagnosing chronic lateral ankle ligament injuries.

[Shoulder MRI evaluation of the association of os acromiale with supraspinatus and infraspinatus injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the MRI findings of os acromiale and to analyze the relationship between os acromiale and the supraspinatus and infraspinatus injury. METHODS: From January 2010 to August 2020, 21 patients with os acromiale (os arcomiale group) were compared with 21 subjects with no evidence of os acromiale (no os arcomiale group). There were 14 males and 7 females in the os arcomiate group, aged from 29 to 77 years old, mean aged (55.5±11.5) years old. While in the control group, there were 10 males and 11 females in no os arcomiale group, aged from 31 to 70 years old, mean aged (51.1±10.0) years old. The os acromiales were classified as edematous os acromiale or non-edematous os acromiale based on whether the presence of marrow edema, and as displaced os acromiale or non-displaced os acromiale based on whether the presence of displacement of the os acromiale. The MRI features of os acromiale were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the differences between the os arcomiale group and no os arcomiale group regarding rotator cuff tear, supraspinatus and infraspinatus injury. Differences in the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear between the edematous and non-edematous os acromiale group, the displaced and non-displaced os acromiale group, the displaced os acromiale and no os arcomiale group were also assessed. RESULTS: On MRI, all the 21 os acromiales appeared as a triangular or irregular bone fragment of the distal acromion, and forms a pseudo-acromioclavicular joint with the acromion. Eleven cases were edematous os acromiale, 11 cases were displaced os acromiale. In the os arcomiale group, 17 had supraspinatus tear, 1 had supraspinatus tendinitis, 11 had infraspinatus tear, and 4 had infraspinatus tendinitis. In the no os arcomiale group, 11 had supraspinatus tear, 2 had supraspinatus tendinitis, 5 had infraspinatus tear, and 1 had infraspinatus tendinitis. No statistically significant difference between the os arcomiale group and no os arcomiale group regarding the rotator cuff tear, supraspinatus and infraspinatus injury (P>0.05). In the 11 cases of edematous os arcomiale, 10 had supraspinatus tear and 7 had infraspinatus tear. In the 10 cases of non-edematous os acromiale, 7 had supraspinatus tear and 4 had infraspinatus tear. No statistically significant difference was noted between the edematous os acromiale and non-edematous os acromiale in terms of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear (P>0.05). In the 11 cases of displaced os acromiale, 11 had supraspinatus tear and 9 had infraspinatus tear. In the 10 cases of non-displaced os acromiale, 6 had supraspinatus tear and 2 had infraspinatus tear. In the no os arcomiale group, 11 had supraspinatus tear and 5 had infraspinatus tear. There was a statistically significant increases in the prevalence of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear in the displaced os acromiale group compared with non-displaced os acromiale group, the displaced os acromiale group and no os arcomiale group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Shoulder MRI can very well depict os acromiale and can reveal associated abnormalities such as adjacent bone marrow edema, displaced deformity, and rotator cuff tear, and it can be used to assess the stability of the os acromiale. The presence of os acromiale may not increase the risk of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear significantly. However, the presence of displaced os acromiale is at greater risk of supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear.

Diagnostic performance of diffusion MRI for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma characterisation: A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the diagnostic performance of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for characterising pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHOD: A literature search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. The search date was updated to extend until 28 October 2020, with no starting time limitation. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were calculated using a bivariate random effects model. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed, and area under the curve (AUC) of each diffusion parameter was calculated. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to assess for heterogeneity. Study quality was assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies involving 1579 participants were included, of which 26 evaluated the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and eight evaluated IVIM, with five evaluating both ADC and IVIM. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of ADC were 83 % (95 % CI, 76 %-88 %, I2 = 86 %) and 85 % (95 % CI, 79 %-90 %, I2 = 77 %), respectively, and AUC was 0.91 (95 % CI, 0.88-0.93). The perfusion fraction had the highest diagnostic accuracy in the IVIM model; the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 87 % (95 % CI, 81 %-92 %, I2 = 45 %), 88 % (95 % CI, 77 %-94 %, I2 = 57 %), and 0.93 (95 % CI, 0.91-0.95), respectively. The pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC for the tissue diffusion coefficient were 74 % (95 % CI, 55 %-87 %, I2 = 87 %), 69 % (95 % CI, 52 %-82 %, I2 = 73 %), and 0.77 (95 % CI, 0.73-0.81), respectively. And the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC for the pseudodiffusion coefficient were 89 % (95 % CI, 77 %-96 %, I2 = 79 %), 74 % (95 % CI, 60 %-84 %, I2 = 78 %), and 0.88(95 %CI,0.85-0.91), respectively. Meta-regression analyses revealed that study design (specificity, P＜0.01), region-of-interest delineation (sensitivity, P = 0.02;specificity, P = 0.03), field strength (sensitivity, P＜0.01), and thickness (sensitivity, P＜0.01; specificity, P = 0.01) were sources of ADC heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: DWI and IVIM have comparable diagnostic power and good diagnostic performance for characterising PDAC.

Performance of diffusion-weighted imaging for the diagnosis of parotid gland malignancies: A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for parotid gland malignancies. METHODS: Four databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched systematically and retrospectively by two researchers until May 18, 2020. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. A bivariate random effects model was used to pool the sensitivity and specificity data for the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Summary receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. The positive (LR+) and negative likelihood ratios (LR-) were also calculated. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to evaluate heterogeneity within studies. RESULTS: Sixteen studies involving 1004 patients were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC for the ADC to distinguish malignant from begin parotid lesions were 89 %, 76 %, and 0.91, respectively. The LR + was 3.7 and LR- was 0.15, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the applied cut-off b values and study size were sources of heterogeneity for the ADC. There were publication bias concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggests that the ADC value provides excellent sensitivity and moderate specificity for the diagnosis of malignant lesions in the parotid gland. However, substantial heterogeneity was found. Therefore, additional larger, prospective studies in combination with standard techniques focusing on parotid tumors should be conducted to determine the true performance of DWI for the differential diagnosis of parotid lesions.

Deep learning of lumbar spine X-ray for osteopenia and osteoporosis screening: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Osteoporosis is a prevalent but underdiagnosed condition. As compared to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures, we aimed to develop a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) model to classify osteopenia and osteoporosis with the use of lumbar spine X-ray images. Herein, we developed the DCNN models based on the training dataset, which comprising 1616 lumbar spine X-ray images from 808 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 92 years). DXA-derived bone mineral density (BMD) measures were used as the reference standard. We categorized patients into three groups according to DXA BMD T-score: normal (T ≥ -1.0), osteopenia (-2.5 < T < -1.0), and osteoporosis (T ≤ -2.5). T-scores were calculated by using the BMD dataset of young Chinese female aged 20-40 years as a reference. A 3-class DCNN model was trained to classify normal BMD, osteoporosis, and osteopenia. Model performance was tested in a validation dataset (204 images from 102 patients) and two test datasets (396 images from 198 patients and 348 images from 147 patients respectively). Model performance was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results showed that in the test dataset 1, the model diagnosing osteoporosis achieved an AUC of 0.767 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.701-0.824) with sensitivity of 73.7% (95% CI: 62.3-83.1), the model diagnosing osteopenia achieved an AUC of 0.787 (95% CI: 0.723-0.842) with sensitivity of 81.8% (95% CI: 67.3-91.8); In the test dataset 2, the model diagnosing osteoporosis yielded an AUC of 0.726 (95% CI: 0.646-0.796) with sensitivity of 68.4% (95% CI: 54.8-80.1), the model diagnosing osteopenia yielded an AUC of 0.810 (95% CI, 0.737-0.870) with sensitivity of 85.3% (95% CI, 68.9-95.0). Accordingly, a deep learning diagnostic network may have the potential in screening osteoporosis and osteopenia based on lumbar spine radiographs. However, further studies are necessary to verify and improve the diagnostic performance of DCNN models.

Unusual C-I···O Halogen Bonding in Triazole Derivatives: Gelation Solvents at Two Extremes of Polarity and Formation of Superorganogels.

To investigate the influence of halogen bond (XB) on the gelation of a one-component organogel system, a new family of 5-iodo-1H-1,2,3-triazole and 1H-1,2,3-triazole gelators was designed and synthesized. The iodo gelators (1I, 3I) gelled various solvents at low concentrations and formed many superorganogels, whereas the hydrogenous gelators (1H, 3H) showed much poorer gelling performance. An X-ray analysis of the single crystals of two reference compounds (16I, 16H) reveals that the unusual C-I···O XB interaction is responsible for this difference. The results of spectroscopic examinations (XRD, SEM, 1H NMR, and UV) are well consistent with those of single-crystal analyses. Under the guidance of the XB interaction and the weak π-π interaction, 1I and 3I self-assemble to hexagonal columnar aggregations in the gel state, whereas 1H and 3H, driven by CH-π interactions, feature the formation of gels with a lamellar structure. The mechanical property of iodo gels is much better than that of hydrogenous gels under the same concentration. Gels from 1I respond to the stimuli of Hg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Mg2+ as perchlorate salts, and gels from 1H are selectively responsive to Hg2+ solely.

ZNF804A variants confer risk for heroin addiction and affect decision making and gray matter volume in heroin abusers.

Drug addiction shares common neurobiological pathways and risk genes with other psychiatric diseases, including psychosis. One of the commonly identified risk genes associated with broad psychosis has been ZNF804A. We sought to test whether psychosis risk variants in ZNF804A increase the risk of heroin addiction by modulating neurocognitive performance and gray matter volume (GMV) in heroin addiction. Using case-control genetic analysis, we compared the distribution of ZNF804A variants (genotype and haplotype) in 1035 heroin abusers and 2887 healthy subjects. We also compared neurocognitive performance (impulsivity, global cognitive ability and decision-making ability) in 224 subjects and GMV in 154 subjects based on the ZNF804A variants. We found significant differences in the distribution of ZNF804A intronic variants (rs1344706 and rs7597593) allele and haplotype frequencies between the heroin and control groups. Decision-making impairment was worse in heroin abusers who carried the ZNF804A risk allele and haplotype. Subjects who carried more risk alleles and haplotypes of ZNF804A had greater GMV in the bilateral insular cortex, right temporal cortex and superior parietal cortex. The interaction between heroin addiction and ZNF804A variants affected GMV in the left sensorimotor cortex. Our findings revealed several ZNF804A variants that were significantly associated with the risk of heroin addiction, and these variants affected decision making and GMV in heroin abusers compared with controls. The precise neural mechanisms that underlie these associations are unknown, which requires future investigations of the effects of ZNF804A on both dopamine neurotransmission and the relative increases in the volume of various brain areas.