The two-back task leads to activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms: a fNIRS study and its implication for tDCS.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has shown some potential as an adjunctive intervention for ameliorating negative symptoms of schizophrenia, but its efficacy requires optimization. Recently, 'functional targeting' of stimulation holds promise for advancing tDCS efficacy by coupling tDCS with a cognitive task where the target brain regions are activated by that task and further specifically polarized by tDCS.The study used 48-channel functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIRS) aiming to determine a cognitive task that can effectively induce a cortical activation of the left DLPFC in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms before running a tDCS trial. Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms completed measures of clinical and psychosocial functioning characteristics and assessments across cognitive domains. Hemodynamic changes during n-back working memory tasks with different cognitive loads (1-back and 2-back) and verbal fluency test (VFT) were measured using fNIRS. For n-back tasks, greater signal changes were found when the task required elevated cognitive load. One sample t-test revealed that only 2-back task elicited significant activation in left DLPFC (t = 4.23, FDR-corrected p = 0.0007). During VFT, patients failed to show significant task-related activity in left DLPFC (one sample t-test, t = -0.25, FDR-corrected p > 0.05). Our study implies that 2-back task can effectively activate left DLPFC in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms. This neurophysiologically-validated task is considered highly potential to be executed in conjunction with high-definition tDCS for "functional targeting" of the left DLPFC to treat negative symptoms in a double-blind randomized sham-control trial, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (ID: NCT05582980).

Prophylactic effect of pilocarpine on acute sialadenitis following radioactive iodine therapy in thyroid cancer patients.

Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the effect of prophylactic pilocarpine on acute salivary symptoms after radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Methods: We enrolled 88 patients (76 women and 12 men; mean age: 47 years; range: 20-74 years) with differentiated thyroid cancer who received RAI. Patients were divided into pilocarpine (51 patients) and control (37 patients) groups. Pilocarpine was given orally, at a dose of 5 mg three times a day, from 2 days before and 12 days after RAI therapy. Symptoms and signs of acute sialadenitis within 3 months of RAI therapy were recorded. Results: During the 3 months after RAI therapy, 13 of the 88 patients (14.7%) developed acute symptomatic sialadenitis (swelling or pain of salivary glands). Acute salivary symptoms were reported by 4 (7.8%) and 9 (24.3%) patients in the pilocarpine and control groups, respectively. Acute salivary symptoms were less frequent in the pilocarpine than control group (p = 0.04), but did not differ by age, sex, or RAI dose (p = 0.3357, p = 0.428, and p = 0.2792). Conclusions: Pilocarpine reduced the likelihood of acute sialadenitis after RAI therapy in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

Effects of online high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on predominant negative symptoms and EEG functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

AIMS: Schizophrenia, a debilitating mental disorder, is characterized by persistent negative symptoms such as avolition and anhedonia. Currently, there are no effective treatments available for these symptoms. Thus, our study aims to assess the efficacy of online high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (online HD-tDCS) in addressing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, utilizing a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial design. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with schizophrenia were randomized to receive either active HD-tDCS or sham stimulation, targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Outcomes were measured by changes in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Factor Score for Negative Symptom (PANSS-FSNS). Exact low-resolution electromagnetic tomography was used to assess the functional connectivity. RESULTS: All 59 participants, including 50.84% females with an average age of 43.36 years, completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, patients receiving active HD-tDCS showed greater improvement in PANSS-FSNS scores compared to those receiving the sham procedure. The differences were 2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-3.40), 4.28 (95% CI, 2.93-5.62), and 4.91 (95% CI, 3.29-6.52) after the intervention, as well as at 1-week and 1-month follow-ups, respectively. A tingling sensation on the scalp was more common in the active group (63.3%) compared to the sham group (10.3%). Additionally, HD-tDCS was associated with a decrease in delta-band connectivity within the default mode network. CONCLUSIONS: High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation was effective and safe in ameliorating negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia when combined with online functional targeting.

Changes of regional cerebral blood flow after repeated transcranial direct current stimulation in healthy participants: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can potentially enhance brain function and cognition in healthy individuals as well as in patients with cognitive impairment. However, neural correlates of repeated tDCS remain relatively unexplored in a healthy population. PURPOSE: To assess the effects of repeated tDCS on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in healthy volunteers in a pilot investigation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five healthy adults received bifrontal tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3-F4 montage, 1 mA intensity, 30 minutes/session, five sessions/week) over four weeks. All participants underwent brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans at baseline and one week after the last tDCS session. Changes in rCBF were examined using Statistical Parametric Mapping. RESULTS: Resting rCBF was significantly improved in the right superior frontal gyrus at the follow-up (P < 0.001). Adverse events were not reported and the stimulation was well-tolerated. CONCLUSION: Repeated tDCS may be effective for enhancing brain function in healthy participants. Larger sham-controlled studies should be performed to confirm our preliminary findings.

Resting-State EEG Connectivity at High-Frequency Bands and Attentional Performance Dysfunction in Stabilized Schizophrenia Patients.

Background and Objectives: Attentional dysfunction has long been viewed as one of the fundamental underlying cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. There is an urgent need to understand its neural underpinning and develop effective treatments. In the process of attention, neural oscillation has a central role in filtering information and allocating resources to either stimulus-driven or goal-relevant objects. Here, we asked if resting-state EEG connectivity correlated with attentional performance in schizophrenia patients. Materials and Methods: Resting-state EEG recordings were obtained from 72 stabilized patients with schizophrenia. Lagged phase synchronization (LPS) was used to measure whole-brain source-based functional connectivity between 84 intra-cortical current sources determined by eLORETA (exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography) for five frequencies. The Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II) was administered for evaluating attentional performance. Linear regression with a non-parametric permutation randomization procedure was used to examine the correlations between the whole-brain functional connectivity and the CPT-II measures. Results: Greater beta-band right hemispheric fusiform gyrus (FG)-lingual gyrus (LG) functional connectivity predicted higher CPT-II variability scores (r = 0.44, p < 0.05, corrected), accounting for 19.5% of variance in the CPT-II VAR score. Greater gamma-band right hemispheric functional connectivity between the cuneus (Cu) and transverse temporal gyrus (TTG) and between Cu and the superior temporal gyrus (STG) predicted higher CPT-II hit reaction time (HRT) scores (both r = 0.50, p < 0.05, corrected), accounting for 24.6% and 25.1% of variance in the CPT-II HRT score, respectively. Greater gamma-band right hemispheric Cu-TTG functional connectivity predicted higher CPT-II HRT standard error (HRTSE) scores (r = 0.54, p < 0.05, corrected), accounting for 28.7% of variance in the CPT-II HRTSE score. Conclusions: Our study indicated that increased right hemispheric resting-state EEG functional connectivity at high frequencies was correlated with poorer focused attention in schizophrenia patients. If replicated, novel approaches to modulate these networks may yield selective, potent interventions for improving attention deficits in schizophrenia.

Hippocampal subregional alterations and verbal fluency in the early stage of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Growing evidence indicates that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-related cognitive dysfunction may develop in the early stage of the disease and is often accompanied by hippocampal structural alterations. In the current study, we investigated volume and shape alterations of the hippocampus at a subregional level in patients with T2DM. With the use of high-resolution brain structural images that were obtained from 30 T2DM patients with less than 5 years of disease duration and 30 healthy individuals, volumetric and shape analyses were performed. We also assessed the relationship between T2DM-related hippocampal structural alterations and performance on verbal fluency. In volumetric analysis, total hippocampal volume was smaller in the T2DM group, relative to the control group. At a subregional level, T2DM patients showed significant inward deformation and volume reduction of the right dentate gyrus and cornu ammonis 2/3 subregions as compared with healthy individuals. In particular, T2DM patients with lower performance on verbal fluency had smaller right dentate gyrus volumes relative to those with higher performance. These findings suggest that the hippocampus may undergo atrophy at a subregional level even in the early stage of T2DM, and this subregion-specific atrophy may be associated with reduced performance on verbal fluency.

Prefrontal White Matter Abnormalities Associated With Pain Catastrophizing in Patients With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate altered prefrontal white matter integrity in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and its relation with the degree of pain catastrophizing. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one CRPS patients and 49 patients without CRPS (N=70). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The fractional anisotropy values within the prefrontal regions reflecting the structural integrity of white matter were measured in CRPS patients and patients without CRPS using diffusion tensor imaging. The degree of pain catastrophizing was also evaluated in CRPS patients. RESULTS: The structural integrity of the prefrontal white matter was lower in CRPS patients than in patients without CRPS (P=.03). In addition, lower structural integrity in the prefrontal cortex was correlated with a higher degree of pain catastrophizing among CRPS patients (r= -0.54, P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pain catastrophizing, which is frequently reported in patients with CRPS, may be associated with the dysfunction of the prefrontal white matter.

Possible neuroprotective effects of rasagiline in Alzheimer's disease: a SPECT study.

BACKGROUND: The current lack of effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the rapidly increasing burden of the disease highlight the urgent need to find new treatments. Despite accumulating evidence of the beneficial effects of rasagiline in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, the effects of rasagiline on the brains of patients with AD have not been elucidated. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of rasagiline on regional cerebral flow (rCBF) in patients with AD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 22 patients with AD, 11 patients received adjunctive rasagiline at 1 mg/day in conjunction with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI); 11 patients were only treated with AChEI for about 1.6 years. All patients underwent brain technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime SPECT scans and clinical assessments at baseline and follow-up visits. Annual percent changes in rCBF were compared between the groups in a voxel-wise manner. RESULTS: SPECT analysis revealed that the rasagiline-treated group showed more increased rCBF in the cingulate gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, putamen, and thalamus compared to the comparison group (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that adjunctive rasagiline treatment may have beneficial effects on brain perfusion in patients with AD, suggesting potential neuroprotective effects.

Correction to: Cerebral perfusion abnormalities in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): a SPECT study.

The authors inadvertently forgot to provide the following funding information in the original publication: This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2018R1A6A3A11041118).

Cerebral perfusion abnormalities in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD): a SPECT study.

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a recently defined syndrome with chronic dizziness interrupting daily life. Although the high levels of anxiety and functional changes in postural control strategy and multi-sensory information processing and integration may be underlying the pathophysiology, its neural mechanisms are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PPPD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A total of 25 patients with PPPD and 25 healthy controls participated in the study. All participants underwent brain SPECT and the patients completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. SPECT images were compared between the groups, and the correlation of rCBF and disease severity/duration was assessed in patients. Compared with controls, PPPD patients showed a significantly decreased rCBF in the insula and frontal lobe, mainly in the left posterior insula, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, and left medial orbital gyrus. Additionally, PPPD patients showed a significant rCBF increase in the bilateral cerebellum compared with controls. The results of our study suggest that the altered rCBF in the insular, frontal, and cerebellar cortices might be reflecting the process of maladaptation and the compensatory responses for the changes in PPPD.

Prediction of postoperative lung function in lung cancer patients using perfusion scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: Predicting postoperative lung function is critical in lung cancer patients. Perfusion scintigraphy has been used to estimate postoperative function after lung resection. PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the posterior oblique method in relation to other conventional processing methods for predicting postoperative lung function using lung perfusion scintigraphy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-five patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent lobectomy were enrolled. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) values were obtained from preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function tests. After performing lung perfusion scintigraphy, predicted FEV1 values were calculated using the segment, conventional, posterior, and posterior oblique methods. Postoperative FEV1 values were compared with predicted FEV1 values. RESULTS: The mean value of the preoperative FEV1 was 2.29 L and that of the postoperative FEV1 was 1.89 L. The mean values of the predicted postoperative FEV1 values for the segment, conventional, posterior, and posterior oblique were 1.83 L, 1.94 L, 1.88 L, and 1.89 L, respectively. Between the observed and predicted FEV1 values, there was a strong correlation without significant difference except for conventional method. Bland-Altman analysis showed that segment and posterior methods underestimated the FEV1, whereas conventional and posterior oblique methods overestimated the FEV1. CONCLUSION: Predictions with each processing method of lung perfusion scintigraphy showed nearly similar results to the actual postoperative lung function. The posterior oblique method of lung perfusion scintigraphy showed a very small difference to such an extent as to be equal to the observed FEV1, implying that this method may be applied for predicting postoperative lung function in lung cancer patients.

Preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma using 18F-FDG PET/CT: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the potential of tumor 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avidity as a preoperative imaging biomarker for the prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: One hundred and fifty-eight patients diagnosed with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0 or A HCC (median age, 57 years; interquartile range, 50-64 years) who underwent 18F-FDG positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) before curative surgery at seven university hospitals were included. Tumor FDG avidity was measured by tumor-to-normal liver standardized uptake value ratio (TLR) of the primary tumor on FDG PET/CT imaging. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant parameters associated with MVI. The predictive performance of TLR and other clinical variables was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: MVI was present in 76 of 158 patients with HCCs (48.1%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that TLR, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, and tumor size were significantly associated with the presence of MVI (P < 0.001). Multinodularity was not significantly associated with MVI (P = 0.563). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting the presence of MVI was best with TLR (AUC = 0.704), followed by tumor size (AUC = 0.685) and AFP (AUC = 0.670). We were able to build an improved prediction model combining TLR, tumor size, and AFP by using multivariable logistic regression modeling (AUC = 0.756). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor FDG avidity measured by TLR on FDG PET/CT is a preoperative imaging biomarker for the prediction of MVI in patients with HCC.

Usefulness of feature analysis of breast-specific gamma imaging for predicting malignancy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate which feature of the breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) uptake in women who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer was associated with malignancy. METHODS: Data on 231 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative BSGI were retrospectively reviewed. Feature analysis was done by classifying BSGI uptake into mass, non-mass, or focus/foci. Descriptors for mass, non-mass, or focus/foci were shape, distribution, number, and intensity. BSGI features of known malignancies and lesions that were additionally found by BSGI were correlated with mammographic breast density, histology, hormonal status, and clinical follow-up data obtained over at least 2 years. RESULTS: Among 372 breast lesions from 231 patients, 241 malignancies had been pathologically confirmed prior to BSGI and 131 additional lesions were found on BSGI. Irregular shape was more predictive of malignancy than oval shape (p=0.004) in mass uptake. Linear/ductal distribution was more predictive of malignancy than focal, regional, and segmental distribution (p<0.05) in non-mass uptake. Mammographic breast density was not associated with BSGI features. The lesion to normal ratio (LNR) was higher in the postmenopausal patients than that in the premenopausal patients (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The feature analysis of radiotracer uptake in BSGI is useful in predicting whether breast lesions are malignant or benign. KEY POINTS: • The feature analysis of BSGI uptake is useful in predicting malignancy. • Irregular shape was predictive of malignancy in mass uptake. • Linear/ductal distribution was predictive of malignancy in non-mass uptake.

Alternative new mesenchymal stem cell source exerts tumor tropism through ALCAM and N-cadherin via regulation of microRNA-192 and -218.

Gliomas are the most common type of malignant primary brain tumors. Some treatments of gliomas exist, but they are rarely curative. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as potential modes of targeted cancer therapy owing to their capacity for homing toward tumor sites. It has been proposed that MSCs derived from various sources, such as bone marrow, adipose tissue and umbilical cord blood, can be used as cell-based therapy for brain tumors. Here, MSCs obtained from the synovial fluid of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis patients were investigated as therapeutic candidates. Specifically, we compared migratory and adhesive abilities, as well as expression levels of related genes and microRNA in bone marrow derived-MSCs (BMMSCs), adipose derived-MSCs (ADMSCs), and synovial fluid derived-MSCs (SFMSCs) after treatment with conditioned medium from gliomas. Migration and adhesion of SFMSCs increased through upregulation of the activated lymphocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) and N-cadherin by microRNA-192 and -218 downregulation, similar to BMMSCs and ADMSCs. Migratory capacities of all types of MSCs were evaluated in vivo, and SFMSCs migrated intensively toward gliomas. These results suggest that SFMSCs have potential for use in cell-based antitumor therapies.

Psychometric Properties of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) in Public First Responders.

Problematic alcohol consumption is prevalent among first responders because alcohol is commonly used to cope with occupational stress and frequent exposure to traumatic incidents, making them an at-risk population for alcohol use disorders (AUD). This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) among public first responders. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision (SCID), AUDIT-C, AUDIT, and CAGE were administered to 222 public first responders, who were recruited by convenience sampling. One-week test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subsample (n = 24). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and estimate the optimal cut-off scores for any AUD and alcohol dependence. Three different analytic criteria were utilized to calculate the cut-off scores. The AUDIT-C demonstrated good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability = 0.91) and satisfactory convergent validity. The areas under the ROC curves for any AUD and alcohol dependence of the AUDIT-C were 0.87 and 0.93, respectively. For any AUD, all three criteria suggested a cut-off score of 7.5 (sensitivity = 81.8%, specificity = 79.8%), whereas for alcohol dependence, a cut-off score of 8.5 (sensitivity = 85.7%, specificity = 86.1%) was derived from two criteria. In conclusion, the AUDIT-C demonstrated good reliability and validity and proved to be a brief and effective screening test for AUD among first responders.

Simultaneous acoustic stimulation of human primary and secondary somatosensory cortices using transcranial focused ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) is gaining momentum as a novel non-invasive brain stimulation method, with promising potential for superior spatial resolution and depth penetration compared to transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation. We examined the presence of tactile sensations elicited by FUS stimulation of two separate brain regions in humans-the primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory areas of the hand, as guided by individual-specific functional magnetic resonance imaging data. RESULTS: Under image-guidance, acoustic stimulations were delivered to the SI and SII areas either separately or simultaneously. The SII areas were divided into sub-regions that are activated by four types of external tactile sensations to the palmar side of the right hand-vibrotactile, pressure, warmth, and coolness. Across the stimulation conditions (SI only, SII only, SI and SII simultaneously), participants reported various types of tactile sensations that arose from the hand contralateral to the stimulation, such as the palm/back of the hand or as single/neighboring fingers. The type of tactile sensations did not match the sensations that are associated with specific sub-regions in the SII. The neuro-stimulatory effects of FUS were transient and reversible, and the procedure did not cause any adverse changes or discomforts in the subject's mental/physical status. CONCLUSIONS: The use of multiple FUS transducers allowed for simultaneous stimulation of the SI/SII in the same hemisphere and elicited various tactile sensations in the absence of any external sensory stimuli. Stimulation of the SII area alone could also induce perception of tactile sensations. The ability to stimulate multiple brain areas in a spatially restricted fashion can be used to study causal relationships between regional brain activities and their cognitive/behavioral outcomes.

Prognostic value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages 0 and A hepatocellular carcinomas: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the prognostic value of pretreatment (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0 or A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had received curative treatment or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). METHODS: Between 2009 and 2010, 317 patients diagnosed with HCC at seven hospitals were enrolled. Among these, 195 patients underwent curative treatments including resection, liver transplantation, and radiofrequency ablation. TACE was performed in 122 patients. The tumor-to-normal liver standardized uptake value ratio (TLR) of the primary tumor was measured using pretreatment FDG PET/CT. The prognostic significance of TLR and other clinical variables was assessed using Cox regression models. Differences in the overall survival (OS) associated with TLR or other significant clinical factors were examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up period of 46 months, 77 patients died from cancer. In the curative cohort, higher TLR (≥2) was significantly associated with death (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.68; 95 % CI, 1.16-6.15; P = 0.020) in multivariable analysis. Patients with a higher TLR had significantly worse OS than patients with a lower TLR (5-year overall survival, 61 % vs. 79.4 %; P = 0.006). In the TACE cohort, the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (≥8) was a significant independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 3.34; 95 % CI, 1.49-7.48; P = 0.003), whereas TLR was not associated with OS. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed significantly poorer OS in patients with higher MELD scores (≥8) than in those with lower MELD scores (5-year survival rate, 33.1 % vs. 79.6 %; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment TLR measured using FDG PET/CT was an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with BCLC stage 0 or A HCC undergoing curative treatment. In contrast, underlying liver function appeared to be important in predicting the prognosis of patients undergoing TACE.

Alteration patterns of brain glucose metabolism: comparisons of healthy controls, subjective memory impairment and mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Some groups have focused on the detection and management of subjective memory impairment (SMI) as the stage that precedes mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there have been few clinical studies that have examined biomarkers of SMI to date. PURPOSE: To investigate the differences in glucose metabolism as a prodromal marker of dementia in patients with SMI, MCI, and healthy controls using brain F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-eight consecutive patients with SMI, 47 patients with MCI, and 42 age-matched healthy subjects were recruited. All subjects underwent FDG-PET and detailed neuropsychological testing. FDG-PET images were analyzed using the statistical parametric mapping (SPM) program. RESULTS: FDG-PET analysis showed glucose hypometabolism in the periventricular regions of patients with SMI and in the parietal, precentral frontal, and periventricular regions of patients with MCI compared with healthy controls. Interestingly, hypometabolism on FDG-PET was noted in the parietal and precentral frontal regions in MCI patients compared to SMI patients. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that hypometabolism in the periventricular regions as seen on FDG-PET may play a role as a predictive biomarker of pre-dementia, and the extension of reduced glucose metabolism into parietal regions likely reflects progression of cognitive deterioration.

Comparison of I-123 MIBG planar imaging and SPECT for the detection of decreased heart uptake in Parkinson disease.

Decreased myocardial uptake of I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is an important finding for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study compared I-123 MIBG SPECT and planar imaging with regard to their diagnostic yield for PD. 52 clinically diagnosed PD patients who also had decreased striatal uptake on FP-CIT PET/CT were enrolled. 16 normal controls were also included. All underwent cardiac MIBG planar scintigraphy and SPECT separately. Myocardial I-123 MIBG uptake was interpreted on planar and SPECT/CT images separately by visual and quantitative analysis. The final diagnosis was made by consensus between two readers. Kappa analyses were performed to determine inter-observer agreement for both methods. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were compared with McNemar's test. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 84.6, 100, and 88.2% for planar images and 96.2, 100 and 97.1% for SPECT, respectively, with a significant difference between the two imaging methods (p < 0.031). All inter-observer agreements were almost perfect (planar scintigraphy: κ = 0.82; SPECT: κ = 0.93). Heart-to-mediastinum ratios from PD patients with negative planar and positive SPECT scans (group A) and patients with positive planar and positive SPECT scans (group B) were 1.69 ± 0.16 (1.59-1.85) and 1.41 ± 0.15 (1.20-1.53), respectively, and showed significant difference (p = 0.023). Lung-to-mediastinum ratios for groups A and B were 2.16 ± 0.20 (1.96-2.37) and 1.6 ± 0.19 (1.3-1.78), respectively, and were significantly higher in the former (p = 0.001). I-123 MIBG SPECT has a significantly higher diagnostic performance for PD than planar images. Increased lung uptake may cause false-negative results on planar imaging.

Validation of the Korean version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 in firefighters and rescue workers.

OBJECTIVE: Resilience has been considered as a protective factor against stress. Evaluating resilience in firefighters and rescue workers, who are frequently exposed to traumatic events, is important and relevant. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 (CD-RISC2). METHODS: Two-hundred twenty-two current professional firefighters and rescue workers were assessed by standardized, semi-structured clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires. Internal consistency, correlation with the CD-RISC, convergent validity, divergent validity, and predictive validity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity were analyzed. RESULTS: The CD-RISC2 demonstrated good internal consistency (α=0.75), item-total correlation (r=0.89-0.90), and convergent and divergent validity. The total score of the CD-RISC2 showed significant correlations with the subtotal of the remaining 23 CD-RISC items (r=0.77, p<0.001) and with the score of each CD-RISC item (r=0.15-0.66, all p<0.05). The magnitude of the relationship between the number of traumatic experiences and PTSD symptom severity was greater in the low resilience group than in the high resilience group (p for interaction=0.002). The likelihood-ratio test confirmed that the model predicting PTSD symptom severity based on the CD-RISC2 total score was not improved by the inclusion of subtotal scores of the remaining 23 CD-RISC items (χ(2)=0.31, p=0.58). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the CD-RISC2 would be a valuable tool in evaluating resilience quickly and efficiently in firefighters and rescue workers.