Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors of childhood: Ege University experience.

BACKGROUND: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNETs) are rare, low-grade tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) of childhood. It is an important cause of intractable epilepsy, and it is surgically curable. We aimed to review our institutional experience with DNET in children. METHODS: Medical records of children aged less than 18 years of age diagnosed with DNET between 2009 and 2020 at Ege University Hospital were reviewed. Clinical features of the patients including age, gender, initial symptoms, duration of symptoms, medical treatments, age at the time of surgery, tumor location, degree of surgical resection, and outcome of the patients were documented. RESULTS: We reviewed the records of 17 patients with DNETs. Twelve of them were male (70%), 5 of them female (30%). The median age was 11 years (19 months-17 years). The major symptom was a seizure in all of the patients. Thirteen patients presented with complex partial seizures, whereas 2 had a simple partial seizure, and 2 generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Seven patients had drug resistant epilepsy and had received at least two anti-epileptic drugs before surgery. The median duration of symptoms was 6.6 months (0-48 months). In surgery, total surgical resection was performed in 15 patients, and 2 patients underwent partial resection. From these 15 patients, seven patients underwent lesionectomy of the tumor while the other eight patients had extended lesionectomy. The mean follow-up time was 107 months (54-144 months), the seizure control was achieved in 14 patients (82.4%) after surgery, but 3 patients experienced tumor recurrence in the follow-up. CONCLUSION: In DNETs, the complete total resection of the lesion is generally associated with seizure-free outcomes. In the patients with partial resection and lesionectomy, MRI follow-up is recommended for recurrence.

Resting state functional connectivity in adolescent synthetic cannabinoid users with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially among adolescents. The first aim of the current study was to examine resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in SC users compared to controls. Our second aim was to examine the influence of comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology on rsFC changes in SC users compared to controls. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis included 25 SC users (14 without ADHD and 11 with ADHD combined type) and 12 control subjects. RESULTS: We found (i) higher rsFC between the default mode network (DMN) and salience network, dorsal attention network and cingulo-opercular network, and (ii) lower rsFC within the DMN and between the DMN and visual network in SC users compared to controls. There were no significant differences between SC users with ADHD and controls, nor were there any significant differences between SC users with and without ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: We found the first evidence of abnormalities within and between resting state networks in adolescent SC users without ADHD. In contrast, SC users with ADHD showed no differences compared to controls. These results suggest that comorbidity of ADHD and substance dependence may show different rsFC alterations than substance use alone.

Hippocampal shape alterations in healthy young women with familial risk for unipolar depression.

BACKGROUND: Although reduced hippocampal volume (HCV) is a common finding in depression, it is unclear whether the structural alterations leading to reduction of HCV are pre-existing risk factors before the onset of clinical symptoms or a cumulative process that begins with the onset of clinical symptoms. The aim of the present study was to understand the anatomical status of the hippocampus prior to the clinical symptoms in subjects with high familial risk for depression. METHODS: Twenty-seven young women (mean age: 22.3 ±â€¯2.1 years) who were at high risk for familial unipolar depression and 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (mean age: 22.1 ±â€¯2.1 years) with low familial risk for depression were included in the study. Total hippocampal volumes were measured by manual tracing. For 3D shape differences, the spherical harmonic basis functions (SPHARM) software was used. The segmented images were parameterized, and the point-to-point based group difference was compared by the Hotelling's T-squared test with total brain volume and Beck Depression Scale as covariates. RESULTS: Although there was no difference in overall HCVs, shape analyses revealed a contracted area on the Cornu Ammonis (CA) 1 region of the right hippocampus head in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group. Cross-sectional design and small sample size, including only females, were the main limitations of this study. CONCLUSION: This study with shape analyses provided data suggesting that local structural hippocampal alterations in the CA1 region might be associated with depression vulnerability in women at high risk.

Brain regions associated with risk and resistance for bipolar I disorder: a voxel-based MRI study of patients with bipolar disorder and their healthy siblings.

OBJECTIVE: Bipolar I disorder is a highly heritable disorder but not all siblings manifest with the illness, even though they may share similar genetic and environmental risk factors. Thus, sibling studies may help to identify brain structural endophenotypes associated with risk and resistance for the disorder. METHODS: Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired for 28 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder, their healthy siblings, and 30 unrelated healthy controls. Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 (SPM8) was used to identify group differences in regional gray matter volume by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). RESULTS: Using analysis of covariance, gray matter analysis of the groups revealed a group effect indicating that the left orbitofrontal cortex [Brodmann area (BA) 11] was smaller in patients with bipolar disorder than in unrelated healthy controls [F = 14.83, p < 0.05 (family-wise error); 7 mm(3) ]. Paired t-tests indicated that the orbitofrontal cortex of patients with bipolar disorder [t = 5.19, p < 0.05 (family-wise error); 37 mm(3) ] and their healthy siblings [t = 3.89, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 63 mm(3) ] was smaller than in unrelated healthy controls, and that the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was larger in healthy siblings than in patients with bipolar disorder [t = 4.28, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 323 mm(3) ] and unrelated healthy controls [t = 4.36, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 245 mm(3) ]. Additional region-of-interest analyses also found volume deficits in the right cerebellum of patients with bipolar disorder [t = 3.92, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 178 mm(3) ] and their healthy siblings [t = 4.23, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 489 mm(3) ], and in the left precentral gyrus of patients with bipolar disorder [t = 3.61, p < 0.001 (uncorrected); 115 mm(3) ] compared to unrelated healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that a reduction in the volume of the orbitofrontal cortex, which plays a role in the automatic regulation of emotions and is a part of the medial prefrontal network, is associated with the heritability of bipolar disorder. Conversely, increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex volume may be a neural marker of a resistance factor as it is part of a network of voluntary emotion regulation and balances the effects of the disrupted automatic emotion regulation system.

[Meningoencephalitis caused by West Nile virus in a renal transplant recipient]. / Böbrek nakli alicisinda Bati Nil virusuna bagli meningoensefaliti.

West Nile virus (WNV) infection which is asymptomatic or mild in normal population, it may cause serious clinical conditions leading to death in eldery and immunosupressed patients. The virus is mainly transmitted by mosquito bites, however transfusion, transplantation, transplasental and nosocomial ways have also been reported to be responsible for viral transmission. It is known that WNV may cause life-threatining conditions such as central nervous system (CNS) infections especially in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients. In this report, the first case of WNV encephalitis in an immunosuppressed patient with renal transplant in Turkey was presented. A 25-year-old male patient admitted to our hospital with the complaints of generalized myalgia, nausea and vomiting, after the 24. day of renal transplantation from a live donor. Since he developed diffuse tonic clonic seizures during his follow up, he was diagnosed as meningoencephalitis with the results of cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MR) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biochemistry. Bacterial and fungal cultures of blood and CSF yielded negative results. CMV antigenemia test and CMV IgM in blood, and nucleic acid tests for CMV, EBV, HSV-1/2, VZV, HHV-6, enterovirus and parvovirus in CSF were also negative. However, WNV RNA was detected in CSF by an in-house reverse transcriptase (RT) nested PCR method. The sequence analysis (GenBank BLAST) of the virus showed that it had 99% similarity with Lineage-1 WNV strains. To define the transmission way of the virus to the recipient, WNV-RNA was searched in the renal biopsy sample and found negative by RT nested PCR. The clinical condition of the patient was improved with supportive therapy and by the de-escalation of immunosuppressive drugs [Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF; 1 g/day), cyclosporin (1 mg/kg/day)]. However WNV meningoencephalitis recurred one month later. The patient presented with fever, myalgia, confusions, leukocytosis, anemia, and repeating WNV-RNA positivity in CSF. This time cyclosporin was stopped, MMF was given in low dose (1 g/day), and high dose parenteral acyclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin (400 mg/kg/day, 7 days) were initiated. The patient recovered completely after 10 days without any neurological abnormalities. In conclusion, especially in endemic areas, WNV should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CNS infections develop in solid organ transplant cases and patients with other immunodeficiencies who present with fever, generalized myalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms and/or neurological disorders.

The effect of emotional faces on reward-related probability learning in depressed patients.

BACKGROUND: Existing research indicates that individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) exhibit a bias toward salient negative stimuli. However, the impact of such biased stimuli on concurrent cognitive and affective processes in individuals with depression remains inadequately understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salient environmental stimuli, specifically emotional faces, on reward-associated processes in MDD. METHODS: Thirty-three patients with recurrent MDD and thirty-two healthy controls (HC) matched for age, sex, and education were included in the study. We used a reward-related associative learning (RRAL) task primed with emotional (happy, sad, neutral) faces to investigate the effect of salient stimuli on reward-related learning and decision-making in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were instructed to ignore emotional faces during the task. The fMRI data were analyzed using a full-factorial general linear model (GLM) in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12). RESULTS: In depressed patients, cues primed with sad faces were associated with reduced amygdala activation. However, both HC and MDD group exhibited reduced ventral striatal activity while learning reward-related cues and receiving rewards. LIMITATIONS: The patients'medication usage was not standardized. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the functional alteration of the amygdala in response to cognitive tasks presented with negative emotionally salient stimuli in the environment of MDD patients. The observed alterations in amygdala activity suggest potential interconnected effects with other regions of the prefrontal cortex. Understanding the intricate neural connections and their disruptions in depression is crucial for unraveling the complex pathophysiology of the disorder.

Distinguishing Pituitary Metastasis and Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors through Conventional MR Imaging and Clinical Features.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Given their overlapping features, pituitary metastases frequently imitate pituitary neuroendocrine tumors in neuroimaging studies. This study aimed to distinguish pituitary metastases from pituitary neuroendocrine tumors on the basis of conventional MR imaging and clinical features as a practical approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this 2-center retrospective study, backward from January 2024, preoperative pituitary MR imaging examinations of 22 pituitary metastases and 74 pituitary neuroendocrine tumors were analyzed. Exclusion criteria were as follows: absence of a definitive histopathologic diagnosis, history of pituitary surgery or radiation therapy before MR imaging, and pituitary neuroendocrine tumors treated with medical therapy. Two radiologists systematically evaluated 13 conventional MR imaging features that have been reported more commonly as indicative of pituitary metastases and pituitary neuroendocrine tumors in the literature. Age, sex, history of cancer, and maximum tumor size constituted the clinical/epidemiologic features. The primary cancer origin for this study was also noted. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used for the selection of variables, determining independent predictors, and modeling. Interobserver agreement was evaluated for all imaging parameters using the Cohen κ statistic or intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients with pituitary metastases (8 women; mean age, 49.5 [SD, 13] years) and 74 patients with pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (36 women; mean age, 50.1 [SD, 11] years) were enrolled. There was no statistically significant distributional difference in age, sex, or maximum tumor size between the 2 groups. Lung cancer (9/22; 41%) was the most commonly reported primary tumor, followed by breast (3/22; 13.6%) and unknown cancer (3/22; 13.6%). Logistic regression revealed 3 independent predictors: rapid growth on control MR imaging, masslike or nodular expansion of the pituitary stalk, and a history of cancer. The model based on these 3 features achieved an area under the curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Brier score of 0.987 (95% CI, 0.964-1), 97.9% (95% CI, 92.7%-99.8%), 95.5% (95% CI, 77.2%-99.9%), 98.6% (95% CI, 92.7%-100%), and 0.025, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Two conventional features based on pituitary MR imaging with the clinical variable of history of cancer had satisfying predictive performance, making them potential discriminators between pituitary metastases and pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. In cases in which differentiation between pituitary metastases and pituitary neuroendocrine tumors poses a challenge, the results of this study may help with the diagnosis.

Task-dependent functional connectivity changes in response to varying levels of social support.

BACKGROUND: Having social support improves one's health outcomes and self-esteem, and buffers the negative impact of stressors. Previous studies have explored the association between social support and brain activity, but evidence from task-dependent functional connectivity is still limited. AIMS: We aimed to explore how gradually decreasing levels of social support influence task-dependent functional connectivity across several major neural networks. METHOD: We designed a social support task and recruited 72 young adults from real-life social groups. Of the four members in each group, one healthy participant (18 participants in total) completed the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. The fMRI task included three phases with varying levels of social support: high-support phase, fair phase and low-support phase. Functional connectivity changes according to three phases were examined by generalised psychophysiological interaction analysis. RESULTS: The results of the analysis demonstrated that participants losing expected support showed increased connectivity among salience network, default mood network and frontoparietal network nodes during the fair phase compared with the high-support phase. During the low-support phase, participants showed increased connectivity among only salience network nodes compared with the high-support phase. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the loss of support was perceived as a threat signal and induced widespread increased functional connectivity within brain networks. The observation of significant functional connectivity changes between fair and high-support phases suggests that even a small loss of social support from close ones leads to major changes in brain function.

Impact of poststroke seizures on neurological deficits: magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of poststroke seizures on the neurological deficits related to ischemic stroke is not well known. It has been reported that following poststroke epilepsy, transient or long-lasting worsening of the poststroke sequelae may develop, but the underlying mechanism of deficit worsening has not been systematically studied by magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI). METHODS: From 2008 to 2009, 1,010 ischemic stroke patients were admitted to our stroke unit at the Ege University Hospital with first-time strokes. Of these, 76 (7.5%) patients developed delayed seizures in a follow-up period of 18 months. We extracted the clinical and imaging data of the patients from our Stroke Registry databases and other medical records, and evaluated brain MRI, including spin-echo DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, FLAIR and T2-weighted images. RESULTS: There were 15 (20%) patients who had long-lasting worsening of the previous neurological sequelae, which we called long-lasting neurological worsening (LLW); 38 (50%) had transient neurological worsening (TNW) and 23 (30%) were without neurological worsening (WNW) after poststroke seizures. DWI findings were present in 3/23 (13%) patients with simple partial-type seizure, in 4/17 (29%) patients with complex partial-type seizure, and in 7/13 (54%) patients with generalized toni-clonic type seizure (p = 0.002). Patients with LLW showed more frequent changes on DWI than those with TNW (53 vs. 16%; p = 0.009). Forty percent of patients with LLW and 5% of those with TNW had ADC decrease (p = 0.004). Patients with LLW had DWI changes in the occipital region more frequently than those with TNW (57 vs. 18%; p = 0.05). Correlation analysis found a significant association between LLW and DWI changes, multiple DWI lesions, ADC decrease, and recurrent seizures. In the control MRI-DWI 1 month after the poststroke seizure, no signal abnormalities were detected in neuroimaging studies of all patients. Despite no functional outcome differences between the groups before the seizure, the functional scales 1 week after the seizure (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index) showed significantly worse neurological functional statements in the patients with LLW than those with TNW and WNW (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Poststroke seizures may affect poststroke sequelae transiently, which we see more often, but some seizure types may prolong the duration of deficits. Multiple DWI changes and LLW following recurrent and longer poststroke seizures were strongly associated, and this may be due to the effect of seizures causing additional metabolical changes.

The Reflection of Self-Esteem on the Brain Structure: A Voxel Based Morphometry Study in Healthy Young Adults.

Introduction: Low self-esteem is a known risk factor for mental illnesses. Neuroimaging studies have identified evidence for a functional association between default mode network (DMN) and self-esteem levels. However, it is not clear whether there is a similar association between trait self-esteem and the structures composing DMN. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the DMN associated brain structures and trait self-esteem. Methods: We obtained 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of 75 healthy subjects and detected anatomical regions correlated with their Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores via voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Results: We found positive associations between self-esteem and regional grey matter volumes in the right temporoparietal junction/inferior parietal lobule (BA 39), cortical midline regions at precuneus/dorsal cingulate cortex (BA 31), rostral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortices (BA 32). Conclusion: The results of the current study support the fMRI studies suggesting self-esteem levels associated with DMN. Further neuroimaging studies should consider the functional and structural coupling of the default mode network during the execution of the functions related to self-esteem.

The effects of sexual abuse on female adolescent brain structures.

Objective: Sexual abuse (SA) is known for its effects on brain structures in adolescents. We aimed to explore if SA has any effect on limbic and prefrontal cortex (PFC) structures. We hypothesized that children with SA would have a thinner PFC with larger amygdala and hippocampus that lead to aberrations in threat detection, orientation and response circuit; that would be highly adaptive in a dangerous environment in the short term. Method: We included 57 SA and 33 healthy control (HC) female participants. In addition to psychiatric evaluation, we acquired 3 T MR images from all participants. We compared prefrontal cortical thicknesses, hippocampus and amygdala volumes between groups. Results: The age and education levels of study groups were matched, however, IQ scores and socioeconomic status (SES) scores of the SA group were lower than the controls. Total CTQ scores of the SA group were higher than the HC. Nevertheless, the mean value of sexual abuse scores was above the cut-off scores only for the SA participants. SA participants had larger right and left hippocampus and right amygdala volumes than the controls. SA group had reduced inferior frontal gyrus cortical thickness (T=3.5, p<0.01, cluster size=694 mm2, x=51 y=-30 z=6) than HC group. None of the structural findings were correlated with total or sexual abuse CTQ scores. Conclusion: Children with SA history has structural abnormalities in threat detection, orientation and response circuit. SA victims with no psychiatric diagnosis have a high probability of psychiatric problems with a possible contribution of these aberrations. SA cases that do not have a diagnosis must not be overlooked as they may have structural changes in emotion related brain regions. Careful follow-up is needed for all of all SA cases.

Gradual Loss of Social Group Support during Competition Activates Anterior TPJ and Insula but Deactivates Default Mode Network.

Group forming behaviors are common in many species to overcome environmental challenges. In humans, bonding, trust, group norms, and a shared past increase consolidation of social groups. Being a part of a social group increases resilience to mental stress; conversely, its loss increases vulnerability to depression. However, our knowledge on how social group support affects brain functions is limited. This study observed that default mode network (DMN) activity reduced with the loss of social group support from real-life friends in a challenging social competition. The loss of support induced anterior temporoparietal activity followed by anterior insula and the dorsal attentional network activity. Being a part of a social group and having support provides an environment for high cognitive functioning of the DMN, while the loss of group support acts as a threat signal and activates the anterior temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and insula regions of salience and attentional networks for individual survival.

Reduced left uncinate fasciculus fractional anisotropy in deficit schizophrenia but not in non-deficit schizophrenia.

AIMS: Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder manifesting with heterogeneous symptom clusters and clinical presentations. The deficit syndrome is the condition defined by the existence of primarily negative symptoms, and patients with the deficit syndrome differ from non-deficit patients on measures of brain structure and function. In the current study, by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we investigated the frontotemporal connectivity that is hypothesized to differ between deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients and 17 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients had deficit (n = 11) or non-deficit (n = 18) schizophrenia and they were evaluated clinically with the Schedule for Deficit Syndrome (SDS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Diffusion-based images were obtained with a 1.5T Siemens Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine and analyses were carried out with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain Library Software - Diffusion tool box software. RESULTS: The fractional anisotropy values in the left uncinate fasciculus of schizophrenia patients with the deficit syndrome were lower than those of non-deficit patients and the controls. There were no differences between non-deficit schizophrenia patients and controls. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence of left uncinate fasciculus damage resulting in disrupted communication between orbitofrontal prefrontal areas and temporal areas in deficit schizophrenia patients.

A transcranial magnetic stimulation study for the characterization of corticospinal pathway plasticity in children with neurological disorders.

We aimed to investigate cortical and radicular TMS-evoked motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in children with neurological disorders (n = 57, mean age: 5.45 years) and agematched healthy controls (n = 46). Four TMS parameters were analyzed: MEP amplitudes, the latencies of MEP, the latency jump (cortical MEP latency at rest - cortical active-MEP latency at with slightly contracted targeted muscle), and central motor conduction time. Children with neurological disorders were categorized according to the two major types of neuronal plasticity; excessive plasticity: 29 children with cerebral palsy and impaired plasticity: 28 children with neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and central nervous system infections. The active-MEP abnormalities (absent and prolonged latencies) were correlated with the location of cortical involvement on MRI patterns. We obtained a significantly increased rate of abnormal cortical active-MEPs in children with impaired plasticity (21/28, 75%) compared with excessive plasticity (18/29, 62%). The rate of absent MEP response is three times more in children with impaired plasticity (43%) than in children with excessive plasticity (14%). A more reduced latency jump was measured in children with impaired plasticity compared to children with excessive plasticity. TMS-evoked active-MEPs and latency jumping are valuable parameters for characterizing neuronal plasticity in children with neurological disorders.

Smaller hippocampus volume is associated with short variant of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in medication-free major depressive disorder patients.

AIM: Serotonin is known for its importance in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder. Although the hippocampus is one of the key regions in which neurogenesis occurs, and serotonin plays an important role in neurogenesis, results of studies that investigate effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on hippocampal volumes in major depressive disorder are inconclusive. METHOD: We looked for a relationship between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and hippocampal volumes in 44 depressed patients (mean age ± SD 33.6 ± 9.5 years) and 43 healthy controls (30.4 ± 6.7 years). Region of interest analysis was conducted on the images acquired via MRI. RESULTS: Although hippocampal volumes were similar in healthy and patient groups, there was a significant interaction between genotype and diagnosis on hippocampus volumes. Post-hoc ANCOVA showed that hippocampal volumes of S/S homozygous depressed patients were smaller compared to healthy controls in both hemispheres. CONCLUSION: The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has an effect on hippocampal volumes of depressed patients, which is apparent only in S/S genotype. It seems that decreased neurogenesis by effects of reduced serotoninergic transmission may be responsible for smaller hippocampal volumes observed in S/S homozygous depressed patients.

A longitudinal study of lateral ventricle volumes in deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia.

Although it is generally accepted that negative symptoms of schizophrenia are associated with larger lateral ventricles, this general assumption could not be validated in patients with primary negative symptoms. To elucidate this issue, we conducted a five-year longitudinal study, including deficit (n = 13) and non-deficit (n = 26) schizophrenia patients with healthy controls (n = 18). Analysis with linear mixed effects modeling showed that both the left and the right lateral ventricles of the deficit patients enlarged more than the non-deficit patients. Our results suggest that structural alterations in deficit patients might follow a different trajectory than those in non-deficit patients.

Brain areas associated with resilience to depression in high-risk young women.

Previous structural brain-imaging studies in first-degree relatives of depressed patients showed alterations that are generally accepted as vulnerability markers for depression. However, only half of the relatives had depression at follow-up, while the other half did not. The aim of this study was to identify the brain areas associated with resilience to depression in high-risk subjects with familial depression. We recruited 59 young women with a history of depressed mothers. Twenty-nine of them (high-risk group [HRG]) had no depression history, while 30 (depressive group) had at least 1 depressive episode in adolescence. The brain structures of the groups were compared through voxel-based morphometry and analysis of cortical thickness. Individual amygdala nuclei and hippocampal subfield volumes were measured. The analysis showed larger amygdala volume, thicker subcallosal cortex and bilateral insula in the women in the HRG compared with those in the depressive group. In addition, we detected more gray matter in the left temporal pole in the HRG. The larger gray matter volume and increased cortical thickness in the key hub regions of the salience network (amygdala and insula) and structurally connected regions in the limbic network (subcallosal area and temporal pole) might prevent women in the HRG from converting to depression.

Correlation of serum BDNF levels with hippocampal volumes in first episode, medication-free depressed patients.

The hippocampus seems to be affected in MDD, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has positive effects on neurogenesis within the hippocampus. Although there are inconsistencies among study results, a smaller hippocampal volume in depressed patients is thought to be related to the pathophysiology of the disease. We looked at the correlation between serum BDNF (sBDNF) levels and hippocampal volumes (HCV) of first-episode MDD patients (18 female, 7 male; mean age = 32.1 ± 9.3) and healthy controls (17 female, 5 male; mean age = 29.7 ± 6.4). Region of interest analysis was conducted on the images acquired via MRI. sBDNF levels and HCV correlated only in the MDD group (right: r = 0.46, P = 0.02; left: r = 0.47, P = 0.02); however, HCV did not differ between MDD patients and healthy controls (right: F = 2.45, df = 1.46, P > 0.05; left: F = 0.05, df = 1.46, P > 0.05). BDNF may be a factor underlying HCV differences between MDD and healthy control subjects, which become apparent as severe and multiple episodes are experienced.

Pigmented ependymoma with signet-ring cells and Rosenthal fibers: a rare variant of ependymoma.

We report a rare case of ependymoma with vacuolar features, signet cells, pigmentation and numerous Rosenthal fibers arising in the fourth ventricle of a 35-year-old woman. The tumor was composed of cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles, signet cells and clear cells. The clear cells were compactly arranged resembling oligodendroglioma. Pseudovascular and ependymal rosettes were observed only in focal areas. Additionally, some tumor cells contained brown cytoplasmic pigment, which was histochemically compatible with lipofuscin and neuromelanin. On immunohistochemical examination, the tumor cells were positive for S100, glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin, and negative for synaptophysin, cytokeratin, neurofilament and HMB45. Epithelial membrane antigen staining showed dot-like and small vesicular reactivity. The case is presented to increase familiarity with these extraordinary variants of ependymoma.

[Small frontal gray matter volume in first-episode depression patients]. / Ilk Atak Depresyon Hastalarinda Azalmis Frontal Korteks Hacimleri.

OBJECTIVE: Brain imaging studies have shown that depressed individuals suffer from inadequate frontal lobe functions vis à vis smaller frontal lobes. The effects of depression's recurrent nature and long-term antidepressant treatment are not definitely known. This study aimed to examine frontal lobe volume at the onset of clinical depression by including first-episode drug-naive depressed patients. METHOD: The study included 23 first-episode drug-free major depression patients diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and 28 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained in both groups using a 1.5 Tesla device. Gray and white matter volumes in the frontal lobes were measured using the Medical Image Processing Analysis and Visualization (MIPAV) computer program. RESULTS: Frontal gray matter volume in the patients was lower than that in the control group. White matter and total intracranial volume did not differ between the 2 groups. Small gray matter volume was not correlated with the duration or severity of illness. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that frontal lobe gray matter volume is low in first-episode depressed patients and is independent of both illness severity and duration. This result suggests that the observed changes in the frontal lobe could have occurred before the clinical symptoms of depression were observed.