Power estimation for non-standardized multisite studies

A concern for researchers planning multisite studies is that scanner and T1-weighted sequence-related biases on regional volumes could overshadow true effects, especially for studies with a heterogeneous set of scanners and sequences. Current approaches attempt to harmonize data by standardizing hardware, pulse sequences, and protocols, or by calibrating across sites using phantom-based corrections to ensure the same raw image intensities. We propose to avoid harmonization and phantom-based correction entirely. We hypothesized that the bias of estimated regional volumes is scaled between sites due to the contrast and gradient distortion differences between scanners and sequences. Given this…

Neural Correlates of Deficits in Pain-Related Affective Meaning Construction in Patients With Chronic Pain Disorder

OBJECTIVE Psychological and neural mechanisms of the affective dimension of pain are known to be disturbed in patients with chronic pain disorder. The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging study was to assess the neurofunctional and behavioral measures underlying the ability to construct pain-related affective meaning in a painful situation by comparing 21 clinically and psychometrically well-characterized patients with persistent non-nociceptive somatoform pain with 19 healthy controls. METHODS The functional magnetic resonance imaging task involved viewing pictures depicting human hands and feet in different painful and nonpainful situations. Participants were asked to estimat…

Automated segmentation of changes in FLAIR-hyperintense white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis on serial magnetic resonance imaging

Longitudinal analysis of white matter lesion changes on serial MRI has become an important parameter to study diseases with white-matter lesions. Here, we build on earlier work on cross-sectional lesion segmentation; we present a fully automatic pipeline for serial analysis of FLAIR-hyperintense white matter lesions. Our algorithm requires three-dimensional gradient echo T1- and FLAIR- weighted images at 3 Tesla as well as available cross-sectional lesion segmentations of both time points. Preprocessing steps include lesion filling and intrasubject registration. For segmentation of lesion changes, initial lesion maps of different time points are fused; herein changes in intensity are analyz…

A Safe and Effective Magnetic Labeling Protocol for MRI-Based Tracking of Human Adult Neural Stem Cells

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a unique tool for in vivo visualization and tracking of stem cells in the brain. This is of particular importance when assessing safety of experimental cell treatments in the preclinical or clinical setup. Yet, specific imaging requires an efficient and non-perturbing cellular magnetic labeling which precludes adverse effects of the tag, e.g., the impact of iron-oxide-nanoparticles on the critical differentiation and integration processes of the respective stem cell population investigated. In this study we investigated the effects of very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particle (VSOP) labeling on viability, stemness, and neuronal differentiatio…

Positionspapier der DRG, DGNR, GPR, DeGIR, ÖRG und DGP zur Nutzung klinischer Daten für wissenschaftliche Zwecke

Assessing sensory versus optogenetic network activation by combining (o)fMRI with optical Ca2+ recordings

Encoding of sensory inputs in the cortex is characterized by sparse neuronal network activation. Optogenetic stimulation has previously been combined with fMRI (ofMRI) to probe functional networks. However, for a quantitative optogenetic probing of sensory-driven sparse network activation, the level of similarity between sensory and optogenetic network activation needs to be explored. Here, we complement ofMRI with optic fiber-based population Ca2+ recordings for a region-specific readout of neuronal spiking activity in rat brain. Comparing Ca2+ responses to the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal upon sensory stimulation with increasing frequencies showed adaptation of Ca2+ transient…

TMIC-49. POTASSIUM CHANNEL KIR4.1 AND GLUTAMINE SYNTHETASE ARE DYSREGULATED IN GLIOMA

The potassium channel KIR4.1 (KCNJ10) and the glutamate catalyzing enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) are highly expressed in glial cells of the central nervous system. Both glial proteins play important roles in the maintenance of neuronal activity and neurotransmission. Dysfunction of both proteins can result in altered neuronal excitability and may lead to excitotoxicity. We analyzed 35 snap frozen tissue blocks (glioblastoma [GBM], n=22; low grade astrocytoma (LGA), n=8; oligodendroglioma (OG), n=3; oligoastrocytoma, n=2). All glioma samples had a matching tissue specimen from both the tumor core and the adjacent normal-appearing infiltration zone. Molecular subtyping (MGMT, IDH1/2, 1p/19…

Computed Tomography Findings Associated with Clinical Outcome After Dynamic Posterior Stabilization of the Lumbar Spine.

Objective To evaluate whether preoperative multirow detector computed tomography (MDCT) findings were associated with clinical outcome 24 months after dynamic stabilization for painful degenerative lumbar spine disease. Methods Preoperative MDCT examinations of 63 patients (66 ± 11.7 years; 60% women) treated with a dynamic screw rod system for painful degenerative segmental instability with/without spinal stenosis were assessed for quantitative and qualitative parameters defining degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine, including grades of disc herniation, degenerative spondylolisthesis, vertebral body sclerosis, cross-sectional area of the spinal canal at disc level, intervertebra…

Evidence for a white matter lesion size threshold to support the diagnosis of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis

Abstract Background The number of white matter lesions (WML) in brain MRI is the most established paraclinical tool to support the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to monitor its course. Diagnostic criteria have stipulated a minimum detectable diameter of 3 mm per WML, although this threshold is not evidence-based. We aimed to provide a rationale for a WML size threshold for three-dimensional MRI sequences at 3 T by comparing patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) to control subjects (CS). Methods We analyzed MR images from two cohorts, obtained at scanners from two different vendors, each comprising patients with RRMS and CS. Both cohorts were examined with FLAIR and T1w seque…