Epileptic brain network mechanisms and neuroimaging techniques for the brain network

Epilepsy can be defined as a dysfunction of the brain network,and each type of epilepsy involves different brain-network changes that are implicated diffe rently in the control and propagation of interictal or ictal discharges.Gaining more detailed information on brain network alterations can help us to further understand the mechanisms of epilepsy and pave the way for brain network-based precise therapeutic approaches in clinical practice.An increasing number of advanced neuroimaging techniques and electrophysiological techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tra ctography,diffusion kurtosis imaging-based fiber tractography,fiber ball imagingbased tra ctography,electroencephalography,functional magnetic resonance imaging,magnetoencephalography,positron emission tomography,molecular imaging,and functional ultrasound imaging have been extensively used to delineate epileptic networks.In this review,we summarize the relevant neuroimaging and neuroelectrophysiological techniques for assessing structural and functional brain networks in patients with epilepsy,and extensively analyze the imaging mechanisms,advantages,limitations,and clinical application ranges of each technique.A greater focus on emerging advanced technologies,new data analysis software,a combination of multiple techniques,and the construction of personalized virtual epilepsy models can provide a theoretical basis to better understand the brain network mechanisms of epilepsy and make surgical decisions.

Neuroimaging in atypical normal tension glaucoma:debating routine implementation in the absence of classic neurological findings

●AIM:To assess the necessity of neuroimaging in patients with neurological or atypical findings of normal tension glaucoma(NTG)who do not exhibit typical glaucoma manifestations.●METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 90 atypical NTG patients who underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)due to atypical symptoms.The demographic characteristics,clinical parameters,and radiological findings were recorded.●RESULTS:Among the patients,66.7%had abnormal radiology results,with the most common findings being gliosis(34.4%),sequelae of cerebrovascular events and vascular malformations(14.4%),and benign intracranial mass lesions(11%).Non-glaucomatous visual field defects were more frequently observed in patients with abnormal neuroimaging results.However,there were no significant differences in intraocular pressure,optic disc parameters,retinal nerve fiber layer thickness,and visual field indices between patients with normal and abnormal radiological results.The mean age of the patients was 58.74y.Interestingly,there was a significant age difference,with the abnormal radiology group having a higher median age(P=0.021).●CONCLUSION:The study highlights the importance of cranial imaging in older NTG patients to detect underlying pathologies and prevent misdiagnosis.It suggests that neuroimaging may be warranted in NTG patients with atypical visual field defects incompatible with glaucoma.However,routine neuroimaging in all NTG patients without classic neurological signs may not be necessary.

Detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset using MRI and PET neuroimaging:longitudinal data analysis and machine learning

The scientists are dedicated to studying the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset to find a cure, or at the very least, medication that can slow the progression of the disease. This article explores the effectiveness of longitudinal data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning approaches based on magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography neuroimaging modalities for progression estimation and the detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset. The significance of feature extraction in highly complex neuroimaging data, identification of vulnerable brain regions, and the determination of the threshold values for plaques, tangles, and neurodegeneration of these regions will extensively be evaluated. Developing automated methods to improve the aforementioned research areas would enable specialists to determine the progression of the disease and find the link between the biomarkers and more accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease onset.

Neuroimaging characterization of recovery of impaired consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness

Elucidation of critical brain areas or structures that are responsible for recovery of impaired consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness is important because it can provide information that is useful when developing therapeutic strategies for neurorehabilitation or neurointervention in patients with disorders of consciousness.In this review,studies that have demonstrated brain changes during recovery of impaired consciousness were reviewed.These studies used positron emission tomography,electroencephalography/transcranial magnetic stimulation,diffusion tensor tractography,and diffusion tensor tractography/electroencephalography.The majority of these studies reported on the importance of supratentorial areas or structures in the recovery of impaired consciousness.The important brain areas or structures that were identified were the prefrontal cortex,basal forebrain,anterior cingulate cortex,and parietal cortex.These results have a clinically important implication that these brain areas or structures can be target areas for neurorehabilitation or neurointervention in patients with disorders of consciousness.However,most of studies were case reports;therefore,further original studies involving larger numbers of patients with disorders of consciousness are warranted.In addition,more detailed information on the brain areas or structures that are relevant to the recovery of impaired consciousness is needed.

Neuroimaging the brain-gut axis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

AIM:To summarize and synthesize current literature on neuroimaging the brain-gut axis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).METHODS:A database search for relevant literature was conducted using Pub Med,Scopus and Embase in February 2015.Date filters were applied from the year2009 and onward,and studies were limited to those written in the English language and those performed upon human subjects.The initial search yielded 797articles,out of which 38 were pulled for full text review and 27 were included for study analysis.Investigations were reviewed to determine study design,methodology and results,and data points were placed in tabular format to facilitate analysis of study findings across disparate investigations.RESULTS:Analysis of study data resulted in the abstraction of four key themes:Neurohormonal differences,anatomic measurements of brain structure and connectivity,differences in functional responsiveness of the brain during rectal distention,and confounding/correlating patient factors.Studies in this review noted alterations of glutamate in the left hippocampus(HIPP),commonalities across IBS subjects in terms of brain oscillation patterns,cortical thickness/gray matter volume differences,and neuroanatomical regions withincreased activation in patients with IBS:Anterio cingulate cortex,mid cingulate cortex,amygdala anterior insula,posterior insula and prefrontal cortex.A striking finding among interventions was the substantia influence that patient variables(e.g.,sex,psychologica and disease related factors)had upon the identification of neuroanatomical differences in structure and con nectivity.CONCLUSION:The field of neuroimaging can provide insight into underlying physiological differences that distinguish patients with IBS from a healthy population.

How random is the random forest ? Random forest algorithm on the service of structural imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative(ADNI) database

Neuroinformatics is a fascinating research field that applies computational models and analytical tools to high dimensional experimental neuroscience data for a better understanding of how the brain functions or dysfunctions in brain diseases. Neuroinformaticians work in the intersection of neuroscience and informatics supporting the integration of various sub-disciplines（behavioural neuroscience, genetics, cognitive psychology, etc.） working on brain research. Neuroinformaticians are the pathway of information exchange between informaticians and clinicians for a better understanding of the outcome of computational models and the clinical interpretation of the analysis. Machine learning is one of the most significant computational developments in the last decade giving tools to neuroinformaticians and finally to radiologists and clinicians for an automatic and early diagnosis-prognosis of a brain disease. Random forest（RF） algorithm has been successfully applied to high-dimensional neuroimaging data for feature reduction and also has been applied to classify the clinical label of a subject using single or multi-modal neuroimaging datasets. Our aim was to review the studies where RF was applied to correctly predict the Alzheimer＇s disease（AD）, the conversion from mild cognitive impairment（MCI） and its robustness to overfitting, outliers and handling of non-linear data. Finally, we described our RF-based model that gave us the 1 ^（st） position in an international challenge for automated prediction of MCI from MRI data.

Neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction An 8-year bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVE： To identify global research trends in neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction using a bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science. DATA RETRIEVAL： We performed a bibliometric analysis of data retrieval for neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction containing the key words ＂CT, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, transcranial Doppler, transvaginal color Doppler, digital subtraction angiography, and cerebral infarction＂ using the Web of Science. SELECTION CRITERIA： Inclusion criteria were： （a） peer-reviewed articles on neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction which were published and indexed in the Web of Science; （b） original research articles and reviews; and （c） publication between 2004-2011. Exclusion criteria were： （a） articles that required manual searching or telephone access; and （b） corrected papers or book chapters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： （1）Annual publication output; （2） distribution according to country; （3） distribution according to institution; （4） top cited publications; （5） distribution according to journals; and （6） comparison of study results on neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction. RESULTS： Imaging has become the predominant method used in diagnosing cerebral infarction. The most frequently used clinical imaging methods were digital subtraction angiography, CT, MRI, and transcranial color Doppler examination. Digital subtraction angiography is used as the gold standard. However, it is a costly and time-consuming invasive diagnosis that requires some radiation exposure, and is poorly accepted by patients. As such, it is mostly adopted in interventional therapy in the clinic. CT is now accepted as a rapid, simple, and reliable non-invasive method for use in diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease and preoperative appraisal. Ultrasonic Doppler can be used to reflect the hardness of the vascular wall and the nature of the plaque more clearly than CT and MRI. CONCLUSION： At present, there is no unified standard of classification of cerebral infarction imaging. Detection of clinical super-acute cerebral infarction remains controversial due to its changes on imaging, lack of specificity, and its similarity to a space-occupying lesion. Neuroimaging diagnosis for cerebral infarction remains a highly active area of research and development.

Current progress in neuroimaging research for the treatment of major depression with electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy(ECT)uses a certain amount of electric current to pass through the head of the patient,causing convulsions throughout the body,to relieve the symptoms of the disease and achieve the purpose of treatment.ECT can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with major depression,but its therapeutic mechanism is still unclear.With the rapid development of neuroimaging technology,it is necessary to explore the neurobiological mechanism of major depression from the aspects of brain structure,brain function and brain metabolism,and to find that ECT can improve the brain function,metabolism and even brain structure of patients to a certain extent.Currently,an increasing number of neuroimaging studies adopt various neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),positron emission tomography,magnetic resonance spectroscopy,structural MRI,and diffusion tensor imaging to reveal the neural effects of ECT.This article reviews the recent progress in neuroimaging research on ECT for major depression.The results suggest that the neurobiological mechanism of ECT may be to modulate the functional activity and connectivity or neural structural plasticity in specific brain regions to the normal level,to achieve the therapeutic effect.

Neuroimaging studies of cognitive remediation in schizophrenia:A systematic and critical review

AIM To examine the effects of cognitive remediation therapies on brain functioning through neuroimaging procedures in patients with schizophrenia.METHODS A systematic, computerised literature search was conducted in the PubM ed/Medline and PsychI nfo databases. The search was performed through February 2016 without any restrictions on language or publication date. The search was performed using the following search terms: [("cogniti*" and "remediation" or "training" or "enhancement") and("fMRI" or "MRI" or "PET" or "SPECT") and(schizophrenia or schiz*)]. The search was accompanied by a manual online search and a review of the references from each of the papers selected, and those papers fulfilling our inclusion criteria were also included.RESULTS A total of 101 studies were found, but only 18 of them fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies indicated that cognitive remediation improves brain activation in neuroimaging studies. The most commonly reported changes were those that involved the prefrontal and thalamic regions. Those findings are in agreement with the hypofrontality hypothesis, which proposes that frontal hypoactivation is the underlying mechanism of cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Nonetheless,great heterogeneity among the studies was found. They presented different hypotheses, different results and different findings. The results of more recent studies interpreted cognitive recovery within broader frameworks, namely, as amelioration of the efficiency of different networks. Furthermore, advances in neuroimaging methodologies, such as the use of wholebrain analysis, tractography, graph analysis, and other sophisticated methodologies of data processing, might be conditioning the interpretation of results and generating new theoretical frameworks. Additionally, structural changes were described in both the grey and white matter, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of cognitive remediation. Cognitive, functional and structural improvements tended to be positively correlated.CONCLUSION Neuroimaging studies of cognitive remediation in patients with schizophrenia suggest a positive effect on brain functioning in terms of the functional reorganisation of neural networks.

Olfactory function in psychotic disorders: Insights from neuroimaging studies

Olfactory deficits on measures of identification, familiarity,and memory are consistently noted in patients with psychotic disorders relative to age-matched controls. Olfactory intensity ratings, however, appear to remain intact while the data on hedonics and detection threshold are inconsistent. Despite the behavioral abnormalities noted, no specific regional brain hypoactivity has been identified in psychosis patients, for any of the olfactory domains. However, an intriguing finding emerged from this review in that the amygdala and pirifom cortices were not noted to be abnormal in hedonic processing(nor was the amygdala identified abnormal in any study) in psychotic disorders. This finding is in contrast to the literature in healthy individuals, in that this brain region is strongly implicated in olfactory processing(particularly for unpleasant odorants). Secondary olfactory cortex(orbitofrontal cortices, thalamus, and insula) was abnormally activated in the studies examined, particularly for hedonic processing. Further research, using consistent methodology, is required for better understanding the neurobiology of olfactory deficits. The authors suggest taking age and sex differences into consideration and further contrasting olfactory subgroups(impaired vs intact) to better our understanding of the heterogeneity of psychotic disorders.

Science Citation Index Expanded Journal Lists related to neurosciences & neuroimaging

SCIENCE CITATION INDEX EXPANDED-NEUROSCIENCES-JOURNAL LIST Total journals： 245 1. ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE Monthly ISSN： 1948-7193 AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, USA, DC, 20036 · Science Citation Index Expanded · BIOSIS Previews

Neuroimaging in human prion disease:Searching in the mist

Human prion disease is a rare,uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disorder.Its precise pathogenesis is obscure.The clinical profile of the disease differs among its various forms.There are no definitive diagnostic tests(except for brain biopsy)or proven treatment.To increase the clinical diagnostic sensitivity and specificity,three laboratory tests,including electroencephalogram,cerebrospinal fluid testing for 14-3-3 protein,and magnetic resonance imaging,are currently used.Additionally,proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy,positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography can provide interesting and novel results in the research of human prion disease.

Optical neuroimaging of executive function impairments in food addiction

This study investigated the neural mechanisms located in the prefrontal cortex(PFC)involved in maintaining addictive-like eating behavior.Therefore,we aimed toll a gap in the existing literature and help clarify the food addiction(FA)cycle by inspecting the relationship between the executive control and psychopathology involved in the FA cycle.Twenty-three students recruited from the University of Macao participated in this study.We investigated a hemodynamic response captured by NIRS recordings,activated during n-back,set-shifting,and go/nogo paradigms.Moreover,we investigated the FA symptoms through the YFAS clinical inventory to better understand the relationship between hemodynamic response and clinical symptomatology in college students.First,the hemodynamicndings conrm that altered cognitive control in executive function performance appears to be linked to addictive-like eating behaviors,which in turn conrms a circuit similarity between FA and the substance abuse population(SUD)as reported in previous fMRI studies.Secondly,the psychologicalndings conrm the signicant association between the working memory decits and symptoms severity which suggest the role of self-control and regulation in limiting the storage resources as a potential trigger to develop overconsumption episodes in the FA cycle.Ourndings highlight how disrupted self-control and regulation of craving and negative a®ect induced by mental imagery might shape and overload the working memory storage as a potential trigger to develop binge eating episodes to maintain the FA cycle.In conclusion,the use of fNIRS in the context of eating disorders studies represents a valuable application,noninvasive,and patientfriendly tool,providing new insights into understanding the addiction cycle and treatment guidelines.

Do Neuroimaging Results Impact Prognosis of Epilepsy Surgery? A Meta-analysis

The neuroimaging results of drug-resistant epilepsy patients play an important role in the surgery decision and prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these results on the efficacy of epilepay surgery, and then to explore surgical benefit for epilepsy patients with negative magnetic resonance （MR） images. Twenty-four subgroups describing the outcomes of 1475 epilepsy pa- tients with positive-neuroimaging results and 696 patients with negative-neuroimaging results were in- volved in the meta-analysis. Overall, the odds of postoperational seizurefree rate were 2.03 times higher in magnetic resonance imaging-positive （MRI-positive） patients than in MRI-negative patients [odds ratio （OR）=2.03, 95% CI （1.67, 2.47）, P〈0.00001]. For patients with temporal lobe epilepsy （TLE）, the odds were 1.76 times higher in those with MRI-positive results than in those with MRI-negative results [OR=1.76, 95% CI （1.34, 2.32）, P〈0.0001]. For patients with extra-temporal lobe epilepsy （extra-TLE）, the odds were 2.88 times higher in MRI-positive patients than in MRI-negative patients [OR=2.88, 95% CI （1.53, 5.43）, P=0.001]. It was concluded that the seizure-free rate of MRI-positive patients after surgery was higher than that of MRI-negative patients. For patients with negative results, an appropriate surgery should be concerned for TLE.

The Influence and Enlightenment of Neuroimaging Science on Psychiatric Teaching

Psychiatry belongs to the category of cognitive neuroscience,with its development being greatly influenced by neuroscience.Currently,undergraduate teaching in psychiatry still adopts the teacher-centered indoctrination model,leading to ineffective integration of neuroimaging science into the teaching process.In order to improve the quality of psychiatric talent training,the talent training model needs to be adjusted.This article analyzes the current situation of psychiatric teaching,outlines neuroimaging science,summarizes the impact of neuroimaging science on psychiatric teaching,and analyzes the strategies for applying neuroimaging science in psychiatric teaching,with the hope to provide a guideline for relevant teachers.

Unveiling Promising Neuroimaging Biomarkers for Schizophrenia Through Clinical and Genetic Perspectives

Schizophrenia is a complex and serious brain disorder.Neuroscientists have become increasingly interested in using magnetic resonance-based brain imaging-derived phenotypes(IDPs)to investigate the etiology of psychiatric disorders.IDPs capture valuable clinical advantages and hold biological significance in identifying brain abnormalities.In this review,we aim to discuss current and prospective approaches to identify potential biomarkers for schizophrenia using clinical multimodal neuroimaging and imaging genetics.We first described IDPs through their phenotypic classification and neuroimaging genomics.Secondly,we discussed the applications of multimodal neuroimaging by clinical evidence in observational studies and randomized controlled trials.Thirdly,considering the genetic evidence of IDPs,we discussed how can utilize neuroimaging data as an intermediate phenotype to make association inferences by polygenic risk scores and Mendelian randomization.Finally,we discussed machine learning as an optimum approach for validating biomarkers.Together,future research efforts focused on neuroimaging biomarkers aim to enhance our understanding of schizophrenia.

Advancements and challenges in neuroimaging for the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms:Addressing false positive diagnoses and emerging techniques

Despite advancements in neuroimaging,false positive diagnoses of intracranial aneurysms remain a significant concern.This article examines the causes,prevalence,and implications of such false-positive diagnoses.We discuss how conditions like arterial occlusion with vascular stump formation and infundibular widening can mimic aneurysms,particularly in the anterior circulation.The article compares various imaging modalities,including computer tomography angiogram,magnetic resonance imaging/angiography,and digital subtraction angiogram,highlighting their strengths and limitations.We emphasize the im-portance of accurate differentiation to avoid unnecessary surgical interventions.The potential of emerging technologies,such as high-resolution vessel wall ima-ging and deep neural networks for automated detection,is explored as promising avenues for improving diagnostic accuracy.This manuscript underscores the need for continued research and clinical vigilance in the diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms.

Temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries on magnetic resonance imaging

Moderate to severe perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy occurs in~1 to 3/1000 live births in high-income countries and is associated with a significant risk of death or neurodevelopmental disability.Detailed assessment is important to help identify highrisk infants,to help families,and to support appropriate interventions.A wide range of monitoring tools is available to assess changes over time,including urine and blood biomarkers,neurological examination,and electroencephalography.At present,magnetic resonance imaging is unique as although it is expensive and not suited to monitoring the early evolution of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy by a week of life it can provide direct insight into the anatomical changes in the brain after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and so offers strong prognostic information on the long-term outcome after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.This review investigated the temporal dynamics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy injuries,with a particular emphasis on exploring the correlation between the prognostic implications of magnetic resonance imaging scans in the first week of life and their relationship to long-term outcome prediction,particularly for infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia.A comprehensive literature search,from 2016 to 2024,identified 20 pertinent articles.This review highlights that while the optimal timing of magnetic resonance imaging scans is not clear,overall,it suggests that magnetic resonance imaging within the first week of life provides strong prognostic accuracy.Many challenges limit the timing consistency,particularly the need for intensive care and clinical monitoring.Conversely,although most reports examined the prognostic value of scans taken between 4 and 10 days after birth,there is evidence from small numbers of cases that,at times,brain injury may continue to evolve for weeks after birth.This suggests that in the future it will be important to explore a wider range of times after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy to fully understand the optimal timing for predicting long-term outcomes.

Effects of Acupuncture on Alzheimer’s Disease: Evidence from Neuroimaging Studies

As the worldwide population ages, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases. However, the results of promising medications have been unsatisfactory. Chinese acupuncture has a long history of treating dementia, but lack of evidence from well-designed randomized controlled trials that validate its efficacy and safety, as well as its lack of clear underlying mechanisms, contribute to its limited application in clinical practice. In recent years, brain imaging technologies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, have been used to assess brain responses to acupuncture in a dynamic, visual, and objective way. These techniques are frequently used to explore neurological mechanisms of responses to acupuncture in AD and provide neuroimaging evidence as well as starting points to elucidate the possible mechanisms. This review summarizes the existing brain imaging evidence that explains the effects of acupuncture for AD and analyzes brain responses to acupuncture at cognitive-related acupoints [Baihui (GV 20), Shenmen (HT 7), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6), and Taixi (KI 3)] from perspectives of acupoint specificity and acupoint combinations. Key issues and directions to consider in future studies are also put forward. This review should deepen our understanding of how brain imaging studies can be used to explore the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in AD.

Clinical,Neuroimaging,and Pathological Analyses of 13 Chinese Leigh Syndrome Patients with Mitochondrial DNA Mutations

Background: Leigh syndrome(LS) is a rare disease caused by mitochondrial defects and has high phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity.We analyzed the clinical symptoms, neuroimaging, muscular histopathology, and genotypes of 13 Chinese LS patients with mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) mutations.Methods: Mutations in mtDNA were identified by targeted sequencing. The brain imaging features on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)were analyzed. The levels of lactate in fasting blood and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) were routinely tested. The levels of urinary organic acids, plasma amino acids, and acylcarnitines were examined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.The histopathological traits of skeletal muscles were analyzed under microscope.Results: Among 13 patients, mutations of MT?NDs(n = 8) and MT?ATP6(n = 4) genes were most common. Strabismus(8/13), muscle weakness(8/13), and ataxia(5/13) were also common, especially for the patients with late?onset age after 2 years old. However, respiratory distress was common in patients with early?onset age before 2 years old. The most frequently affected brain area in these patients was the brain stem(12/13), particularly the dorsal part of midbrain, followed by basal ganglia(6/13), thalamus(6/13), cerebellum(5/13),and supratentorial white matter(2/13). Besides, the elevated lactate levels in CSF(6/6) were more common than those in serum(7/13).However, the analysis of abnormal plasma amino acid and urinary organic acid showed limited results(0/3 and 1/4, respectively). Muscular histopathology showed mitochondrial myopathy in the three late?onset patients but not in the early?onset ones.Conclusions: Noninvasive genetic screening is recommended for mtDNA mutations in MT?NDs and MT?ATP6 genes in patients with ophthalmoplegia, muscle weakness, ataxia, and respiratory disorder. Furthermore, the lactate detection in CSF and the brain MRI scanning are suggested as the diagnosis methods for LS patients with mtDNA mutations.