Longitudinal Study of Iron Deposition and Volume in the Precentral Gyrus in Patients with Relapse-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: To longitudinally assess dynamic changes of iron deposition and volume of the precentral gyrus and its correlation with clinical manifestations of Relapse-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis(RRMS) by using 3D enhanced T2* weighted angiography(ESWAN). Methods: Thirty RRMS patients and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited and underwent ESWAN and 3D T1WI twice interval of one year with the same parameters. The mean phase values (MPVs) and volumes in precentral gyrus gray matter (PGM) were measured, and change of iron content and its correlation with volume, clinical manifestations were analyzed. Results: Compared with controls, the RRMS had higher iron deposition in both single-time measurements, but the volume decreased. Comparing to the first scan, we found significant difference in MPVs between the two times (P rs = 0.764, P rs = 0.592, P rs = 0.582, P rs = -0.399, P rs = -0.745, P rs = -0.367, P Conclusions: With the disease progression, the content of iron in PGM in RRMS patients is increasing, while the volume has no obvious change, suggesting that the iron deposition may precede or develop faster than cerebral atrophy.

Precentral gyrus abnormal connectivity in male and female patients with schizophrenia

Aim: Dysfunction of the precentral gyrus plays a role in the impairments of voluntary movement associated with schizophrenia and it has significantly reduced functional activity in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the precentral gyrus alteration and its abnormal connectivity in schizophrenia. Methods: The region of interest-based analysis method was used to investigate the precentral gyrus connectivity alteration in schizophrenia. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of healthy control subjects and patients with schizophrenia (Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence data set) was used to examine the aberrant functional brain connectome in schizophrenia. This data set contains raw anatomical and functional magnetic resonance data from 72 patients with schizophrenia and 75 healthy controls, ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old. Results: Our results show precentral gyrus has abnormal communication with thalamus, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, posterior division of supramarginal gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex (pFDR = 0.05). This information is expected to provide a better understanding of altered functional connectivity of the precentral gyrus in the male and female patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that precentral gyrus has an abnormal connectivity in schizophrenia and this alteration is not the same in the male and female patients with schizophrenia.

Resection of a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor in the precentral gyrus

Background:Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors(DNTs)are common causes of intractable epilepsy in pediatric epilepsy patients.The effect of surgical intervention is often limited when the tumor is located in the precentral gyrus.Furthermore,complete surgical resection is often not performed in order to avoid permanent neurological deficits.Methods:Here,we present a pediatric patient with intractable epilepsy caused by a simple DNT located in the precentral gyrus.Intracranial electrodes were implanted and used in combination with magnetic resonance imaging,video-electroencephalography and electrical cortical stimulation to assess neurological function,and where the epileptogenic zone was located.Results:The results of intracranial electrode monitoring suggested that the epileptogenic zone was located in the tumor area and that cortical function had been reorganized.We completely resected the tumor based on these findings.The patient has been seizure free after the surgery and has not had any neurological deficits.Conclusions:Simple form DNTs in the precentral gyrus can be completely resected with careful preoperative assessment of cortical function.Cortical reorganization could partly explain the functional preservation after surgery.

Association between brain N-acetylaspartate levels and sensory and motor dysfunction in patients who have spinal cord injury with spasticity:an observational case-control study

Spinal cord injury is a severe and devastating disease,and spasticity is a common and severe complication that is notoriously refractory to treatment.However,the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying spasticity and its development remain largely unknown.The goal of the present study was to find differences,if any,in metabolites of the left precentral gyrus and basal ganglia of patients who have spinal cord injury with or without spasticity,and to explore the relationship between the brain metabolite concentrations and clinical status.Thirty-six participants were recruited for magnetic resonance spectroscopic examination:23 with spinal cord injury(12 with spasticity and 11 without spasticity)and 13 healthy controls.We acquired localized proton spectra from the precentral gyrus and basal ganglia via 10 mm^(3) voxels.Notably,univariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that the lower that the N-acetylaspartate concentration(a marker for neuronal loss)was in the precentral gyrus of the patients,the lower their ASIA(American Spinal Injury Association)light-touch scores,pinprick scores,and motor scores.Additionally,longer durations of injury were associated with higher N-acetylaspartate levels in the precentral gyrus.Compared with the healthy participants and patients without spasticity,N-acetylaspartate levels in the patients with spasticity were significantly lower in both the precentral gyrus and basal ganglia.Lower N-acetylaspartate levels also correlated with greater sensory and motor dysfunction in the patients who had spinal cord injury with spasticity.

Gray Matter Volume Changes over the Whole Brain in the Bulbar-and Spinal-onset Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a Voxel-based Morphometry Study

Objective To investigate cerebral structural signatures of the bulbar-and spinal-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) using voxel-based morphometry on magnetic resonance imaging.Methods The MR structural images of the brain were obtained from 65 ALS patients(15 bulbar-onset, 50 spinalonset) and 65 normal controls(NC) on a 3.0 T MRI system. Gray matter(GM) volume changes were investigated by voxel-based morphometry, and the distribution of the brain regions with volume changes was compared between ALS and normal controls, as well as between bulbar-onset and spinal-onset ALS based on Neuromorphometrics atlas.Results On voxel-level the decreased volume of brain regions in ALS patients was located in the right precentral gyrus(r Prc Gy) and right middle frontal gyrus compared with that in NC. The bulbar-onset ALS presented extramotor cortex atrophy(fronto-temporal pattern), including left medial orbital gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus; the spinal-onset ALS suffered from motor cortex atrophy(r Prc Gy dominance) and extra-motor cortex atrophy(fronto-temporal and extra-fronto-temporal pattern) compared with NC. The spinal-onset ALS featured by GM volume loss of left postcentral gyrus and bulbar-onset ALS featured by GM volume loss of left middle temporal gyrus compared with each other. Conclusions The asymmetric GM atrophy of the motor cortex and extra-motor cortex represents the common MRI structural signatures of spinal-onset ALS, and sole extra-motor cortex atrophy represents the structural signatures of bulbar-onset ALS. The present study also demonstrated that the pattern of GM damage is likely to distribute wider in spinal-onset ALS than in bulbar-onset ALS.

Increased activation of the caudate nucleus and parahippocampal gyrus in Parkinson's disease patients with dysphagia after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation:a case-control study

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(r TMS)has been shown to effectively improve impaired swallowing in Parkinson's disease(PD)patients with dysphagia.However,little is known about how r TMS affects the corresponding brain regions in this patient group.In this casecontrol study,we examined data from 38 PD patients with dysphagia who received treatment at Beijing Rehabilitation Medicine Academy,Capital Medical University.The patients received high-frequency r TMS of the motor cortex once per day for 10 successive days.Changes in brain activation were compared via functional magnetic resonance imaging in PD patients with dysphagia and healthy controls.The results revealed that before treatment,PD patients with dysphagia showed greater activation in the precentral gyrus,supplementary motor area,and cerebellum compared with healthy controls,and this enhanced activation was weakened after treatment.Furthermore,before treatment,PD patients with dysphagia exhibited decreased activation in the parahippocampal gyrus,caudate nucleus,and left thalamus compared with healthy controls,and this activation increased after treatment.In addition,PD patients with dysphagia reported improved subjective swallowing sensations after r TMS.These findings suggest that swallowing function in PD patients with dysphagia improved after r TMS of the motor cortex.This may have been due to enhanced activation of the caudate nucleus and parahippocampal gyrus.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital of Capital Medical University(approval No.2018 bkky017)on March 6,2018 and was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration No.Chi CTR 1800017207)on July 18,2018.

Cerebral activation during unilateral clenching in patients with temporomandibular joint synovitis and biting pain： an functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Background Functional magnetic resonance is a non-invasive method that can examine brain activity and has been widely used in various fields including jaw movement and pain processing. Temporomandibular disorder （TMD） is one of the most frequent facial pain problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the brain activities using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） during unilateral maximal voluntary clenching tasks in the TMD synovitis patients with biting pain.Methods Fourteen TMD synovitis patients with unilateral biting pain and 14 controls were included in the study.Contralateral biting pain was defined as right molar clenching causing left temporomandibular joint （TMJ） pain. Ipsilateral biting pain was defined as right molar clenching causing right TMJ pain. Symptom Check List-90 （SCL-90） was administered to the patients and controls. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the SCL-90 subscales between the two groups. Unilateral clenching tasks were performed by the patients and controls. Imaging data were analyzed using SPM99.Results Patients were divided into contralateral TMD biting pain group （n=8） and ipsilateral TMD biting pain group （n=6）. The SCL-90 subscales were significantly different between the two groups for somatization, depression, anxiety,phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation. Group analysis of the controls demonstrated brain activations in the inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and insular. The areas of activation were different between right and left clenching task. In TMJ synovitis patients with contralateral or ipsilateral biting pain, the group analysis showed activations in the inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, medium frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus,and anterior cingulate cortex.Conclusions The inferior frontal gyrus and precentral gyrus play essential roles during the unilateral clenching task.Activation of anterior cingulate cortex in the synovitis patients with biting pain was associated with higher levels of psychological distress.