Mechanism of Magnetic Pulse Wave Signal for Blood Pressure Measurement

Continuous non-invasive blood pressure (BP) measurement can be realized by using pulse transit time (PTT) based on electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse wave signal. Modulated magnetic signature of blood (MMSB) is a promising approach to obtain PTT. The origin of MMSB is critical to establish the relationship between MMSB and BP. In this paper, two possible origins of MMSB, blood disturbance mechanism and angular variation mechanism, are analyzed and verified through three control experi-ments under different conditions. The influence of blood velocity alteration and blood volume alteration on magnetic field is investigated though blood flow simulation sys-tem. It is found that MMSB comes mainly from the periodic blood flow while the per-turbation caused by angular variation between sensitive axis of the magnetic sensor and geomagnetic field can be neglected. As to blood disturbance mechanism, the change of blood volume plays a decisive role while the effect of blood velocity altera-tion is negligible.

Compensatory recombination phenomena of neurological functions in central dysphagia patients

We speculate that cortical reactions evoked by swallowing activity may be abnormal in patients with central infarction with dysphagia. The present study aimed to detect functional imaging features of cerebral cortex in central dysphagia patients by using blood oxygen level-depen- dent functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The results showed that when normal controls swallowed, primary motor cortex （BA4）, insula （BA13）, premotor cortex （BA6/8）, supramarginal gyrus （BA40）, and anterior cingulate cortex （BA24/32） were activated, and that the size of the activated areas were larger in the left hemisphere compared with the right. In re- current cerebral infarction patients with central dysphagia, BA4, BA13, BA40 aild BA6/8 areas were activated, while the degree of activation in BA24/32 was decreased. Additionally, more areas were activated, including posterior cingulate cortex （BA23/31）, visual association cortex （BA18/19）, primary auditory cortex （BA41） and parahippocampal cortex （BA36）. Somatosen- sory association cortex （BA7） and left cerebellum in patients with recurrent cerebral infarction with central dysphagia were also activated. Experimental findings suggest that the cerebral cortex has obvious hemisphere lateralization in response to swallowing, and patients with recurrent cerebral infarction with central dysphagia show compensatory recombination phenomena of neurological functions. In rehabilitative treatment, using the favorite food of patients can stimu- late swallowing through visual, auditory, and other nerve conduction pathways, thus promoting compensatory recombination of the central cortex functions.

Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging in hepatic encephalopathy: An update

Hepatic encephalopathy(HE) is a neuropsychiatric complication of cirrhosis or acute liver failure. Currently, HE is regarded as a continuous cognitive impairment ranging from the mildest stage, minimal HE to overt HE. Hyperammonaemia and neuroinflammation are two main underlying factors which contribute to the neurological alterations in HE. Both structural and functional impairments are found in the white mater and grey mater involved in HE. Although the investigations into HE pathophysiological mechanism are enormous, the exact pathophysiological causes underlying HE remain controversial. Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) plays an important role in helping to understand the pathological process of HE. This paper reviews the up-to-date multimodality MRI methods and predominant findings in HE patients with a highlight ofthe increasingly important role of blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI.

BOLD-fMRI study of auditory cortex in patients with tinnitus

Objective Blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to study activation signals in the brain cortex evoked by tone stimulation in patients with tinnitus for its potential utility as an objective indicator of tinnitus. Methods BOLD-fMRI examination was conducted in 7 patients with chronic tinnitus and 15 control subjects. The activation signal in the brain cortex was recorded. Results Significant activation was found in temporal lobe in control subjects, with greater signal volume and intensity on the contralateral than ipsilateral auditory cortex (P < 0.01). However, there was no discernable patterns in the anatomical location, volume and intensity of cortical activation signals in patients with chronic tinnitus. Conclusions Patients with chronic tinnitus may have abnormal neural activities in the auditory cortex.

A brief report on MRI investigation of experimental traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability. This is a brief report based on a symposium presentation to the 2014 Chinese Neurotrauma Association Meeting in San Francisco, USA. It covers the work from our laboratory in applying multimodal MRI to study experimental traumatic brain injury in rats with comparisons made to behavioral tests and histology. MRI protocols include structural, perfusion, manganese-enhanced, diffusion-tensor MRI, and MRI of blood-brain barrier integrity and cerebrovascular reactivity.

Neural Mechanism in Emotion Regulation by Simultaneous Recording of EEG and fMRI

The combination of electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) is a very attractive aim in neuroscience in order to achieve both high temporal and spatial resolution for the non-invasive study of cognitive brain function. In this paper, we record simultaneous EEG-fMRI of the same subject in emotional processing experiment in order to explore the characteristics of different emotional picture processing, and try to find the difference of the subjects' brain hemisphere while viewing different valence emotional pictures. The late positive potential(LPP) is a reliable electrophysiological index of emotional perception in humans. According to the analysis results, the slow-wave LPP and visual cortical blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals are both modulated by the rated intensity of picture arousal. The amplitude of the LPP correlate significantly with BOLD intensity in visual cortex, amygdala, temporal area, prefrontal and central areas across picture contents.

Blood Oxygenation Level-dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Breast Cancer： Correlation with Carbonic Anhydrase IX and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Background： Blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging （BOLD-MRI） is a functional MRI technique which involves using the paramagnetic properties of deoxyhemoglobin to image the local tissue oxygen concentration. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether BOLD-MRI could evaluate hypoxia and angiogenesis of breast invasive ductal carcinoma （IDC）. Methods： Ninety-eight female patients with IDC were retrospectively included in this research. All patients underwent breast BOLD-MRI at 3.0 T before surgery. R2＊ values of BOLD-MR1 were measured. The expression of carbonic anhydrase IX （CA IX） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Spearman＇s correlation analysis was used to correlate R2＊ value with CA IX and VEGF levels. Results： Heterogeneous intensity on BOLD-MRI images was the main finding of IDCs. The mean R2＊ value was 52.8 ± 18.6 Hz. The R2＊ values in patients with axillary lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than the R2＊ values in patients without axillary lymph node metastasis （t = 2.882, P = 0.005）. R2＊ values increased with CA IX level and positively correlated with the level of CA 1X （r = 0.616, P 〈 0.001）; however, R2＊ value had no significantly correlation with the level of VEGF （r = 0.110, P = 0.281）. Conclusion： B OLD-MRI could noninvasively evaluate chronic hypoxia of IDC, but not angiogenesis.

Entropy Generation Analysis in Convective Ferromagnetic Nano Blood Flow Through a Composite Stenosed Arteries with Permeable Wall

The study of heat transfer is of significant importance in many biological and biomedical industry problems.This investigation comprises of the study of entropy generation analysis of the blood flow in the arteries with permeable walls. The convection through the flow is studied with compliments to the entropy generation. Governing problem is formulized and solved for low Reynold's number and long wavelength approximations. Exact analytical solutions have been obtained and are analyzed graphically. It is seen that temperature for pure water is lower as compared to the copper water. It gains magnitude with an increase in the slip parameter.

Cilia-assisted hydromagnetic pumping of biorheological couple stress fluids

A theoretical study is conducted for magnetohydrodynamic pumping of electroconductive couple stress physiological liquids(e.g.blood)through a two-dimensional ciliated channel.A geometric model is employed for the cilia which are distributed at equal intervals and produce a whip-like motion under fluid interaction which obeys an elliptic trajectory.A metachronal wave is mobilized by the synchronous beating of cilia and the direction of wave propagation is parallel to the direction of fluid flow.A transverse static magnetic field is imposed transverse to the channel length.The Stokes’couple stress(polar)rheological model is utilized to characterize the liquid.The normalized two-dimensional conservation equations for mass,longitudinal and transverse momentum are reduced with lubrication approximations(long wavelength and low Reynolds number assumptions)and feature a fourth order linear derivative in axial velocity representing couple stress contribution.A coordinate transformation is employed to map the unsteady problem from the wave laboratory frame to a steady problem in the wave frame.No slip conditions are imposed at the channel walls.The emerging linearized boundary value problem is solved analytically and expressions presented for axial(longitudinal)velocity,volumetric flow rate,shear stress function and pressure rise.The flow is effectively controlled by three geometric parameters,viz cilia eccentricity parameter,wave number and cilia length and two physical parameters,namely magnetohydrodynamic(MHD)body force parameter and couple stress non-Newtonian parameter.Analytical solutions are numerically evaluated with MATLAB software.Axial velocity is observed to be enhanced in the core region with greater wave number whereas it is suppressed markedly with increasing cilia length,couple stress and magnetic parameters,with significant flattening of profiles with the latter two parameters.Axial pressure gradient is decreased with eccentricity parameter whereas it is elevated with cilia length,in the channel core region.Increasing couple stress and magnetic field parameter respectively enhance and suppress pressure gradient across the entire channel width.The pressure-flow rate relationship is confirmed to be inversely linear and pumping,free pumping and augmented pumping zones are all examined.Bolus trapping is also analyzed.The study is relevant to MHD biomimetic blood pumps.