Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Schizophrenia Magnetic resonance imaging'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Schizophrenia Magnetic resonance imaging.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Schizophrenia Magnetic resonance imaging.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Harvey, Ian. "Magnetic resonance imaging in schizophrenia." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/19829.
Full text
2
Howard, Robert John Michael Webster. "Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in late paraphrenia." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.243821.
Full text
3
Alexander-Bloch, Aaron Felix. "Brain networks in magnetic resonance imaging studies of typical development and childhood-onset schizophrenia." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.608247.
Full text
4
Collinson, Simon Lowes. "Studies of cerebral laterality in early onset schizophrenia." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2001. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:c1e832af-5a0b-4f72-89af-9f4a295246a2.
Full textAbstract:
Accumulating evidence suggests that schizophrenia is associated with altered cerebral laterality secondary to a deviation from normal brain development. A number of findings suggest that age of onset of psychosis and gender may have a significant bearing on the nature and extent of the deviation. In order to examine this, early onset patients (12-19 years of age) were compared to healthy controls and later onset patients in a series of studies using standard neuropsychological techniques, experimental divided visual field (DVF) measures and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specific attention was directed to examining the influence of sex and age of onset on hemispheric specialisation. In the neuropsychological studies, early onset patients (n=35) demonstrated significant impairment of intellectual functioning relative to normal adolescents (n=35) but no significant VIQ-PIQ discrepancy. Earlier age of onset was significantly correlated with reduced VIQ and FSIQ. Early onset patients showed significant reduction in hand skill, increased incidence of non-right eye preference and crossed hand-eye dominance. In addition, patients demonstrated reduced right ear advantage (REA) in dichotic listening and inability to modulate ear advantage by directing attention. In the DVF experiments, early onset patients (n=20) demonstrated normal lateralisation in phonological word recognition but sexually dimorphic anomalies in lexico-semantic processing relative to normal controls (n=20). Males showed impairment in imageable word recognition whereas females were more impaired in emotional word recognition. In both cases, the observed anomalies implicated a disturbance in the semantic network subserved by left hemisphere ventromedial and superior temporal heteromodal cortex. In MRI investigations, early onset patients (n=33) had smaller cerebral hemispheres and larger lateral ventricles than controls (n=32). Male patients showed reduction of leftward asymmetry in temporal lobe volume and female patients showed reversal of rightward asymmetry. Significant correlations were found between left ventricular brain ratio and reaction time to phonological word processing. Together, the combined results indicate that early onset schizophrenia is associated with a significant but selective alteration of cerebral laterality, that age of onset is likely to be a determinant of this alteration and that, to some extent, these changes are mediated by gender. The results are discussed within the context of neurodevelopmental aetiology.
5
Currie, James. "Neuroeconomics investigation of decision-making in schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2017. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=235437.
Full text
6
Leung, Mei-kei, and 梁美琪. "MRI brain abnormality in first episode schizophrenia before and after treatment." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43572303.
Full text
7
Michael, Andrew M. "Imaging schizophrenia : data fusion approaches to characterize and classify /." Online version of thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/9673.
Full text
8
Gradin, Iade Victoria B. "Major depression and schizophrenia : investigation of neural mechanisms using neuroimaging and computational modeling of brain function." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2011. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=184011.
Full textAbstract:
Depression and schizophrenia are common psychiatric disorders that can be disabling and chronic. This thesis aimed to further elucidate the underlying neural substrates using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based studies. Hypothesized impairments in reinforcement learning in depression and schizophrenia were investigated, as were the neural correlates of abnormalities of social information processing in schizophrenia. Computational models of reinforcement learning are based on the concept of a 'prediction error' (PE, discrepancy between the expected and actual outcome) signal to update predictions of rewards and improve action selection. It has been argued that the firing of dopamine neurons encode a reward PE signal that mediates the learning of associations and the attribution of motivational salience to reward-related stimuli. Using model-based fMRI, the encoding of neural PE signals in patients with depression and schizophrenia were investigated. Consistent with hypotheses, patients exhibited different abnormalities in neural PE signals, with the degree of abnormality correlating with increased anhedonia/psychotic symptoms in depression/schizophrenia. These findings are consistent with the suggestion that a disruption in the encoding of PE signals contributes to anhedonia symptoms in depression by disrupting learning and the acquisition of salience of rewarding events. In schizophrenia, abnormal PE signals may contribute to psychosis by promoting aberrant perceptions and abnormal associations. In a different study, the neural responses to social exclusion in schizophrenia were investigated. Schizophrenia patients failed to modulate activity in the medial prefrontal cortex with the degree of exclusion, unlike controls. This highlights the neural substrates of putatively impaired social information processing in schizophrenia. Overall, these findings are consistent with proposals that psychiatric syndromes reflect different disorders of neural valuation. This perspective may help bridge the gap between the biological and phenomenological levels of understanding of depression and schizophrenia, hopefully contributing in the long term to the development of more effective treatments.
9
Goodby, Emmeline. "Cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging endophenotypes of psychosis measured in first episode patients and their unaffected first degree relatives." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.610467.
Full text
10
Deng, Yi, and 鄧藝. "From neuroimaging to proteomics in schizophrenia." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B43278516.
Full text
11
Yamamoto, Utako. "Fiber Tracking and Tractography with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Quantitative Evaluation of Schizophrenia." 京都大学 (Kyoto University), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/174938.
Full text
12
Woodruff, Peter Walter Ralph. "Magnetic resonance imaging evidence for abnormally lateralised and fronto-temporally dissociated brain regions in schizophrenia." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.286762.
Full text
13
Cheung, Vinci, and 張穎思. "Structural white matter abnormalities in never-medicated patients withfirst-episode schizophrenia: a diffusiontensor imaging study." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2008. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B39793734.
Full text
14
Mori, Yasuo. "Effect of phase-encoding direction on group analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging." Kyoto University, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/261590.
Full text
15
Whyte, Marie-Claire. "Neuropsychological assessment and functional magnetic resonance imaging of verbal declarative memory performance in relatives of schizophrenia patients and controls." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/27660.
Full textAbstract:
The Edinburgh High Risk Study recruited 162 young adults with at least one first or second degree relative with schizophrenia and 43 closely matched controls. A broad neuropsychological (NP) and clinical assessment battery was administered every 18-24 months over 10 years, while participants underwent between 1 and 3 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans during a verbal memory and executive function task over 5 years. Methods: Baseline predictors of schizophrenia, performance changes over 2 NP assessments, and the influence of genetic liability were examined in high risk participants with (HR+) and without psychotic symptoms (HR-), those who are now ill (Scz) and controls (C ), using one-way ANOVAs and repeated measures ANCOVAs. Aspects of verbal and non-verbal memory were also compared between the HR and C in the first 100 participants to undergo an fMRI scan using one-way ANOVAs. In the same participants, differences between groups in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI brain responses during an event related verbal encoding (word classification) and retrieval task were investigated using fixed and random effects general linear models. Results: On a test of verbal learning at baseline, Scz performed significantly less well than HR. However, there were no significant interactions of time by group, and HR showed stable impairments relative to C on immediate and delayed prose recall, delayed list recall and response suppression across both assessments before and after controlling for IQ. Measures of genetic liability were inversely correlated with delayed prose recall over time. HR showed poorer cued delayed recall, and less word retention between short and long delay recall trials on a verbal learning test. A visual recognition test also significantly discriminated between HR and C. Behavioural analysis of the fMRI verbal memory task revealed no differences between groups in reaction time or accuracy. However, during encoding there was a greater BOLD response in the right inferior frontal lobe (BA45/44) in HR relative to C, and in the right inferior parietal lobule (BA7/40) in HR+ relative to C and HR-. During correct recognition compared to correct rejection responses there was a greater bilateral cerebellar and left inferior frontal response in HR relative to C, and an increased thalamus response in HR-relative to HR+. Conclusions: Stable differences in NP performance over time suggest a trait deficit, which is relatively unaffected by the presence of psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia onset, although small numbers might be have been precluded detection significant time by group interactions. Poorer verbal memory performance overall in Scz suggests that this deficit is more pronounced in those who go on to develop schizophrenia. Non-verbal learning impairments reflect encoding deficits, while verbal learning impairments reflect encoding and retention difficulties in the HR group.
16
Price, Gary. "Investigating structural brain changes in the first-episode of schizophrenia using volumetric, magnetisation transfer and diffusion tensor-magnetic resonance imaging." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2008. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/17231/.
Full textAbstract:
Schizophrenia is a common psychiatric illness presenting in young adults. Structural brain abnormalities have been detected in patients early in the disease and in those with chronic schizophrenia using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRl). Conventional MRI lacks neuropathological sensitivity and can only detect structural changes when they lead to reduction in brain volume. Two other MRI structural techniques - Magnetisation transfer (MTI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) - are capable of detecting more subtle abnormalities than conventional MRI and provide more specific information about the underlying neuropathology. This thesis comprises several studies using volumetric imaging, MTI and DTI to elucidate structural brain abnormalities in patients with first episode Schizophrenia in whom the confounding effects of a chronic illness can be minimized. The following studies are included in the thesis: 1) A cross-sectional comparison of patients with first episode psychosis and healthy controls using MTI and volumetric imaging 2) A 3-year follow-up study of patients and healthy controls using MTI and volumetric MRI to examine the natural history of schizophrenia. 3) Three cross-sectional studies using DTI to explore white matter abnormalities that may lead to disrupted connectivity; a) a region-of-interest DTI study of the corpus callosum; b) a tractography study of the corpus callosum; c) a tractography study of the uncinate fasciculus.
17
Kaneko, Yoshio A. "Resting-state hyperconnectivity of the anticorrelated intrinsic networks in schizophrenic patients and their unaffected siblings." Yale University, 2010. http://ymtdl.med.yale.edu/theses/available/etd-03092010-145235/.
Full textAbstract:
Abnormal connectivity of the intrinsic anticorrelated networks, the task-negative network (TNN) and task-positive network (TPN), is implicated in schizophrenia. Comparisons between schizophrenic patients and their unaffected siblings offer an opportunity to further understand illness susceptibility and pathophysiology. We hypothesized that schizophrenic patients would demonstrate hyperconnectivity in the intrinsic networks and that similar, but less pronounced, hyperconnectivity would be evident in the networks of the unaffected siblings. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were obtained from schizophrenic patients (n=25), their unaffected siblings (n=25), and healthy controls (n=25). The posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCu) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were used as seed regions to identify the TNN and TPN. Interregional connectivity strengths were analyzed using overlapped intrinsic networks composed of regions common to the intrinsic networks of the three subject groups. In the TNN, schizophrenic patients alone demonstrated hyperconnectivity between the PCC/PCu and left inferior temporal gyrus and between the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the right lateral parietal cortex. Both schizophrenic patients and their unaffected siblings showed increased connectivity in the TNN between the bilateral inferior temporal gyri. In the TPN, schizophrenic patients showed hyperconnectivity between the left DLPFC and right inferior frontal gyrus relative to unaffected siblings, though this trend only approached statistical significance in comparison to healthy controls. Resting-state hyperconnectivity of the intrinsic networks may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia by disrupting network coordination. Similar, though milder, hyperconnectivity in unaffected siblings of schizophrenic patients may contribute to their cognitive deficits and increased risk to develop schizophrenia.
18
Váša, František. "Characterising disease-related and developmental changes in correlation-derived structural and functional brain networks." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2018. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277816.
Full textAbstract:
Human structural and functional brain architecture is increasingly studied by applying the mathematical framework of complex networks to data from magnetic resonance imaging. Connections (edges) in such brain networks are commonly constructed using correlations of features between pairs of brain regions, such as regional morphology (across participants) or neurophysiological time series (within participants). Subsequent analyses frequently focus on summary network statistics calculated using the strongest correlations, but often neglect potential underlying shifts within the correlation distribution. This thesis presents methods for the construction and analysis of correlation-derived structural and functional brain networks, focusing on the implications of changes within the correlation distribution. First, schizophrenia is considered as an example disease which is known to present a reduction in mean correlation between regional neurophysiological time series. Previous studies reported increased network randomisation in schizophrenia, but these results may have been driven by inclusion of a greater number of noisy edges in patients’ networks, based on retention of a fixed proportion of the strongest edges during network thresholding. Here, a novel probabilistic thresholding procedure is applied, based on the realisation that the strongest edges are not necessarily most likely to be true following adjustment of edge probabilities for effects of participant in-scanner motion. Probabilistically thresholded functional networks show decreased randomness, and increased consistency across participants. Further, applying probabilistic thresholding eliminates increased network randomisation in schizophrenia, supporting the hypothesis that previously reported group differences originated in the application of standard thresholding approaches to patient networks with decreased functional correlations. Subsequently, healthy adolescent development is studied, to help understand the frequent emergence of psychiatric disorders in this period. Importantly, both structural and functional brain networks undergo maturational shifts in correlation distribution over adolescence. Due to reliance of structural correlation networks on a group of subjects, previous studies of adolescent structural network development divided groups into discrete age-bins. Here, a novel sliding-window method is used to describe adolescent development of structural correlation networks in a continuous manner. Moreover, networks are probabilistically thresholded by retaining edges that are most consistent across bootstrapped samples of participants, leading to clearer maturational trajectories. These structural networks show non-linear trajectories of adolescent development driven by changes in association cortical areas, compatible with a developmental process of pruning combined with consolidation of surviving connections. Robustness of the results is demonstrated using extensive sensitivity analyses. Finally, adolescent developmental changes in functional network architecture are described, focusing on the characterisation of unthresholded (fully weighted) networks. The distribution of functional correlations presents a non-uniform shift over adolescence. Initially strong cortical connections to primary sensorimotor areas further strengthen into adulthood, whereas association cortical and subcortical edges undergo a subtler reorganisation of functional connectivity. Furthermore, individual subcortical regions show distinct maturational profiles. Patterning of maturation according to known functional systems is affirmed by partitioning regions developing at similar rates into maturational modules. Taken together, this thesis comprises novel methods for the characterisation of disease-related and normative developmental changes in structural and functional correlation brain networks. These methods are generalizable to a wide range of scenarios, beyond the specific disease and developmental age-ranges presented herein.
19
Whitford, Thomas James. "A longitudinal study of brain structure in the early stages of schizophrenia." University of Sydney, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1895.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide, and which typically has a devastating effect on the lives of its sufferers. The characteristic symptoms of the disease include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought and reduced emotional expression. While many of the early theories of schizophrenia focused on its psychosocial foundations, more recent theories have focused on the neurobiological underpinnings of the disease. This thesis has four primary aims: 1) to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify the structural brain abnormalities present in patients suffering from their first episode of schizophrenia (FES), 2) to elucidate whether these abnormalities were static or progressive over the first 2-3 years of patients’ illness, 3) to identify the relationship between these neuroanatomical abnormalities and patients’ clinical profile, and 4) to identify the normative relationship between longitudinal changes in neuroanatomy and electrophysiology in healthy participants, and to compare this to the relationship observed between these two indices in patients with FES. The aim of Chapter 2 was to use MRI to identify the neuroanatomical changes that occur over adolescence in healthy participants, and to identify the normative relationship between the neuroanatomical changes and electrophysiological changes associated with healthy periadolescent brain maturation. MRI and electroencephalographic (EEG) scans were acquired from 138 healthy participants between the ages of 10 and 30 years. The MRI scans were segmented into grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) images, before being parcellated into the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. Absolute EEG power was calculated for the slow-wave, alpha and beta frequency bands, for the corresponding cortical regions. The age-related changes in regional tissue volumes and regional EEG power were inferred with a regression model. The results indicated that the healthy participants experienced accelerated GM loss, EEG power loss and WM gain in the frontal and parietal lobes between the ages of 10 and 20 years, which decelerated between the ages of 20 and 30 years. A linear relationship was also observed between the maturational changes in regional GM volumes and EEG power in the frontal and parietal lobes. These results indicate that the periadolescent period is a time of great structural and electrophysiological change in the healthy human brain. The aim of Chapter 3 was to identify the GM abnormalities present in patients with FES, both at the time of their first presentation to mental health services (baseline), and over the first 2-3 years of their illness (follow-up). MRI scans were acquired from 41 patients with FES at baseline, and 47 matched healthy control subjects. Of these participants, 25 FES patients and 26 controls returned 2-3 years later for a follow-up scan. The analysis technique of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used in conjunction with the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software package in order to identify the regions of GM difference between the groups at baseline. The related analysis technique of tensor-based morphometry (TBM) was used to identify subjects’ longitudinal GM change over the follow-up interval. Relative to the healthy controls, the FES patients were observed to exhibit widespread GM reductions in the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices and cerebellum at baseline, as well as more circumscribed regions of GM increase, particularly in the occipital lobe. Furthermore, the FES patients lost considerably more GM over the follow-up interval than the controls, particularly in the parietal and temporal cortices. These results indicate that patients with FES exhibit significant structural brain abnormalities very early in the course of their illness, and that these abnormalities progress over the first few years of their illness. Chapter 4 employed the same methodology to investigate the white matter abnormalities exhibited by the FES subjects relative to the controls, both at baseline and over the follow-up interval. Compared to controls, the FES patients exhibited volumetric WM deficits in the frontal and temporal lobes at baseline, as well as volumetric increases at the fronto-parietal junction bilaterally. Furthermore, the FES patients lost considerably more WM over the follow-up interval than did the controls in the middle and inferior temporal cortex bilaterally. While there is substantial evidence indicating that abnormalities in the maturational processes of myelination play a significant role in the development of WM abnormalities in FES, the observed longitudinal reductions in WM were consistent with the death of a select population of temporal lobe neurons over the follow-up interval. The aim of Chapter 5 was to investigate the clinical correlates of the GM abnormalities exhibited by the FES patients at baseline. The volumes of four distinct cerebral regions where 31 patients with FES exhibited reduced GM volumes relative to 30 matched controls were calculated and correlated with patients’ scores on three primary symptom dimensions: Disorganization, Reality Distortion and Psychomotor Poverty. The results indicated that the greater the degree of atrophy exhibited by the FES patients in three of these four ‘regions-of-reduction’, the less severe their degree of Reality Distortion. These results suggest that an excessive amount of GM atrophy may in fact preclude the formation of hallucinations or highly systematized delusions in patients with FES. The aim of Chapter 6 was to identify the relationship between the longitudinal changes in brain structure and brain electrophysiology exhibited by 19 FES patients over the first 2-3 years of their illness, and to compare it to the normative relationship between the two indices reported in Chapter 2. The methodology employed for the parcellation of the MRI and EEG data was identical to Chapter 2. The results indicated that, in contrast to the healthy controls, the longitudinal reduction in GM volume exhibited by the FES patients was not associated with a corresponding reduction in EEG power in any brain lobe. In contrast, EEG power was observed to be maintained or even to increase over the follow-up interval in these patients. These results were consistent with the FES patients experiencing an abnormal elevation of neural synchrony. Such an abnormality in neural synchrony could potentially form the basis of the dysfunctional neural connectivity that has been widely proposed to underlie the functional deficits present in patients with schizophrenia. The primary aim of Chapter 7 was to assimilate the findings from the preceding empirical chapters with the theoretical framework provided in the literature, into an integrated and testable model of schizophrenia. The model emphasized dysfunctions in brain maturation, specifically in the normative processes of synaptic ‘pruning’ and axonal myelination, as playing a key role in the development of disintegrated neural activity and the subsequent onset of schizophrenic symptoms. The model concluded with the novel proposal that disintegrated neural activity arises from abnormal elevations in the synchrony of synaptic activity in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.
20
Monté, Rubio Gemma C. "Computational analysis of schizophrenia: Implementation of a multivariate model of anatomical differences." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/348264.
Full textAbstract:
Chronic schizophrenia has been widely studied, consistent findings have shown the anatomical pattern associated with this disease, but the clinical picture is often undifferentiated at first presentation. Finding morphometric alterations associated with a disease is a widespread goal in neuroimaging. It has been performed in hundreds of studies from applying Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM). However, VBM is a mass-univariate approach, assumes that voxels are independent and this may not be the most biologically plausible assumption to make. Many neuroimaging advances are focused in multivariate framework, like pattern recognition approaches. Such applications reveal complex associations and prediction models that provide greater accuracy for characterizing differences, also in schizophrenia. Such techniques require some form of characterization of inter-subject neuroanatomical variability, where the registration plays a significant role. If data are imprecisely modeled or the characterization used does not incorporate key information, this may result in poor predictions. The use of suboptimal features limits the accuracy with which predictions may be made. This scenario makes necessary exploring features from images and use the most informative to optimise pattern recognition in clinical research. Regarding modeling, accuracy is being established during VBM-type preprocessing. If segmentation does not work accurately, the next normalisation step cannot be accurate either. Hence the interest in the accuracy of automated computational tools is also increasing.
To adress these issues, the current thesis was divided into three studies. First study was focused on the comparison between segmentation algorithms by SPM (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/): “Unified segmentation” (US) and “New Segmentation” (NS), and FSL (http://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/): “FMRIB’s Automated Segmentation tool” (FAST). The IBSR dataset (http://vivo.cornell.edu/display/individual5017) that includes segmented classes by experts was used to establish a ground truth. A detailed comparison between algorithms was conducted using different methods. In study 2 a Gaussian Process machine learning approach was used for predicting age, gender and body mass index (BMI) using the IXI dataset (http://biomedic.doc.ic.ac.uk/brain-development/index.php?n=Main.Datasets). MRI data were segmented using NS and registered with the “Shooting Geodesic toolbox”. Proper characterizations from VBM-type preprocessed data (linear kernels) and its dependence on the smoothing (FWHM from 0 to 20mm) were evaluated. Study 3 consisted in an application to Schizophrenia (Sample involved 111 patients and 111 controls provided by FIDMAG: http://www.fidmag.com/fidmag/index.php) with the optimal features from study 2. Our hypothesis was that image features that worked well in study 2 would also work well for predicting schizophrenia.
Results from study 1 showed that US was the most sensitive algorithm, and FAST the most specific, NS was found the most balanced of the three, no significant differences w.r.t. the sensitivity of US and the specificity of FAST were detected. Moreover, NS obtained the highest Jaccard coefficient, becoming the most similar to the ground truth. FAST was found the last in this ranking. In study 2, results from predicting age, gender and BMI pointed that scalar momentum was the best feature. Interestingly, grey matter (GM) was not the best feature for predicting age, and whithe matter was the best feature for predicting BMI. In general, performances were highly dependent on the smoothing, although scalar momentum was not among the most dependent. Findings from study 3 showed that scalar momentum provided best feature than GM for predicting schizophrenia, this results confirmed the hypothesis a priori.
Main conclusion is that multivariate pattern recognition analyses using scalar momentum provide an excellent strategy for classifying schizophrenia. This approach might potentially be extended to other psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases both in research and as an aid to differential diagnosis in routine clinical practice.Aunque el patrón anatómico asociado a la esquizofrenia es conocido, el cuadro clínico es a menudo difícil de diferenciar en su debut. Un extendido objetivo en neurociencias es encontrar alteraciones morfológicas asociadas a una enfermedad. Muchos estudios han aplicado la Morfología Basada en Voxel (VBM), pero es univariante y no cumple la asunción biológicamente más plausible. Esto conduce a la neuroimagen hacia entornos multivariantes como el reconocimiento de patrones. Estas técnicas requieren de una caracterización de los datos que cuantifique la variabilidad neuroanatomica. Si los datos no están modelados con precisión y/o las caracterizaciones no incorporan información clave, la precisión de las predicciones será limitada. Es necesario explorar características a partir de imágenes y seleccionar las más informativas. También es esencial el preprocesado tipo-VBM requerido. Si la segmentación no es precisa, la normalización tampoco puede serlo. Para abordar estos aspectos, esta tesis se divide en tres estudios. El primero compara algoritmos de segmentación de SPM: “Unified segmentation” (US) y “New Segmentation” (NS), y de FSL: “FMRIB’s Automated Segmentation tool” (FAST). Se realizó una comparación entre algoritmos usando diferentes métodos con las imágenes IBSR (vivo.cornell.edu/display/individual5017), por incluir tejidos segmentados por expertos. En el estudio 2, una máquina de aprendizaje de Procesos Gaussianos fue aplicada para predecir edad, género e índice de masa corporal (IMC) usando los datos IXI (biomedic.doc.ic.ac.uk/brain-development/index.php?n=Main.Datasets). Las imágenes fueron preprocesadas con SPM12. Después, caracterizaciones de éstos datos fueron evaluadas, así como su relación con el suavizado (FWHM: 0-20mm). El estudio 3 consistió en aplicar la metodología del estudio 2 a la esquizofrenia (datos FIDMAG). Nuestra hipótesis fue que las características óptimas del estudio 2 también lo serían en éste. Los primeros resultados mostraron que NS fue la herramienta más equilibrada en cuanto a sensibilidad y especificidad. También NS obtuvo el coeficiente Jaccard más alto, dando segmentaciones más similares a las realizadas por expertos. FAST obtuvo el índice menor. En el estudio 2, los resultados de las predicciones señalaron los momentos escalares como la mejor característica. Curiosamente, la sustancia gris (GM) no fue la óptima para predecir la edad, y la sustancia blanca fue la mejor para predecir IMC. Se observó alta dependencia del suavizado. En el estudio 3 los momentos escalares aportaron mejor caracterización para predecir esquizofrenia que la GM, confirmado la hipótesis a priori. En conclusión los momentos escalares proveen de características que alcanzan mayor precisión en el reconocimiento de patrones para predecir la esquizofrenia. Éste enfoque podría extenderse a otras enfermedades tanto en investigación y como ayuda al diagnóstico diferencial en la clínica diaria.
21
Rauer, Lisa [Verfasser], and Oliver [Akademischer Betreuer] Gruber. "Examinations of pathomechanisms in schizophrenic and bipolar disorders – results from two functional magnetic resonance imaging studies / Lisa Rauer ; Betreuer: Oliver Gruber." Heidelberg : Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, 2021. http://d-nb.info/1226541658/34.
Full text
22
Spanghero, Maristela Schaufelberger. "Avaliação longitudinal de pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia e transtorno esquizofreniforme utilizando ressonância magnética de crânio." Universidade de São Paulo, 2008. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5142/tde-14102008-155130/.
Full textAbstract:
Alterações morfométricas cerebrais em pacientes com esquizofrenia têm sido descritas em muitos estudos utilizando ressonância magnética estrutural, sendo as mais consistentes o aumento ventricular e a redução do volume de substância cinzenta em neocórtex pré-frontal e temporal, ínsula, tálamo e no hipocampo/giro parahipocampal. No entanto, a natureza e o curso dessas alterações ainda não foram esclarecidos. Embora a principal hipótese a respeito da etiopatogenia da esquizofrenia sugira a presença de alterações anatômicas de início precoce e estáveis ao longo da doença, estudos longitudinais de ressonância magnética estrutural a partir do primeiro episódio psicótico têm indicado que, apesar de observáveis já no início da doença, ou mesmo antes do surgimento da mesma, algumas alterações podem ser progressivas, principalmente nos primeiros anos. Neste trabalho, foi comparado, transversal e longitudinalmente, o volume de substância cinzenta entre pacientes com esquizofrenia e transtorno esquizofreniforme após o primeiro contato com serviços de saúde e controles não psicóticos. As imagens de ressonância magnética estrutural de 62 pacientes e 94 controles procedentes da mesma área de captação, recrutados a partir de um estudo epidemiológico na cidade de São Paulo, foram adquiridas em um aparelho de 1,5 Tesla. Após um intervalo médio de 16 meses, 39 pacientes e 52 controles foram reexaminados. As imagens foram analisadas pelo método de morfometria voxel-a-voxel com o uso do programa Statistical Parametric Mapping e a significância estatística foi estabelecida em p<0,05, corrigido para comparações múltiplas. A comparação inicial entre os grupos evidenciou áreas de redução de substância cinzenta nos pacientes em córtex pré-frontal direito e esquerdo, córtex temporal superior esquerdo, ínsula bilateral e hipocampo e giro parahipocampal direitos. A análise longitudinal evidenciou maior grau de preservação de substância cinzenta no grupo dos pacientes em córtex temporal superior esquerdo e em hipocampo/giro parahipocampal direitos. Não houve áreas de perda significativamente maior de substância cinzenta em pacientes comparados aos controles na análise longitudinal. Não foi encontrada diferença de volume de substância cinzenta entre pacientes com maior ou menor tempo de exposição aos antipsicóticos, tanto à análise inicial, quanto à análise longitudinal. Os resultados da análise transversal estão de acordo com a literatura sobre alterações cerebrais estruturais em primeiro episódio psicótico. Os achados da investigação longitudinal estão de acordo com alguns estudos de seguimento e apontam para a possibilidade de que essas alterações surgiriam antes do primeiro episódio psicótico. Além disso, tais resultados sugerem que, pelo menos durante o intervalo pesquisado, tais alterações não são progressivas. As diferenças volumétricas entre pacientes e controles não foram causadas pelo uso de antipsicóticosMorphometric brain abnormalities have been extensively described in subjects with schizophrenia in many structural magnetic resonance imaging studies, the most consistent findings being ventricular enlargement and gray matter reductions in frontal and temporal neocortices, insula, thalamus and hippocampus/parahippocampal gyri. However, the nature and course of these abnormalities have not yet been clarified. Although the main hypothesis regarding the etiopathology of schizophrenia implies the presence of early and stable anatomical brains abnormalities, longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging studies have suggested that, despite being present at the first episode of psychosis, or even before its onset, some brain abnormalities may be progressive, especially at the first few years of the disorder. In the present study, gray matter volumes were compared, at baseline and longitudinally, between first-episode patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder and non-psychotic controls. Structural magnetic resonance images from 62 patients and 94 controls, recruited from the same catchment area for an epidemiological study in the city of São Paulo, were acquired using a 1.5 Tesla scanner. After a mean period of 16 months, 39 patients and 52 controls were rescanned. Images were analyzed by voxel-based morphometry with the Statistical Parametric Mapping software and statistical significance was set at p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons. The initial betweengroup comparison revealed gray matter reductions in patients, when compared to controls, in the right and left prefrontal cortices, left superior temporal cortex, bilateral insula and right hippocampus and parahipocampal gyrus. Longitudinally, patients exhibited significantly greater gray matter preservation in left superior temporal cortex and right hippocampus/ parahipocampal gyrus. There were no areas showing significantly greater gray matter loss in patients relative to controls in the longitudinal analysis. There were no gray matter differences between medicated and unmedicated patients, neither at baseline nor at follow-up. The findings of the baseline comparison are in accordance with previous studies that reported brain abnormalities in association with first episode psychosis. The longitudinal results are in accordance with some of the follow-up neuroimaging studies conducted to date and support the hypothesis that the described abnormalities could have been present before the onset of illness. Also, these findings suggest that, at least considering the follow-up interval of our study, such brain changes are not progressive. The volumetric differences between patients and controls observed in our study were not caused by antipsychotic medication effects
23
Bassitt, Débora Pastore. ""Crítica de doença e alterações cerebrais estruturais na esquizofrenia"." Universidade de São Paulo, 2005. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5142/tde-26102005-133339/.
Full textAbstract:
Foram avaliados 50 pacientes com esquizofrenia, através de escalas e de Ressonância magnética, feita também em 30 controles normais. Foi observado maior grau de comprometimento da crítica em pacientes não ocupados e que recebiam associação de antipsicóticos. Foi encontrada correlação positiva entre maior comprometimento da crítica e mais desorganização, excitação, hostilidade e total de sintomas negativos, além de correlação negativa com ansiedade, sentimento de culpa e depressão. Houve correlação entre comprometimento da crítica e diminuição do volume de substância cinzenta no giro lingual no lobo occipital, que não se manteve após correção para comparações múltiplas. Foi observada atrofia de substância cinzenta em área de 27 cm3 em insula, lobos frontal, temporal e parietal, nos pacientes com esquizofreniaFifth patients with schizophrenia were evaluated with psychopathological and insight scales and cerebral magnetic ressonance (made also on thirty normal controls). There was a greater insight impairment on unemployed patients and on these receiving two or more antipsychotics. There was a positive correlation between greater insight impairment and disorganization, excitation, hostility and total negative symptoms, besides a negative correlation with anxiety, guilt feelings, preoccupation and depression. Patients with less insight had a reduction of gray matter volume on the lingual gyrus, occipital lobe, that disappeared when correction for multiple comparisons was made. Schizophrenic patients had gray matter reduction in an 27 cm3 area in insula and frontal, temporal and parietal lobes
24
Torres, Ulysses dos Santos. "Estudo de alterações estruturais cerebrais em pacientes com esquizofrenia crônica e de primeiro episódio através de imagens por ressonância magnética com morfometria baseada no voxel." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5151/tde-30062016-160432/.
Full textAbstract:
Introdução: Embora alterações estruturais cerebrais na esquizofrenia venham sendo repetidamente demonstradas em estudos de ressonância magnética (RM), ainda permanece incerto se tais alterações são estáticas ou progressivas. Enquanto estudos longitudinais são tradicionalmente utilizados na avaliação da questão da progressão, estudos transversais de neuroimagem comparando diretamente pacientes com esquizofrenia crônica e de primeiro episódio a controles saudáveis têm sido bastante raros até o presente. Com o recente interesse em meganálises combinando dados multicêntricos de RM visando-se a maior poder estatístico, o presente estudo multicêntrico de morfometria baseada no voxel (VBM) foi realizado para avaliar os padrões de alterações estruturais cerebrais segundo os diferentes estágios da doença, bem como para avaliar quais (se alguma) dessas alterações se correlacionariam especificamente a moderadores clínicos potenciais, tais como exposição cumulativa a antipsicóticos, tempo de doença e gravidade da doença. Métodos: Selecionou-se uma ampla amostra de pacientes com esquizofrenia (161, sendo 99 crônicos e 62 de primeiro episódio) e controles (151) a partir de quatro estudos prévios de RM (1,5T) realizados na mesma região do Brasil. O processamento e análise das imagens foi realizado usando-se o software Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) com emprego do algoritmo DARTEL (diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated Lie algebra). Os efeitos de grupo sobre os volumes regionais de substância cinzenta (SC) foram analisados através de comparações voxel-a-voxel por análises de covariância em modelos lineares gerais, inserindo-se, em todas as análises, o volume total de SC, protocolo do scanner, idade e sexo como variáveis de confusão. Por fim, foram realizadas análises de correlação entre os aludidos moderadores clínicos potenciais e os volumes cerebrais globais e regionais. Resultados: Os pacientes com esquizofrenia de primeiro episódio apresentaram reduções volumétricas sutis em comparação aos controles, em um circuito neural circunscrito e identificável apenas em análises SVC (small volume correction) [p < 0.05, com correção family-wise error (FWE)], incluindo a ínsula, estruturas têmporo-límbicas e corpo estriado. Os pacientes crônicos, por outro lado, apresentaram um padrão de alterações extensas comparativamente aos controles, envolvendo os córtices frontais orbitais, superiores e inferiores bilateralmente, córtex frontal médio direito, ambos os córtices cingulados anteriores, ambas as ínsulas, e os córtices temporais superior e médio direitos (p < 0.05, análises whole-brain com correção FWE). Foram encontradas correlações negativas significantes entre exposição cumulativa a antipsicóticos e volumes globais de SC e substância branca nos pacientes com esquizofrenia, embora as correlações com reduções regionais não tenham sido significantes. Detectaram-se, ainda, correlações negativas significantes entre tempo de doença e volumes regionais relativos da ínsula esquerda, córtex cingulado anterior direito e córtices pré-frontais dorsolaterais nas análises SVC para os grupos conjuntos (esquizofrenia crônica e de primeiro episódio). Conclusão: Os achados supracitados indicam que: a) as alterações estruturais associadas com o diagnóstico de esquizofrenia são mais disseminadas na forma crônica em comparação à de primeiro episódio; b) reduções volumétricas regionais em áreas específicas do cérebro podem variar em função do tempo de doença; c) a exposição cumulativa a antipsicóticos associou-se a alterações volumétricas globais, e não regionaisIntroduction: Although structural brain changes in schizophrenia have been repeatedly demonstrated in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, it remains unclear whether these are static or progressive in nature. While longitudinal MRI studies have been traditionally used to assess the issue of progression, cross-sectional neuroimaging studies directly comparing first-episode and chronic schizophrenia patients to healthy controls have been very scarce to date. With the recent interest in multisite mega-analyses combining structural MRI data from multiple centers aiming at increased statistical power, the present multisite voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study was carried out to examine patterns of brain structural changes according to the different stages of illness and to ascertain which (if any) of such structural abnormalities would be specifically correlated to potential clinical moderators, including cumulative exposure to antipsychotics, illness duration and overall illness severity. Methods: We gathered a large sample of schizophrenia patients (161, being 99 chronic and 62 first-episode) and controls (151) from four previous morphometric MRI studies (1.5 T) carried out in the same geographical region of Brazil. Image processing and analyses were conducted using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) software with the diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated Lie algebra (DARTEL) algorithm. Group effects on regional gray matter (GM) volumes were investigated through whole-brain voxel-wise comparisons using General Linear Model Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA), always including total GM volume, scan protocol, age and gender as nuisance variables. Finally, correlation analyses were performed between the aforementioned clinical moderators and regional and global brain volumes. Results: First-episode schizophrenia subjects displayed subtle volumetric deficits relative to controls in a circumscribed brain regional network identified only in small volume-corrected (SVC) analyses ]p < 0.05, family-wise error (FWE)-corrected], including the insula, temporolimbic structures and striatum. Chronic schizophrenia patients, on the other hand, demonstrated an extensive pattern of regional GM volume decreases relative to controls, involving bilateral superior, inferior and orbital frontal cortices, right middle frontal cortex, bilateral anterior cingulate cortices, bilateral insulae and right superior and middle temporal cortices (p < 0.05, FWE-corrected over the whole brain). Significant negative correlations were detected between life-time cumulative exposure to antipsychotics and total GM and white matter volumes in schizophrenia patients, but no significant relationship was found between indices of antipsychotic usage and relative GM volume in any specific brain region. There were also significant negative correlations between duration of illness and relative GM volumes of the left insula, and right anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices on SVC analyses for conjoined (first-episode and chronic) schizophrenia groups. Conclusion: The above data indicate that: a) brain changes associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia are more widespread in chronic schizophrenia compared to first-episode patients; b) relative GM volume deficits in specific brain regions may vary as a function of duration of illness; c) cumulative doses of antipsychotics usage were associated with brain volumes globally rather than regionally
25
Gudlowski, Yehonala. "Neurophysiologische Substrate von Störungen des Belohnungssystems und kognitiver Funktionen bei unmedizierten Schizophreniepatienten untersucht mittels funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie und 1 H-Magnetresonanzspektroskopie." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät II, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/16047.
Full textAbstract:
Bildgebende Studien haben gezeigt, dass bei schizophrenen Patienten Positivsymptome mit Veränderungen mesolimbischer Aktivierungsmuster unter Einbeziehung des Nucleus accumbens in Zusammenhang stehen. Hierbei ist von besonderem Interesse, dass der Nucleus accumbens Teil des Belohnungssystems ist, wobei die integrale „Bewertung“ belohnungsanzeigender Reize präfrontalen kortikalen Strukturen, insbesondere dem anterioren Zingulum, zuzurechnen ist. Bereits in der Antizipationsphase potentiell belohnender Reize, werden vermutlich zur Berechnung von Prädiktionsabweichungen dopaminerge Signale in der VTA generiert und modulieren den Nucleus accumbens. Es gibt zahlreiche Hinweise, dass glutamaterge Neurone des anterioren Zingulums die Dopaminausschüttung im Nucleus accumbens beeinflussen, und dass diese Modulation bei Erkrankungen wie der Schizophrenie beeinträchtigt ist. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, mittels funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie und Protonen Magnetresonanzspektroskopie, Hinweise über den Zusammenhang zwischen der glutamatergen Neurotransmission des ACC und belohnungsassoziierter Dopaminausschüttung im Nucleus accumbens bei 23 gesunden Probanden und bei 23 unmedizierten schizophrenen Patienten zu erlangen. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die gegenseitige Modulation von anteriorem Zingulum und Nucleus accumbens bei schizophrenen Patienten gestört ist. Dieses und weitere Ergebnisse wurden im theoretischen Rahmen der NMDA-Rezeptor-Hypoaktivität und einer gestörten Balance zwischen Dopamin-D1- und Dopamin-D2-Rezeptor-Aktivität als pathophysiologische Korrelate schizophrener Erkrankungen diskutiert.Imaging studies have demonstrated that for schizophrenic patients a correlation exists between positive symptoms and changes in the patterns of mesolimbic activity. Especially the changes in the ncl. accumbens (Nac) were interpreted in connection with the reward system. The signals indicating reward are thought to be processed by the anterior cingulum (ACC). These structures attribute meaning to the reward signals. In the anticipation phase of a potentially rewarding stimulus, dopaminergic signals from the VTA are generated in prediction of expected or aberrant outcome, thus modulating the Nac. Data indicate a direct modulation of the Nac. by glutamatergic neurons of the anterior cingulum. A major aim of this thesis is to establish a connection between the reward associated dopaminergic signals of the ncl. accumbens and the glutamatergic projections of the acc in unmedicated schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. The methods included measurements of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and functional MRI-scans done at a 3-Tesla tomograph. The paradigm applied was a modified version of the monetary incentive delay paradigm (Knutson et al. 2000). In healthy volunteers we found a significant negative correlation between the glutamate concentration in the ACC and the BOLD-contrast in the Nac (reward versus neutral), in contrast to the findings in schizophrenic patients. A significant higher BOLD-contrast was seen in the anticipation phase in healthy controls. The results were incorporated in a model of NMDA-R-Hypoaktivity. In addition to discussing the functional aspects for the structures involved the model was further expanded to include the hypothesis of a disturbed balance between dopamine-D1- and -D2-receptor activity and a dysfunctional hippocampal gating-process. The so constructed model suggests a profound striato-thalamo-cortical filter disturbance as the basis of the observed aberrations in the reward processing in schizophrenic disorders.
26
Oliveira, Ícaro Agenor Ferreira de. "Avaliação perfusional e de conectividade funcional cerebrais em esquizofrenia por imagens por ressonância magnética." Universidade de São Paulo, 2017. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/59/59135/tde-28092017-110039/.
Full textAbstract:
A esquizofrenia é um transtorno psiquiátrico incapacitante que afeta estimadamente 1% da população mundial. Delírios, alucinações, desorganização de pensamento e prejuízo cognitivo são as principais marcas da Esquizofrenia. Fisiologicamente, além de anormalidades funcionais e estruturais, alterações na atividade neuronal são reportadas. Como a atividade neuronal possui uma relação direta com o fluxo sanguíneo cerebral (CBF, Cerebral Blood Flow), a técnica de Imagens por Ressonância Magnética, denominada Marcação dos Spins Arteriais (ASL, Arterial Spin Labeling), que permite a obtenção de mapa quantitativo de CBF, é uma ferramenta útil na avaliação funcional cerebral. Além disso, a ASL pode ser usada na avaliação da conectividade funcional, que é eficiente na investigação de rupturas funcionais entre as regiões do cérebro. Comparando com um grupo de sujeitos saudáveis, os pacientes com esquizofrenia, recrutados no Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto (HCFMRP), apresentaram redução de CBF em regiões bilaterais do polo frontal e giro frontal superior, giro frontal medial direito, partes triangular e opercular do giro frontal inferior direito, divisão posterior do giro supramarginal esquerdo, divisão superior e inferior do córtex occipital lateral esquerdo e polo occipital. A conectividade funcional, avaliada por três diferentes métodos (baseado em semente, análise de componentes independentes e teoria dos grafos), se apresentou prejudicada em regiões envolvendo funções motoras, sensoriais e cognitivas dos pacientes. Portanto, utilizando uma técnica de imagem completamente não invasiva, foi possível observar déficits de CBF e alterações na organização funcional do cérebro de pacientes com esquizofrenia, relacionados com os sintomas e características da psicopatologia.Schizophrenia is a disabling psychiatric disorder that affects around 1% of the population worldwide. Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought, and cognitive deficits are the main features of schizophrenia. Physiologically, in addition to functional and structural abnormalities, changes in neuronal activity are reported. Since the Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) is directly related with neuronal activity, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique called Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), which allows the quantification of CBF, is a useful tool in brain functional evaluation. In addition, ASL can be used to assess functional connectivity, which is efficient in investigating functional impairment between regions of the brain. Patients with Schizophrenia, recruited at the Clinical Hospital (HCFMRP), presented a reduction of CBF in bilateral regions of the frontal pole and superior frontal gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, triangular and opercular parts of the right inferior frontal gyrus, posterior division of left supramarginal gyrus, superior and inferior division of left lateral occipital cortex and occipital pole. Functional connectivity, assessed by three different methods (seed-based, independent component analysis and graph theory), was impaired in regions involving patients\' motor, sensory and cognitive functions. Therefore, using a noninvasive imaging technique, it was possible to observe CBF deficits and alterations in the functional organization of the brain of schizophrenia patients, related to the symptoms and characteristics of the psychopathology.
27
Walton, Esther, Daniel Geisler, Johannes Hass, Jingyu Liu, Jessica Turner, Anastasia Yendiki, Michael N. Smolka, et al. "The Impact of Genome-Wide Supported Schizophrenia Risk Variants in the Neurogranin Gene on Brain Structure and Function." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2014. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-132122.
Full textAbstract:
The neural mechanisms underlying genetic risk for schizophrenia, a highly heritable psychiatric condition, are still under investigation. New schizophrenia risk genes discovered through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), such as neurogranin (NRGN), can be used to identify these mechanisms. In this study we examined the association of two common NRGN risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with functional and structural brain-based intermediate phenotypes for schizophrenia. We obtained structural, functional MRI and genotype data of 92 schizophrenia patients and 114 healthy volunteers from the multisite Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium study. Two schizophrenia-associated NRGN SNPs (rs12807809 and rs12541) were tested for association with working memory-elicited dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity and surface-wide cortical thickness. NRGN rs12541 risk allele homozygotes (TT) displayed increased working memory-related activity in several brain regions, including the left DLPFC, left insula, left somatosensory cortex and the cingulate cortex, when compared to non-risk allele carriers. NRGN rs12807809 non-risk allele (C) carriers showed reduced cortical gray matter thickness compared to risk allele homozygotes (TT) in an area comprising the right pericalcarine gyrus, the right cuneus, and the right lingual gyrus. Our study highlights the effects of schizophrenia risk variants in the NRGN gene on functional and structural brain-based intermediate phenotypes for schizophrenia. These results support recent GWAS findings and further implicate NRGN in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia by suggesting that genetic NRGN risk variants contribute to subtle changes in neural functioning and anatomy that can be quantified with neuroimaging methods.
28
Garcia, Giovana Jorge. "Efeito do nitroprussiato de sódio em voluntários saudáveis e pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia: um estudo de ressonância magnética funcional." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17148/tde-21072016-144647/.
Full textAbstract:
Apesar dos numerosos estudos enfocando a compreensão da esquizofrenia, sua etiologia permanece desconhecida. Atualmente, as medicações antipsicóticas disponíveis são baseadas principalmente na hipótese dopaminérgica, porém, apresentam eficácia parcial no tratamento dos sintomas. Diante disso, outros sistemas neurais têm sido investigados e, nesse contexto, a hipótese glutamatérgica conquistou grande importância. Essa hipótese postula a presença de uma hipoatividade do receptor glutamatérgico N-metil-D-aspartato na esquizofrenia e, consequentemente, de uma desregulação na neurotransmissão do óxido nítrico. Um ensaio clínico recente com a administração de nitroprussiato de sódio, um doador de óxido nítrico, mostrou resultados significativos na melhora da sintomatologia de pacientes esquizofrênicos, entretanto, nenhum estudo de neuroimagem investigou quais são os efeitos dessa droga no sistema nervoso central. No crescente campo de estudo da neuroimagem funcional as redes neurais foram descobertas, sendo a default mode network uma das mais estudadas na esquizofrenia. Os recentes estudos de neuroimagem funcional têm evidenciado alterações do funcionamento dessa rede neural nos pacientes portadores da doença, evidenciando assim, a importância da default mode network na compreensão da esquizofrenia. Nesse caminho, o presente estudo investigou os efeitos agudos da administração de nitroprussiato de sódio na conectividade funcional da rede default mode network através da ressonância magnética funcional mediada pelo contraste BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) em pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia e em voluntários saudáveis. Os pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com a medicação antipsicótica em uso: grupo sem clozapina (n=13) e grupo com clozapina (n=13). Os voluntários saudáveis também foram divididos em grupo controle (n=14) e grupo controle com tarefa de escuta passiva (n=5). Todos os pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia e o grupo controle foram submetidos a um protocolo de infusão de nitroprussiato de sódio com aquisição simultânea de imagens funcionais. Nossos resultados mostraram um aumento da conectividade funcional da default mode network com a infusão da medicação nos pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia, especialmente no hemisfério direito, enquanto esse mesmo padrão não foi encontrado nos controles saudáveis. Além disso, o aumento na conectividade se mostrou distinto entres os grupos de pacientes avaliados, sendo mais precoce e amplo no grupo de pacientes que não estava em uso do antipsicótico clozapina. Observamos também que o efeito modulatório da droga ocorreu sobre regiões da default mode network já estudadas e fortemente implicadas na fisiopatogenia da esquizofrenia. Assim, nossa investigação neurofuncional contribuiu para a compreensão dos efeitos terapêuticos do nitroprussiato de sódio na sintomatologia de pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia. Nossos achados também reforçam a importância do nitroprussiato de sódio como uma nova ferramenta farmacológica adjuvante no tratamento da esquizofreniaDespite numerous studies focusing on the understanding of schizophrenia, its etiology remains unknown. Currently, available antipsychotic medications are mainly based on dopamine hypothesis, however, they exhibit partial efficacy in the treatment of the symptoms. Therefore, other neural systems have been investigated and, in this context, the glutamatergic hypothesis gained great importance. This hypothesis postulates the presence of a hypoactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor in schizophrenia and, consequently, a deregulation of nitric oxide neurotransmission. A recent clinical trial with the administration of sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide donor, showed significant results in improving the symptoms of schizophrenic patients, however, no neuroimaging study investigated what are the effects of this drug on the central nervous system. The neural networks were discovered from the growing field of functional neuroimaging study and the default mode network is one of the most studied in schizophrenia. The recent functional neuroimaging studies have shown alterations in the functioning of this neural network in patients with the disease, highlighting the importance of the default mode network in the understanding of schizophrenia. In this way, the present study investigated the acute effects of sodium nitroprusside administration in the functional connectivity of the default mode network using blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers. Schizophrenic patients are divided into two groups according to antipsychotic medication used: group treated without clozapine (n = 13) and group treated with clozapine (n = 13). Healthy volunteers were also divided into control group (n = 14) and control group with passive listening task (n = 5). All schizophrenic patients and healthy volunteers were subjected to a sodium nitroprusside infusion protocol simultaneously to acquisition of functional images. Our results showed increased default mode network functional connectivity with the drug infusion in patients with schizophrenia, mainly in the right hemisphere, while this same pattern was not found in healthy controls. In addition, the increase in connectivity was distinct between groups of patients because it was earlier and more extensive in the group of patients that was not in use of clozapine antipsychotic. We also note that the drug modulatory effect occurred on default mode network regions already studied and strongly implicated in the schizophrenia pathogenesis. Thus, our neurofunctional research contributed to the understanding of the sodium nitroprusside therapeutic effects on the schizophrenia symptoms. Our findings also underline the importance of sodium nitroprusside as a new adjuvant pharmacological tool in the treatment of schizophrenia
29
Walton, Esther, Daniel Geisler, Johannes Hass, Jingyu Liu, Jessica Turner, Anastasia Yendiki, Michael N. Smolka, et al. "The Impact of Genome-Wide Supported Schizophrenia Risk Variants in the Neurogranin Gene on Brain Structure and Function." Public Library of Science, 2013. https://tud.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A27422.
Full textAbstract:
The neural mechanisms underlying genetic risk for schizophrenia, a highly heritable psychiatric condition, are still under investigation. New schizophrenia risk genes discovered through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), such as neurogranin (NRGN), can be used to identify these mechanisms. In this study we examined the association of two common NRGN risk single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with functional and structural brain-based intermediate phenotypes for schizophrenia. We obtained structural, functional MRI and genotype data of 92 schizophrenia patients and 114 healthy volunteers from the multisite Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium study. Two schizophrenia-associated NRGN SNPs (rs12807809 and rs12541) were tested for association with working memory-elicited dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity and surface-wide cortical thickness. NRGN rs12541 risk allele homozygotes (TT) displayed increased working memory-related activity in several brain regions, including the left DLPFC, left insula, left somatosensory cortex and the cingulate cortex, when compared to non-risk allele carriers. NRGN rs12807809 non-risk allele (C) carriers showed reduced cortical gray matter thickness compared to risk allele homozygotes (TT) in an area comprising the right pericalcarine gyrus, the right cuneus, and the right lingual gyrus. Our study highlights the effects of schizophrenia risk variants in the NRGN gene on functional and structural brain-based intermediate phenotypes for schizophrenia. These results support recent GWAS findings and further implicate NRGN in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia by suggesting that genetic NRGN risk variants contribute to subtle changes in neural functioning and anatomy that can be quantified with neuroimaging methods.
30
Serpa, Mauricio Henriques. "Avaliação longitudinal de alterações microestruturais cerebrais estado-dependentes em indivíduos com primeiro episódio psicótico, associadas à atividade da enzima fosfolipase A2." Universidade de São Paulo, 2017. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5142/tde-19062017-075614/.
Full textAbstract:
INTRODUÇÃO: Os transtornos mentais psicóticos são condições frequentes na população geral e estão associados a grande morbidade e disfuncionalidade. Apesar disso, as bases fisiopatológicas destes transtornos ainda estão em investigação. Estudos neuropatológicos post-mortem e de neuroimagem in vivo sugerem haver comprometimento da microestrutura de substância branca (SB) cerebral nestas condições clínicas, associado a alterações da conectividade cerebral. No entanto, nenhuma investigação prévia de neuroimagem avaliou especificamente se tais anormalidades microestruturais podem ser dependentes do estado clínico do paciente, i.e., se tais alterações podem variar de acordo com a fase da doença. Outra linha de investigação biológica em psicoses aponta para alterações na atividade da fosfolipase A2 (PLA2), uma enzima essencial a diversas funções na homeostase cerebral, incluindo manutenção de membrana celular, mielinização e atividade inflamatória. Estudos prévios sugerem haver relação entre alterações na atividade desta enzima e as fases da esquizofrenia. Entretanto, não há estudos translacionais que tenham avaliado como tais alterações se relacionam com anormalidades microestruturais de SB em pacientes psicóticos. OBJETIVOS: Investigar a hipótese de que alterações de microestrutura de SB presentes em pacientes em fase aguda do primeiro episódio psicótico (PEP) sejam potencialmente reversíveis após estabilização clínica; investigar também possíveis alterações estado-dependentes da atividade de PLA2 no PEP; e examinar interações entre manifestações clínicas, microestrutura de SB cerebral e atividade de PLA2 na fisiopatologia do PEP. METODOLOGIA: Pacientes em PEP não afetivo foram avaliados em dois períodos no tempo: durante a fase aguda da doença (T0); após remissão estável de sintomas (T1). Um grupo controle de voluntários saudáveis (CS) também foi avaliado longitudinalmente. Para investigar alterações de microestrutura de SB estado-dependentes, análises voxel-a-voxel de mapas cerebrais de índices de anisotropia (fractional anisotropy, FA) e difusividade (trace, TR) foram conduzidas, assim como o cálculo de correlações entre tais índices de DTI, variáveis clínicas e atividade de PLA2. A atividade dos três principais subgrupos de PLA2 em plaquetas foi estimada através de um método radioenzimático. RESULTADOS: 25 pacientes PEP e 51 CS foram avaliados em T0, com coleta de dados clínico-demográficos, ressonância magnética (RM) e amostra de sangue. Destes, 21 PEP e 36 CS realizaram a segunda aquisição de RM. No baseline (T0), os pacientes PEP apresentaram redução difusa de FA (p < 0,05, FDR), afetando principalmente SB fronto-límbica e fascículos associativos, projetivos e comissurais. As análises longitudinais demonstraram que a remissão clínica se associou a aumentos de FA em tratos de SB acometidos em T0 (p < 0,001, não corrigido), além de robustas correlações inversas entre aumentos de FA e redução sintomas ao longo do tempo (p < 0,05, FDR). As análises de PLA2 não demostraram efeitos estado-dependentes ou correlações consistentes com os índices de DTI. CONCLUSÃO: Alterações da microestrutura de SB afetando tratos cerebrais essenciais para a integração de informação perceptual, cognição e emoções são detectáveis logo após o início do PEP e podem ser parcialmente revertidas em relação direta com a remissão de sintomas psicóticos agudos. Nossos achados reforçam a visão de que anormalidades de SB de tratos cerebrais são um componente neurobiológico central nos transtornos psicóticos agudos, e que a recuperação de tal patologia de SB pode levar à melhora clínica. Por outro lado, a atividade de PLA2 não parece ter associação direta com o estado de doença ou moderar as alterações microestruturais dinâmicas de SB aqui observadas. Estudos com amostras maiores e com um maior número de avaliações ao longo do tempo são necessários para confirmar e ampliar os resultados aqui apresentadosINTRODUCTION: Psychotic disorders are frequent conditions in the general population and are associated to severe morbidity and functional impairment. Notwithstanding, the pathophysiological basis of such disorders is still under investigation. Post-mortem neuropathologic investigations and in vivo neuroimaging studies have pointed to the occurrence of abnormalities in the microstructure of brain white matter (WM) in such clinical conditions, which are associated to changes in brain connectivity. However, no previous neuroimaging investigation has specifically examined whether such microstructural abnormalities would be state-dependent, i.e., whether such changes could relate to the illness phase. Another field of biological investigation in psychosis points to changes in the activity of phospholipase A2 enzyme (PLA2), which is essential to several functions implicated in brain homeostasis, such as the maintenance of cellular membrane, myelination and inflammatory activity. Previous studies suggest the existence of a relationship between changes on PLA2 activity and schizophrenia phase. Nonetheless, no translational study to date has examined the potential interplay between PLA2 activity and WM microstructural abnormalities in psychotic patients. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the hypothesis that WM microstructural changes observed in patients during the acute first-episode psychosis (FEP) are potentially reversible following clinical remission; to investigate possible state-dependent changes in PLA2 activity in FEP; and to examine interactions between clinical manifestations, brain WM microstructure and PLA2 activity in the pathophysiology of FEP. METODOLOGY: Patients with non-affective FEP were evaluated in two time points: during the acute phase (T0) and following sustained remission (T1). A control group of healthy volunteers (HC) was also longitudinally studied. In order to investigate state-dependent WM microstructure changes, voxelwise analyses of brain maps of anisotropy (fractional anisotropy, FA) and diffusivity (trace, TR) indexes were conducted, as well as correlations between such DTI metrics, clinical variables and PLA2 activity. The activity of the three main PLA2 subgroups was assessed in platelets using a radioenzymatic method. RESULTS: 25 FEP and 51 HC were evaluated at T0 (clinical and demographic data, MRI scanning, and blood collection). Out of these, 21 FEP and 36 HC also underwent a second MRI acquisition. At baseline (T0), FEP patients presented widespread reduction of FA (p < 0.05, FDR), affecting mainly fronto-limbic WM and associative, projective and commissural fasciculi. Longitudinal analyses showed that clinical remission was associated with FA increase in WM tracts that were affected at T0 (p < 0.001, uncorrected), besides robust inverse correlations between FA increase and symptoms reduction over time (p < 0.05, FDR). PLA2 analyses failed to show state-dependent effects or consistent correlations to DTI indexes. CONCLUSION: WM changes affecting brain tracts critical to the integration of perceptual information, cognition and emotions are detectable soon after the onset of FEP and may partially reverse in direct relation to the remission of acute psychotic symptoms. Our findings reinforce the view that WM abnormalities are a key neurobiological feature of acute psychotic disorders, and that recovery from such WM pathology can lead to amelioration of symptoms. In the other hand, it seems that PLA2 activity has no direct relationship to the disease state or modulatory effects on the dynamic WM changes observed herein. Studies with larger samples and with more time points evaluations are necessary to confirm and expand the findings reported herein
31
Dupuy, Maud. "De l'imagerie cérébrale au recueil de données en vie quotidienne : vers une compréhension intégrée des liens entre fonctionnement cognitif, expériences émotionnelles, perception du temps et symptômes de la schizophrénie." Thesis, Bordeaux, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018BORD0366/document.
Full textAbstract:
La schizophrénie est caractérisée par une importante variabilité symptomatique et fonctionnelle au cours du temps. Néanmoins, peu d’informations sont disponibles concernant la variabilité à court-terme des symptômes et des phénomènes associés (fonctionnement cognitif, expériences émotionnelles, perception du temps), dont la considération est pourtant fondamentale pour une description précise de cette pathologie complexe. Les approches d’évaluation traditionnelles conduites en laboratoire sont confrontées à un certain nombre de limites méthodologiques ne permettant pas d’apprécier cette variabilité. La problématique de cette thèse est d’apporter des informations manquantes concernant les liens à court terme entre cognition, expériences émotionnelles, perception du temps et symptômes de la schizophrénie, tels qu’ils se manifestent en vie quotidienne, et leurs corrélats cérébraux. Pour répondre à cette problématique, une approche novatrice combinant des méthodes d’évaluation écologique momentanée (EMA) via technologies mobiles et d’Imagerie par Résonance Magnétique (IRM) a été appliquée. La méthodologie EMA employée a permis de mettre en évidence l’implication des performances cognitives, des expériences émotionnelles et de la perception du temps dans l’expression des symptômes de la schizophrénie sur des périodes de temps brèves dans la vie quotidienne des patients. L’IRM a permis de révéler certains corrélats anatomiques et fonctionnels de ces relations, confirmant notamment le rôle central des régions fronto-temporo-cérébelleuses dans ce troubleSchizophrenia is characterized by significant variability over time in symptoms and functioning. However, little information is available concerning the short-term variability of symptoms and their associated phenomena (cognitive functioning, emotional experiences, perception of time), and despite their importance for providing precise descriptions of this complex mental disorder. Traditional laboratory-based assessments are confronted with a number of methodological limitations that make it impossible to assess such variability. This doctoral thesis therefore aims at providing missing information concerning the short-term temporal links between cognitive functioning, emotional experience, and time perception relative to the manifestation of symptoms of schizophrenia and examines the cerebral correlates of these associations. To address this issue, an innovative approach was applied that combined Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) using mobile technologies with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain. The EMA methodology identified the roles of cognitive performance, emotional experience and time perception in the expression of symptoms of schizophrenia over short time intervals in the patient’s daily life. MRI revealed the anatomical and functional correlates of these relationships, confirming in particular the central role of fronto-temporo-cerebellar regions in this disorder. Taken together, this dual approach provides novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of symptom expression in individuals with schizophrenia
32
González, Ballester Miguel Ángel. "Morphometric analysis of brain structures in MRI." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1999. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9b70d5d7-5a38-454c-b545-696b726092b8.
Full textAbstract:
Medical computer vision is a novel research discipline based on the application of computer vision methods to data sets acquired via medical imaging techniques. This work focuses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets, particularly in studies of schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. Research on these diseases is challenged by the lack of appropriate morphometric tools to accurately quantify lesion growth, assess the effectiveness of a drug treatment, or investigate anatomical information believed to be evidence of schizophrenia. Thus, most hypotheses involving these conditions remain unproven. This thesis contributes towards the development of such morphometric techniques. A framework combining several tools is established, allowing for compensation of bias fields, boundary detection by modelling partial volume effects (PVE), and a combined statistical and geometrical segmentation method. Most importantly, it also allows for the computation of confidence bounds in the location of the object being segmented by bounding PVE voxels. Bounds obtained in such fashion encompass a significant percentage of the volume of the object (typically 20-60%). A statistical model of the intensities contained in PVE voxels is used to provide insight into the contents of PVE voxels and further narrow confidence bounds. This not only permits a reduction by an order of magnitude in the width of the confidence intervals, but also establishes a statistical mechanism to obtain probability distributions on shape descriptors (e.g. volume), instead of just a raw magnitude or a set of confidence bounds. A challenging clinical study is performed using these tools: to investigate differences in asymmetry of the temporal horns in schizophrenia. This study is of high clinical relevance. The results show that our tools are sufficiently accurate for studies of this kind, thus providing clinicians, for the first time, with the means to corroborate unproven hypotheses or reliably assess patient evolution.
33
Prado, Daniel Barbosa de Almeida. "Conectividade inter-hemisférica com respeito ao gênero na esquizofrenia: um estudo de tractografia baseado em imagem de ressonância magnética por tensor de difusão." Universidade de São Paulo, 2013. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/17/17140/tde-31082013-000226/.
Full textAbstract:
A esquizofrenia é um transtorno mental de alta complexidade e até o presente momento nenhuma teoria conseguiu explicar completamente sua etiologia. Uma dessas teorias acredita que a transferência de informações entre os hemisférios de pacientes com esquizofrenia, que ocorre através do corpo caloso, comissura anterior e posterior, pode estar comprometida. Os objetivos do nosso estudo foram avaliar se existem alterações de conectividade inter-hemisférica (IH) e se essas alterações sofrem influência do gênero, em pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia quando comparados com seus parentes em primeiro grau e controles saudáveis, utilizando-se da imagem de ressonância magnética por tensor de difusão (IRMTD). Participaram do estudo 30 pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia, diagnosticados pelos critérios do Manual diagnóstico e estatístico das doenças mentais em sua quarta edição, os quais foram selecionados entre os pacientes do grupo de medicações atípicas do ambulatório de esquizofrenia e da enfermaria psiquiátrica do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo; 30 parentes em primeiro grau desses pacientes; e 30 voluntários saudáveis. Todos os sujeitos do estudo foram submetidos a um exame de ressonância magnética, realizado no Centro de Ciências das Imagens e Física Médica de nossa instituição, onde foram adquiridas as sequências volumétricas e difusionais utilizadas em nosso estudo. Em posse das imagens de ressonância magnética dos 90 sujeitos do estudo, realizamos o pós-processamento dessas imagens, utilizando o software BrainVoyager QX® versão 2.4, com o intuito de obtermos, por meio dos dados provenientes da IRMTD, os mapas de anisotropia fracional (AF) e difusibilidade média (DM). Com esses mapas em mãos, procedemos à análise estatística do estudo, denominada de análise de covariância voxel a voxel (VANCOVA), no cérebro todo. Nessa análise, utilizamos a idade como covariável e verificamos a influência do gênero nos resultados encontrados. Nossos resultados 6 evidenciaram que os pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia apresentaram valores de AF e DM alterados em estruturas homólogas ao corpo caloso e áreas frontais adjacentes. Assim, podemos afirmar que descobrimos perda de conectividade IH nesses mesmos pacientes. Por meio de nosso estudo, descobrimos também a influência do gênero nos valores de AF e DM encontrados e então, consequentemente, podemos dizer que a conectividade IH de pacientes portadores de esquizofrenia sofreu influência do sexo. A idade também mostrou influenciar a conectividade IH de nossos pacientes. Com o atual conceito de que alterações de AF e DM podem ser encaradas como indicativos de comprometimento da mielina, e sabendo que a mielina participa diretamente das reações neuroquímicas do sistema glutamatérgico cerebral, também podemos dizer que o sistema glutamatérgico que participa da conectividade IH desses pacientes encontrava-se comprometido.Schizophrenia is a highly complex mental disorder and no theory to date was able to fully explain the etiology of this disorder. One of the existing theories advocates that interhemispheric communication, which occurs through the corpus callosum and the anterior and posterior commissures, might be impaired in schizophrenia. Our study was designed to investigate whether there are interhemispheric connectivity (IC) alterations in schizophrenia and whether these alterations are influenced by gender through the comparison of schizophrenia patients with their first-degree relatives and healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We enrolled 30 schizophrenia patients diagnosed according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and selected from the Group of Atypical Medications of the Schizophrenia Outpatient Clinic and the psychiatric ward of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital, 30 first-degree relatives of these patients and 30 healthy volunteers. All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for the acquisition of volumetric and diffusion sequences. The images were post-processed using BrainVoyager QX® version 2.4 to create fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps from DTI data. The resulting data were analyzed using voxel-to- voxel analysis of covariance (VANCOVA) for the whole brain. In this analysis, we used age as a co-variable and assessed the influence of gender. Our results showed that schizophrenia patients had altered FA and MD values in structures homologous to the corpus callosum and adjacent frontal areas, suggestive of IC loss in the patients. We also found that gender influenced FA and MD values and, therefore, that IC in schizophrenia patients is influenced by gender. Age was also found to influence IC in our patients. Based on the current conception that FA and MD alterations may indicate myelin impairment and knowing that myelin participates directly in neurochemical reactions of the glutamatergic system in the brain, we can infer that the glutamatergic system, which is implicated in IC, is affected in schizophrenia and is influenced by gender.
34
Harvey, I. "Nuclear magnetic resonance scanning in schizophrenia." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.652194.
Full textAbstract:
This work aimed to detect cerebral abnormalities in schizophrenia affecting the volume or T1 relaxation time of specific anatomical structures. Sixty-seven schizophrenics under fifty years of age, recruited from admissions to two teaching hospitals, underwent nuclear magnetic resonance scanning at 0.5 Tesla along with thirty-six matched healthy controls. Twenty coronal and twenty-four transverse contiguous slices were obtained and subsequently viewed blind to group status. Methods of adequate reliability were developed to estimate volumes of the cerebrum, cortex, sulcal fluid, temporal lobes and lateral ventricles and to measure T1 times in the centrum semiovale and basal ganglia. Volumetric data from forty-eight patients, analysed using multiple regression to control for the influenced of intra-cranialvolume, revealed a significant increase in sulcal fluid and diffuse reduction in cerebral volume compared to thirty-four controls. This was primarily due to reduction in cortical rather than subcortical tissue. Patients also had a decreased right temporal lobe volume. These changes bore no close relationship to clinical variables. Factors that influence T1 times in normal subjects were identified, through the additional serial scanning of two healthy males, before comparing the patient and control groups. No group differences in either the white matter or basal ganglia T1 times were found. An animal model was used to assess the effect of neuroleptic drugs on T1 values over four weeks, and no sustained alteration was seen.
35
Lee, Kuan Jin. "Fast magnetic resonance imaging." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.397487.
Full text
36
O'Neil, Shannon M. "Magnetic resonance imaging centers /." Online version of thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/11916.
Full text
37
Lu, Wenmiao. "Off-resonance correction in magnetic resonance imaging /." May be available electronically:, 2008. http://proquest.umi.com/login?COPT=REJTPTU1MTUmSU5UPTAmVkVSPTI=&clientId=12498.
Full text
38
Manners, David Neil. "Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of skeletal muscle." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.269250.
Full text
39
Petropoulos, Labros Spiridon. "Magnetic field issues in magnetic resonance imaging." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 1993. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1060710667.
Full text
40
Campbell, Jennifer 1975. "Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=30809.
Full textAbstract:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to image diffusion in liquids, such as water in brain structures. Molecular diffusion can be isotropic or anisotropic, depending on the fluid's environment, and can therefore be characterized by a scalar, D, or by a tensor, D, in the respective cases. For anisotropic environments, the eigenvector of D corresponding to the largest eigenvalue indicates the preferred direction of diffusion.This thesis describes the design and implementation of diffusion tensor imaging on a clinical MRI system. An acquisition sequence was designed and post-processing software developed to create diffusion trace images, scalar anisotropy maps, and anisotropy vector maps. A number of practical imaging problems were addressed and solved, including optimization of sequence parameters, accounting for flow effects, and dealing with eddy currents, patient motion, and ghosting. Experimental validation of the sequence was performed by calculating the trace of the diffusion tensor measured in various isotropic liquids. The results agreed very well with the quantitative values found in the literature, and the scalar anisotropy index was also found to be correct in isotropic phantoms. Anisotropy maps, showing the preferred direction of diffusion, were generated in human brain in vivo. These showed the expected white matter tracts in the corpus callosum.
41
Lindsay, Alistair. "Magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerosis." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.526491.
Full text
42
Glover, Paul Martin. "High field magnetic resonance imaging." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.335575.
Full text
43
Yoo, Seung-Schik 1970. "Adaptive functional magnetic resonance imaging." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70893.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 2000.Some research performed with the Harvard-M.I.T. Division of Health Sciences and Technology.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-140).
Functional MRI (fMRI) detects the signal associated with neuronal activation, and has been widely used to map brain functions. Locations of neuronal activation are localized and distributed throughout the brain, however, conventional encoding methods based on k-space acquisition have limited spatial selectivity. To improve it, we propose an adaptive fMRI method using non-Fourier, spatially selective RF encoding. This method follows a strategy of zooming into the locations of activation by progressively eliminating the regions that do not show any apparent activation. In this thesis, the conceptual design and implementation of adaptive fMRI are pursued under the hypothesis that the method may provide a more efficient means to localize functional activities with increased spatial or temporal resolution. The difference between functional detection and mapping is defined, and the multi- resolution approach for functional detection is examined using theoretical models simulating variations in both in-plane and through-plane resolution. We justify the multi-resolution approach experimentally using BOLD CNR as a quantitative measure and compare results to those obtained using theoretical models. We conclude that there is an optimal spatial resolution to obtain maximum detection; when the resolution matches the size of the functional activation. We demonstrated on a conventional 1.5-Tesla system that RF encoding provides a simple means for monitoring irregularly distributed slices throughout the brain without encoding the whole volume. We also show the potential for increased signal-to-noise ratio with Hadamard encoding as well as reduction of the in-flow effect with unique design of excitation pulses.
(cont.) RF encoding was further applied in the implementation of real-time adaptive fMRI method, where we can zoom into the user-defined regions interactively. In order to do so, real-time pulse prescription and data processing capabilities were combined with RF encoding. Our specific implementation consisted of five scan stages tailored to identify the volume of interest, and to increase temporal resolution (from 7.2 to 3.2 seconds) and spatial resolution (from 10 mm to 2.5-mm slice thickness). We successfully demonstrated the principle of the multi- resolution adaptive fMRI method in volunteers performing simple sensorimotor paradigms for simultaneous activation of primary motor as well as cerebellar areas.
by Seung-Schik Yoo.
Ph.D.
44
Eichner, Cornelius. "Slice-Accelerated Magnetic Resonance Imaging." Doctoral thesis, Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, 2015. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:15-qucosa-184944.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation describes the development and implementation of advanced slice-accelerated (SMS) MRI methods for imaging blood perfusion and water diffusion in the human brain. Since its introduction in 1977, Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI) paved the way toward a detailed assessment of the structural and functional properties of the human brain. Currently, EPI is one of the most important MRI techniques for neuroscientific studies and clinical applications. Despite its high prevalence in modern medical imaging, EPI still suffers from sub-optimal time efficiency - especially when high isotropic resolutions are required to adequately resolve sophisticated structures as the human brain. The utilization of novel slice-acceleration methods can help to overcome issues related to low temporal efficiency of EPI acquisitions.
The aim of the four studies outlining this thesis is to overcome current limitations of EPI by developing methods for slice-accelerated MRI. The first experimental work of this thesis describes the development of a slice-accelerated MRI sequence for dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging. This method for assessing blood perfusion is commonly employed for brain tumor classifications in clinical practice. Following up, the second project of this thesis aims to extend SMS imaging to diffusion MRI at 7 Tesla. Here, a specialized acquisition method was developed employing various methods to overcome problems related to increased energy deposition and strong image distortion. The increased energy depositions for slice-accelerated diffusion MRI are due to specific radiofrequency (RF) excitation pulses. High energy depositions can limit the acquisition speed of SMS imaging, if high slice-acceleration factors are employed. Therefore, the third project of this thesis aimed at developing a specialized RF pulse to reduce the amount of energy deposition. The increased temporal efficiency of SMS imaging can be employed to acquire higher amounts of imaging data for signal averaging and more stable model fits. This is especially true for diffusion MRI measurements, which suffer from intrinsically low signal-to-noise ratios. However, the typically acquired magnitude MRI data introduce a noise bias in diffusion images with low signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, the last project of this thesis aimed to resolve the pressing issue of noise bias in diffusion MRI. This was achieved by transforming the diffusion magnitude data into a real-valued data representation without noise bias. In combination, the developed methods enable rapid MRI measurements with high temporal efficiency. The diminished noise bias widens the scope of applications of slice- accelerated MRI with high temporal efficiency by enabling true signal averaging and unbiased model fits. Slice-accelerated imaging for the assessment of water diffusion and blood perfusion represents a major step in the field of neuroimaging. It demonstrates that cur- rent limitations regarding temporal efficiency of EPI can be overcome by utilizing modern data acquisition and reconstruction strategies.
45
Sharkey-Toppen, Travis P. "Imaging Iron and Atherosclerosis by Magnetic Resonance Imaging." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429796182.
Full text
46
Yoshimaru, Eriko Suzanne. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques for Rodent Pulmonary Imaging." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/293388.
Full textAbstract:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe and widely used diagnostic imaging method that allows in vivo observation of anatomy and characterization of tissues. MRI provides a method to monitor patients without invasive measures, making it suitable for both diagnostics and longitudinal monitoring of various pathologies. A notable example of this is the work carried out by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), which utilizes imaging, including multiple MRI techniques, to monitor disease progression in AD patients and evaluates treatment responses and prevention strategies. Similarly, MRI has been extensively used in evaluating diseases in a variety of animal models. In order to detect subtle anatomical changes over time, small differences in MR images must be accurately extracted. Furthermore, to ensure that the extracted differences are due to anatomical changes rather than equipment variance, it becomes essential to monitor and to assess the MRI system stability. In the first chapter of the dissertation, a method for monitoring pre-clinical MRI system performance is discussed. The technique developed during the study provides a fast and simple method to monitor pre-clinical MRI systems but also has applications for all areas of MRI. The second chapter describes the development of a 3D UTE MRI method for pulmonary imaging in freely breathing mice. The development of the 3D UTE sequence for pulmonary MRI has demonstrated its ability to collect images without noticeable motion artifacts and with appreciable signal from the lung parenchyma. Furthermore, images at two distinct respiratory phases were reconstructed from a single data set, providing functional information of the rodents' lungs. Finally, in the third chapter, 3D ¹⁹F UTE MRI is evaluated for imaging in vivo distributions of perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoemulsions for measuring pulmonary inflammation. Building upon the development of pulmonary imaging, fluorinated contrast agents made from PFCs were used to target immune cells in response to pulmonary pathology. Both 3D ¹H and ¹⁹F UTE MRI were used to acquire pulmonary images of mouse models documented to have pulmonary pathology. Even though the mice had confirmed elevation in alveolar macrophage counts, no visible ¹⁹F signal accumulation within the pulmonary tissue was observed with MRI.
47
MA, DAN. "Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1426170542.
Full text
48
Lei, Hao. "Magnetic resonance perfusion imaging and double quantum coherence transfer magnetic resonance spectroscopy." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape7/PQDD_0021/NQ45007.pdf.
Full text
49
Tymofiyeva, Olga. "Magnetic resonance imaging in dental medicine." Göttingen Sierke, 2010. http://d-nb.info/1002094976/04.
Full text
50
McDougall, Mary Preston. "Single echo acquisition magnetic resonance imaging." Texas A&M University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3324.
Full textAbstract:
The dramatic improvement in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan time over the past fifteen years through gradient-based methods that sample k-space more efficiently and quickly cannot be sustained, as thresholds regarding hardware and safety limitations are already being approached. Parallel imaging methods (using multiple receiver coils to partially encode k-space) have offered some relief in the efforts and are rapidly becoming the focus of current endeavors to decrease scan time. Ideally, for some applications, phase encoding would be eliminated completely, replaced with array coil encoding instead, and the entire image formed in a single echo.
The primary objective of this work was to explore that acceleration limit  to implement and investigate the methodology of single echo acquisition magnetic resonance imaging (SEA MRI). The initial evaluation of promising array coil designs is described, based on parameters determined by the ability to enable the imaging method. The analyses of field patterns, decoupling, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that led to the final 64-channel array coil design are presented, and the fabrication and testing of coils designed for 4.7T and 1.5T are described. A detailed description of the obtainment of the first SEA images  64xNreadout images, acquired in a single echo  is provided with an evaluation of those images and highly accelerated images (through parallel imaging techniques) based on SNR and artifact power. Finally, the development of methodologies for various MR applications is described: applications that would particularly benefit from the speed of the imaging method, or those to which the method or the tool (array coil) lends itself. These applications include, but are not limited to, 3D imaging (phase encode in the slice select direction), resolution-enhanced imaging, large-scale (field-of-view) microscopy, and conformal surface imaging. Finally, using the primary enablement of the method  the ability to obtain complete MR images at speeds limited only by the time it takes to acquire a single echo  is presented with a discussion of extremely high frame rate imaging.
The contribution to the field of medical imaging is the first implementation, characterization, and demonstration of applications for the acquisition of MR images in a single echo.