MRI

After 19 years in a minimally conscious state, a man recovered language and motor function. Diffusion tensor MR imaging showed reorganization of the patient’s brain white matter that could have facilitated functional recovery.

Diffusion tensor MR imaging, which depicts the displacement of water molecules through tissue, can visualize changes to ischemic brain white matter in infants at least two to three hours before conventional MRI can document changes, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.

What music inspires a Nobel Laureate? The answer: Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets, Bedrich Smetena’s Ma Vlast (My Country), Charles Trenet’s La Mer, Perry Como’s Magic Moments, and William Walton’s Coronation March.

A computer model simulation suggests that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, according to Stanford University researchers.

For the first time, a study has shown that a smaller corpus callosum in people with autism correlates with lower brain functional connectivity. The finding supports a new theory of cortical underconnectivity in autism. This theory proposes that autism is a cognitive and neurobiological disorder associated with underfunctioning of integrative circuitry.

Functional MRI data suggest that improper development of specific brain circuitries could beget bipolar disorder, according to National Institute of Mental Health researchers. Their findings underscore shifting beliefs regarding the origins of chronic psychiatric diseases.

Volumetric MR scanning can accurately track structural changes preceding the onset of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, according to a study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. MR could sound the alarm on disease progression earlier than standard blood and urine tests.

A new space shuttle mission reminds musculoskeletal specialists that astronauts share with bedridden patients a susceptibility to muscle and tendon atrophy. Phase-contrast cine MR at 3T provides a useful, accurate way to guide management of this atrophy, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Diffusion hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI could provide a noninvasive means to diagnose and manage children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, according to a study presented at the 2006 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine meeting in May.

The California State Assembly has passed a bill that would restrict sales of ultrasound machines to medical professionals. The move follows public safety concerns raised by actor Tom Cruise's purchase of ultrasound equipment to perform exams on his pregnant fiancee in November 2005.

We all make mistakes, and some cost more than others. It seems that your brain has a special compartment set aside to absorb these moments.

A top official for the American College of Cardiology says cardiologists should drive quality improvements in cardiac imaging, and that a major effort should be made to increase how imaging is used in cardiology research and practice.

Parallel imaging continues to drive MRI development as an enabling technology for clinical 3T and as the catalyst for new data acquisition strategies offering unprecedented improvements in temporal resolution.

Time-of-flight PET/CT and PET/MR are adding sizzle to the PET equipment scene, with the driving motivation being fast, faster, and fastest data acquisition.

Prostate imaging can be a lonely, thankless line of work for radiologists. Specialists are scarce, and urologists have the upper hand. Cancer screening is controversial, and imaging research has yielded a mixed bag of results. Nevertheless, prostate guru Dr. Ethan Halpern is bullish about the future.

Buoyed by highly promising preliminary results, radiologists and cardiologists are lining up to learn coronary artery CT. Interest is growing in new CCT fellowships and medical conferences offering CCT training. Record sales of cardiovascular 64-slice CT scanners, many installed in the first half of 2006, are fueling the demand.

When Jiangyang Zhang, Ph.D., picked up his Research Trainee Prize from RSNA 2005, the former biomedical engineering student was on a temporary research contract at the Johns Hopkins University radiology department. This September, his status will be upgraded to that of assistant professor. While the promotion was not due to the RSNA award alone, Zhang believes that recognition may have helped his quest for tenure.

MR imaging studies in adults and middle school children have underscored a link between the connectivity of brain white matter fibers and the ability to read. New diffusion tensor imaging data from Canadian researchers prove this relationship can be found much earlier in life than previously thought.

Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), a new MRI-based technique, may help find hard-to-detect lesions in patients with mild traumatic brain injury, according to a study presented at the 2006 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine meeting. DKI could help understanding of persistent post-traumatic disorders affecting these patients.

A head-to-head comparison has found that MRI is more sensitive than FDG-PET/CT for assessment of N-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

The skull is often thought of as packaging for the brain, but a new study suggests that the two are linked developmentally and evolutionarily.

As the incidence of malignant melanoma increases, researchers are seeking ways to accurately and reproducibly measure tumor volume and therapy response. Computer-aided volumetry may be an answer.

The spectrum of usual and unusual primary neoplasms involving the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum is extremely wide. Our own database of digestive pathology contains a range of benign small bowel neoplasms (adenoma, leiomyoma, lipoma, familial polyposis, hemangioma, lymphangioma, and fibroma), as well as examples of malignancy (adenocarcinoma, carcinoid tumor, lymphoma, leiomyosarcoma, direct extension from extraintestinal tumors, and metastasic lesions).

State-of-the-art CT scanners demonstrate exquisite image quality. The rapid advance of multislice technology has been accompanied, however, by concerns over the increasing medical radiation burden. Radiologists concerned about MSCT dose would be well advised to learn how they can tailor their own scanning protocols to optimize the balance between radiation exposure and image quality, according to Prof. Dr. Willi Kalender, director of the Institute for Medical Physics, University of Erlangen, Germany, speaking at the European Congress of Radiology.

Future cancer management may rely on identifying healthy individuals at risk before they develop symptoms of disease, according to National Cancer Institute researchers.

MRI illuminates links between a gene variant and impulsive, violent behavior, particularly in men with a history of child abuse, according to a study conducted at the National Institutes of Mental Health. The findings highlight the potential for imaging genomics to explain the mechanisms that underlie temperament.

Brain imaging markers have emerged as important tools in the differential diagnosis of dementia. Parameters derived from brain imaging are being intensively examined as potential predictors to identify persons with only mild cognitive losses who face imminent decline and the full dementia syndrome of Alzheimer's disease. As novel disease modifying agents emerge, brain imaging markers also may facilitate drug development and help monitor drug efficacy in clinical settings.

Knee and ankle injuries vex contact sport athletes. American football players, in particular, put up with torn menisci and a condition known as high ankle sprain that usually gets misdiagnosed. Two studies presented at the 2005 RSNA meeting provide insight on the diagnosis and management of these injuries.

People may permanently store memories in their brains, even if they cannot consciously recall them, according to a study by researchers at Duke University in Durham, NC.

Functional MRI can differentiate between people who experience substantial dread about adverse experiences and those who don’t, according to a study released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Findings could provide new insights into the neurobiology underlying addictive behavior.