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by Keyword: Magnetic resonance imaging

dos Santos, FP, Verschure, PFMJ, (2022). Excitatory-Inhibitory Homeostasis and Diaschisis: Tying the Local and Global Scales in the Post-stroke Cortex Frontiers In Systems Neuroscience 15, 806544

Maintaining a balance between excitatory and inhibitory activity is an essential feature of neural networks of the neocortex. In the face of perturbations in the levels of excitation to cortical neurons, synapses adjust to maintain excitatory-inhibitory (EI) balance. In this review, we summarize research on this EI homeostasis in the neocortex, using stroke as our case study, and in particular the loss of excitation to distant cortical regions after focal lesions. Widespread changes following a localized lesion, a phenomenon known as diaschisis, are not only related to excitability, but also observed with respect to functional connectivity. Here, we highlight the main findings regarding the evolution of excitability and functional cortical networks during the process of post-stroke recovery, and how both are related to functional recovery. We show that cortical reorganization at a global scale can be explained from the perspective of EI homeostasis. Indeed, recovery of functional networks is paralleled by increases in excitability across the cortex. These adaptive changes likely result from plasticity mechanisms such as synaptic scaling and are linked to EI homeostasis, providing a possible target for future therapeutic strategies in the process of rehabilitation. In addition, we address the difficulty of simultaneously studying these multiscale processes by presenting recent advances in large-scale modeling of the human cortex in the contexts of stroke and EI homeostasis, suggesting computational modeling as a powerful tool to tie the meso- and macro-scale processes of recovery in stroke patients. Copyright © 2022 Páscoa dos Santos and Verschure.

JTD Keywords: balanced excitation, canonical microcircuit, cerebral-cortex, cortical excitability, cortical reorganization, diaschisis, excitability, excitatory-inhibitory balance, functional networks, homeostatic plasticity, ischemic-stroke, neuronal avalanches, photothrombotic lesions, state functional connectivity, whole-brain models, Algorithm, Biological marker, Brain, Brain cell, Brain cortex, Brain function, Brain radiography, Cerebrovascular accident, Cortical reorganization, Diaschisis, Down regulation, Excitability, Excitatory-inhibitory balance, Fluorine magnetic resonance imaging, Functional networks, Homeostasis, Homeostatic plasticity, Human, Motor dysfunction, Neuromodulation, Plasticity, Pyramidal nerve cell, Review, Simulation, Stroke, Stroke patient, Theta-burst stimulation, Visual cortex


Faron, A., Pieper, C. C., Schmeel, F. C., Sprinkart, A. M., Kuetting, D. L. R., Fimmers, R., Trebicka, J., Schild, H. H., Meyer, C., Thomas, D., Luetkens, J. A., (2019). Fat-free muscle area measured by magnetic resonance imaging predicts overall survival of patients undergoing radioembolization of colorectal cancer liver metastases European Radiology 29, (9), 4709-4717

Objectives: To investigate the clinical potential of fat-free muscle area (FFMA) to predict outcome in patients with liver-predominant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) undergoing radioembolization (RE) with 90Yttrium microspheres. Methods: Patients with mCRC who underwent RE in our center were included in this retrospective study. All patients received liver magnetic resonance imaging including standard T2-weighted images. The total erector spinae muscle area and the intramuscular adipose tissue area were measured at the level of the origin of the superior mesenteric artery and subtracted to calculate FFMA. Cutoff values for definition of low FFMA were 3644 mm2 in men and 2825 mm2 in women. The main outcome was overall survival (OS). For survival analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regressions comparing various clinic-oncological parameters which potentially may affect OS were performed. Results: Seventy-seven patients (28 female, mean age 60 ± 11 years) were analyzed. Mean time between MRI and the following RE was 17 ± 31 days. Median OS after RE was 178 days. Patients with low FFMA had significantly shortened OS compared to patients with high FFMA (median OS: 128 vs. 273 days, p = 0.017). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, OS was best predicted by FFMA (hazard ratio (HR) 2.652; p < 0.001). Baseline bilirubin (HR 1.875; p = 0.030), pattern of tumor manifestation (HR 1.679; p = 0.001), and model of endstage liver disease (MELD) score (HR 1.164; p < 0.001) were also significantly associated with OS. Conclusions: FFMA was associated with OS in patients receiving RE for treatment of mCRC and might be a new prognostic biomarker for survival prognosis.

JTD Keywords: Brachytherapy, Colorectal cancer, Magnetic resonance imaging, Sarcopenia


Seo, K. D., Kwak, B. K., Sánchez, S., Kim, D. S., (2015). Microfluidic-assisted fabrication of flexible and location traceable organo-motor IEEE Transactions on Nanobioscience , 14, (3), 298-304

In this paper, we fabricate a flexible and location traceable micromotor, called organo-motor, assisted by microfluidic devices and with high throughput. The organo-motors are composed of organic hydrogel material, poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), which can provide the flexibility of their structure. For spatial and temporal traceability of the organo-motors under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION; Fe3O4) were incorporated into the PEGDA microhydrogels. Furthermore, a thin layer of platinum (Pt) was deposited onto one side of the SPION-PEGDA microhydrogels providing geometrical asymmetry and catalytic propulsion in aqueous fluids containing hydrogen peroxide solution, H2O2. Furthermore, the motion of the organo-motor was controlled by a small external magnet enabled by the presence of SPION in the motor architecture.

JTD Keywords: Flexible, Hydrogel, Magnetic resonance imaging, Microfluidics, Micromotor, Microparticle, Organo-motor, Poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate, Self-propulsion, Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles