OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess structural changes in gray matter (GM) volume and fractional anisotropy (FA) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to control subjects using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM). Fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum of both groups was also calculated using ROI analysis. METHODS: Twenty-one patients and twenty-three control subjects underwent MRI examination using T1-weighted 3D MPRAGE sequence and diffusion spin-echo echo-planar imaging sequence in six directions. Structural MRI analyses for GM volume and FA were performed using an optimized VBM protocol implemented in SPM5. The influence of age and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was dealt with multiple regression analysis either for the whole group or for AD patients and controls separately. RESULTS: Patients showed significant reduction of GM volume mainly in the temporal lobes. In AD patients, no correlation was observed between GM volume and age or MMSE. FA was reduced in AD patients mainly in frontal and temporal lobes. In both groups no correlation was found between FA and age or MMSE. Patients with AD showed a significant decrease in FA and an increase in mean diffusivity (p<0.0001) in the corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AD we observed a significant reduction in FA values and GM volume; however, no correlation with age and MMSE was proven for both FA and GM for AD patients. This finding supports the hypothesis that morphological changes in patients with AD are not a continuous aging related process but represent qualitative changes.

• MeSH
• Alzheimer Disease diagnosis   MeSH
• Anisotropy MeSH
• Corpus Callosum pathology   radiography   MeSH
• Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Echo-Planar Imaging methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Psychological Tests MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Age Factors MeSH
• Organ Size MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Controlled Clinical Trial MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Morfometrie založená na voxelech je plně automatická objektivní metoda zpracování stavetulárních dat z magnetické rezonance. V článku jsou shrnuty principy a hlavní výhody a nevýhody této metody oproti klasické volumetrii založené na segmentaci oblastí zájmu. Navzdory vzrůstající popularitě morfometrie založené na voxelech existuje jen několik prací vyhodnocujících kvalitu a limitaci této metody. Ve druhé části článku podáváme synopsi studie stanovující test retest reliabilitu morfometrie založené na voxelech.

Voxel based morphometry (VBM) is a fully automated objective method for processing MRI images. The paper outlines the main principles, advantages and disadvantages of this technique over classical morphometric analyses based on semimanual measurement of regions of interest. Despite the increasing popularity of VBM, there are only few papers looking at limitations and quality of this technique. In the second part of the paper we present the synopsis of our study looking at test retest reliability of VBM.

• MeSH
• Research Support as Topic MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Psychiatry MeSH
• Schizophrenia diagnosis   MeSH
• Thalamus abnormalities   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH

OBJECTIVES: To address the role of latent T. gondii infection in schizophrenia we studied the influence of latent toxoplasmosis on brain morphology. METHODS: An optimized voxel-based morphometry of magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed by analysis of variance with diagnosis and seropositivity as factors in 44 schizophrenic patients (12 T. gondii positive) and 56 controls (13 T. gondii positive). RESULTS: Grey matter (GM) volume was reduced in schizophrenia patients compared with controls in the cortical regions, hippocampus and in the caudate. In the schizophrenia sample we found a significant reduction of GM volume in T. gondii positive comparing with T. gondii-negative patients bilaterally in the caudate, median cingulate, thalamus and occipital cortex and in the left cerebellar hemispheres. T. gondii-positive and -negative controls did not differ in any cluster. Among participants seropositive to T. gondii the reduction of GM in the schizophrenia subjects was located in the same regions when comparing the entire sample (11,660 over-threshold voxels (P ≤ 0.05, FWR corrected). The differences between T. gondii-negative patients and controls consisted only of 289 voxels in temporal regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to document that latent toxoplasmosis reduces GM in schizophrenia but not in controls.

• MeSH
• Analysis of Variance MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay MeSH
• Hippocampus microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Brain Mapping methods   MeSH
• Brain microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Cerebral Cortex microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral complications   microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted methods   MeSH
• Schizophrenia complications   microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Temporal Lobe microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Thalamus microbiology   pathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

• Publication type
• Meeting Abstract MeSH

PURPOSE: To determine whether voxel-based morphometry (VBM) might contribute to the detection of cortical dysplasia within the temporal pole in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE/HS). METHODS: Eighteen patients with intractable MTLE/HS and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. All of the patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for MTLE/HS and underwent anteromedial temporal resection. VBM without a modulation step was applied to the magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain. Statistical parametric maps were used to compare structural characteristics such as gray matter concentration (GMC) within the temporal pole among patients and controls separately. The acquired data were then statistically analyzed to determine the congruency between visually inspected MR imaging (MRI) scans and VBM results in the detection of morphologic abnormalities in the temporal pole compared to postoperative histopathologic findings of cortical dysplasia. KEY FINDINGS: Histopathologic examination revealed cortical dysplasia within the temporal pole in 11 patients. In detail, according to Palmini's classification, mild malformations of cortical development (mMCDs) were disclosed in three patients, focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type Ia in three patients, and FCD type Ib in five patients. Some type of structural temporal pole abnormality was suggested by VBM in 14 patients and by visually inspected MRI scans in 11 patients. The results of VBM were in agreement with the presence/absence of cortical dysplasia in 13 patients (72.2%); this correspondence was significant (p = 0.047). In one case, VBM was false negative and in four cases it was false positive. There was congruence between the results of visual analysis and histologic proof in 55.6% of examined patients, which was not significant. SIGNIFICANCE: We found that VBM made a superior contribution to the detection of temporopolar structural malformations (cortical dysplasia) compared to visual inspection. The agreement with postoperative histopathologic proof was clearly significant for VBM results and nonsignificant for visual inspection.

• MeSH
• Analysis of Variance MeSH
• Diplopia diagnosis   etiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe complications   diagnosis   MeSH
• Functional Laterality MeSH
• Hippocampus pathology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• Brain Mapping MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted MeSH
• Temporal Lobe pathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

PURPOSE: : To assess whether structural and metabolic brain abnormalities are correlated in MTLE/HS syndrome.

• MeSH
• Video Recording methods   MeSH
• Choline metabolism   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Electroencephalography methods   MeSH
• Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe pathology   MeSH
• Financing, Organized MeSH
• Hippocampus pathology   MeSH
• Creatine metabolism   MeSH
• Aspartic Acid analogs & derivatives   metabolism   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy methods   MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Brain Mapping MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted MeSH
• Protons diagnostic use   MeSH
• Sclerosis pathology   MeSH
• Statistics as Topic MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH

OBJECTIVES: There is a lot of variability between the results of studies reporting the pattern of gray matter volume changes in schizophrenia. Methodological issues may play an important role in this heterogeneity. The aim of the present study was to replicate the better performance of multivariate "source-based morphometry" (SBM) over the mass-univariate approach. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Voxel-based morphometry of Jacobian-modulated gray matter volume images, using voxel and cluster level inference, and SBM were performed in a group of first-episode schizophrenia patients (N = 49) and healthy controls (N = 127). RESULTS: Using SBM we were able to find a significant reduction of gray matter volume in fronto-temporo-cerebellar areas whereas no significant results were obtained using voxel-based morphometry. CONCLUSION: Multivariate analysis of gray matter volume seems to be a suitable method for characterization of the pattern of changes at the beginning of the illness in schizophrenia subjects. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

• MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain pathology   MeSH
• Multivariate Analysis MeSH
• Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated pathology   MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted methods   MeSH
• Schizophrenia pathology   MeSH
• Organ Size MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Wilson disease (WD) primarily presents with hepatic and neurological symptoms. While hepatic symptoms typically precede the neurological manifestations, copper accumulates in the brain already in this patient group and leads to subclinical brain MRI abnormalities including T2 hyperintensities and atrophy. This study aimed to assess brain morphological changes in mild hepatic WD. WD patients without a history of neurologic symptoms and decompensated cirrhosis and control participants underwent brain MRI at 3T scanner including high-resolution T1-weighted images. A volumetric evaluation was conducted on the following brain regions: nucleus accumbens, caudate, pallidum, putamen, thalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, midbrain, pons, cerebellar gray matter, white matter (WM), and superior peduncle, using Freesurfer v7 software. Whole-brain analyses using voxel- and surface-based morphometry were performed using SPM12. Statistical comparisons utilized a general linear model adjusted for total intracranial volume, age, and sex. Twenty-six WD patients with mild hepatic form (30 ± 9 years [mean age ± SD]); 11 women; mean treatment duration 13 ± 12 (range 0-42) years and 28 healthy controls (33 ± 9 years; 15 women) were evaluated. Volumetric analysis revealed a significantly smaller pons volume and a trend for smaller midbrain and cerebellar WM in WD patients compared to controls. Whole-brain analysis revealed regions of reduced volume in the pons, cerebellar, and lobar WM in the WD group. No significant differences in gray matter density or cortical thickness were found. Myelin or WM in general seems vulnerable to low-level copper toxicity, with WM volume loss showing promise as a marker for assessing brain involvement in early WD stages.

• MeSH
• White Matter pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Hepatolenticular Degeneration * pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Liver pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain * pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Gray Matter pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

PURPOSE: To determine whether changes in gray matter volume (GMV) differ according to the affected side in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy/hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE/HS) syndrome, and moreover to test the hypothesis of more pronounced structural changes in right-sided MTLE/HS. This hypothesis (especially that the contralateral thalamus is more affected in right-sided MTLE/HS) arose from the results of our recent study, wherein more expressed structural and functional changes were observed in a small sample of patients with right-sided MTLE/HS (Brázdil et al., 2009). METHODS: Twenty patients with left-sided and 20 with right-sided MTLE/HS and 40 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) with a modulation step was applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain images. Statistical parametric maps were used to compare structural changes between patients and controls separately for the left- and right-sided MTLE/HS subgroups. We also compared the local GMV of the brain structures (insula and thalamus) between the subgroups of patients. RESULTS: In the subgroup with right-sided MTLE/HS, a reduction of GMV was detected in the mesiotemporal structures and the ipsilateral thalamus (as in left-sided MTLE/HS), but also notably in the ipsilateral insula and contralateral thalamus. A statistical analysis revealed a significantly more extensive reduction of GMV in the ipsilateral/contralateral insula and the contralateral thalamus in the subgroup with right-sided compared to left-sided MTLE/HS. CONCLUSION: We found asymmetrical morphologic changes in patients with left- and right-sided MTLE/HS syndrome (more pronounced in right-sided MTLE/HS). These differences could be theoretically explained by different neuronal networks and pathophysiologic changes in temporolimbic structures.

• MeSH
• Amygdala pathology   MeSH
• Atrophy MeSH
• Dominance, Cerebral physiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe diagnosis   pathology   MeSH
• Parahippocampal Gyrus pathology   MeSH
• Hippocampus pathology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   MeSH
• Brain Mapping methods   MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Brain Stem pathology   MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted methods   MeSH
• Reference Values MeSH
• Sclerosis MeSH
• Temporal Lobe pathology   MeSH
• Thalamus pathology   MeSH
• Organ Size physiology   MeSH
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Existuje pouze málo informací o tom, které z mnoha neuroanatomických odchylek, zjištiných u pacientu s bipolární afektivní poruchou, vyhovuje kritériím pro endofenotyp. Abychom zhodnotili, zda objemové zminy mozku poedstavují endofenotyp pro bipolární afektivní poruchu, provedli jsme automatizované mioení mozkové tkáni z obrazu získaných magnetickou rezonancí u zdravých a postižených (s bipolární ei unipolární poruchou) potomku rodieu, kteoí sami trpili bipolární poruchou. Zaoadili jsme 20 zdravých potomku rodieu s bipolární poruchou, 15 postižených potomku rodieu s bipolární poruchou a 18 vikem a pohlavím odpovídajících zdravých kontrol. Morfometrie založená na voxelech (VBM) byla provedena standardními metodami na 1,5 T 3D anatomických obrazech z magnetické rezonance. Nalezli jsme srovnatelné celkové i regionální objemy mozku mezi zdravými a postiženými potomky rodieu s bipolární poruchou a kontrolami. Celkové ani regionální objemy mozku nesplnily kritéria pro endofenotyp bipolární afektivní poruchy.

Little is known about which of many neuroanatomical abnormalities found in bipolar patients meet criteria for endophenotype. In order to test whether regional brain volumes represent an endophenotype (biological risk factor) for bipolar affective disorder, we performed voxel based morhometry (VBM) both in unaffected and affected (with bipolar or unipolar disorder) offsprings of bipolar patients. We included 20 unaffected, 15 affected offsprings of bipolar parents and 18 healthy controls matched by sex and age. VBM was performed on 1.5T 3D anatomical MRI images using standard methods. We found comparable global and regional brain matter volumes among unaffected as well as affected offsprings of bipolar parents and controls. Global or regional brain volumes did not meet criteria for endophenotype of bipolar disorders.

• MeSH
• Bipolar Disorder diagnosis   etiology   genetics   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Phenotype MeSH
• Financing, Organized MeSH
• Genetic Phenomena physiology   genetics   MeSH
• Genetic Markers genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods   utilization   MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Brain abnormalities   physiopathology   pathology   MeSH
• Neuroanatomy methods   MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted methods   utilization   MeSH
• Registries MeSH
• Statistics as Topic MeSH
• Case-Control Studies MeSH
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods   utilization   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH