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The interest in gallium-68 labelled positron-emission tomography probes continues to increase around the world. However, one of the barriers for routine clinical use is the cost of the automated synthesis units for relatively simple labelling procedures. Herein, we describe the adaptation of a TRACERlab FX FN synthesis module for the automated production of gallium-68 radiopharmaceuticals using a cation-exchange cartridge for postprocessing of the 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator eluate. The recovery of activity from the cartridge was 95.6% to 98.9% using solutions of acidified sodium chloride (5 M with pH = 1-3). The radiosyntheses of [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTANOC and [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 were performed using acetate sodium buffer or 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid, with a total duration of 21 and 23 minutes, respectively, including generator elution and radiopharmaceutical dispensing. Activity yields were 77% ± 2% for [ 68 Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and 68% ± 3% for [ 68 Ga]Ga-DOTANOC (n > 100). The labelled peptides had a radiochemical purity exceeding 97%, and all quality control parameters were in conformity with the limits prescribed by the European Pharmacopoeia., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Lesion-symptom mapping studies reveal that selective damage to one or more components of the speech production network can be associated with foreign accent syndrome, changes in regional accent (e.g., from Parisian accent to Alsatian accent), stronger regional accent, or re-emergence of a previously learned and dormant regional accent. Here, we report loss of regional accent after rapidly regressive Broca's aphasia in three Argentinean patients who had suffered unilateral or bilateral focal lesions in components of the speech production network. All patients were monolingual speakers with three different native Spanish accents (Cordobés or central, Guaranítico or northeast, and Bonaerense). Samples of speech production from the patient with native Córdoba accent were compared with previous recordings of his voice, whereas data from the patient with native Guaranítico accent were compared with speech samples from one healthy control matched for age, gender, and native accent. Speech samples from the patient with native Buenos Aires's accent were compared with data obtained from four healthy control subjects with the same accent. Analysis of speech production revealed discrete slowing in speech rate, inappropriate long pauses, and monotonous intonation. Phonemic production remained similar to those of healthy Spanish speakers, but phonetic variants peculiar to each accent (e.g., intervocalic aspiration of /s/ in Córdoba accent) were absent. While basic normal prosodic features of Spanish prosody were preserved, features intrinsic to melody of certain geographical areas (e.g., rising end F0 excursion in declarative sentences intoned with Córdoba accent) were absent. All patients were also unable to produce sentences with different emotional prosody. Brain imaging disclosed focal left hemisphere lesions involving the middle part of the motor cortex, the post-central cortex, the posterior inferior and/or middle frontal cortices, insula, anterior putamen and supplementary motor area. Our findings suggest that lesions affecting the middle part of the left motor cortex and other components of the speech production network disrupt neural processes involved in the production of regional accent features.

Changes in ERP (P100 and N400) and root mean square (RMS) were obtained during a silent reading task in 28 patients with chronic post-stroke aphasia in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of both memantine and constraint-induced aphasia therapy (CIAT). Participants received memantine/placebo alone (weeks 0-16), followed by drug treatment combined with CIAT (weeks 16-18), and then memantine/placebo alone (weeks 18-20). ERP/RMS values (week 16) decreased more in the memantine group than in the placebo group. During CIAT application (weeks 16-18), improvements in aphasia severity and ERP/RMS values were amplified by memantine and changes remained stable thereafter (weeks 18-20). Changes in ERP/RMS occurred in left and right hemispheres and correlated with gains in language performance. No changes in ERP/RMS were found in a healthy group in two separated evaluations. Our results show that aphasia recovery induced by both memantine alone and in combination with CIAT is indexed by bilateral cortical potentials., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)