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Neglect is a severe neuropsychological/neurological deficit that usually develops due to lesions of the posterior inferior parietal area of the right hemisphere and is characterized by a lack of attention to the left side. Our case is a proven right-handed, 30-year-old female patient with a low-grade glioma, which was located in the temporo-opercular region and also in the superior temporal gyrus of the right hemisphere. Upon presurgical planning, the motor, language, and visuospatial functions were mapped. In order to achieve this, the protocol for routine magnetic resonance imaging and navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation has been expanded, accordingly. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00701-021-04822-2.

The widely used rubber hand illusion (RHI) paradigm provides insight into how the brain manages conflicting multisensory information regarding bodily self-consciousness. Previous functional neuroimaging studies have revealed that the feeling of body ownership is linked to activity in the premotor cortex, the intraparietal areas, the occipitotemporal cortex, and the insula. The current study investigated whether the individual differences in the sensation of body ownership over a rubber hand, as measured by subjective report and the proprioceptive drift, are associated with structural brain differences in terms of cortical thickness in 67 healthy young adults. We found that individual differences measured by the subjective report of body ownership are associated with the cortical thickness in the somatosensory regions, the temporo-parietal junction, the intraparietal areas, and the occipitotemporal cortex, while the proprioceptive drift is linked to the premotor area and the anterior cingulate cortex. These results are in line with functional neuroimaging studies indicating that these areas are indeed involved in processes such as cognitive-affective perspective taking, visual processing of the body, and the experience of body ownership and bodily awareness. Consequently, these individual differences in the sensation of body ownership are pronounced in both functional and structural differences.

The absence of nigral hyperintensity is a promising MR marker for Parkinson’s disease (PD), but its small size imposes limitations on its routine use. Our aim was to compare Multi Echo Data Image Combination (MEDIC), segmented echo-planar imaging (EPISEG) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, as well as both magnitude (MAG) and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) reconstructions of single-echo gradient echo for nigral hyperintensity imaging. Twenty-five healthy and twenty PD subjects were included. Sensitivity to motion artefacts, confidence of the radiologist in interpretation, rate of nondiagnostic scans and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. EPISEG was less motion-sensitive than MEDIC, MAG, and SWI, while FLAIR was less motion-sensitive than MAG and SWI. The reviewers were more confident when using EPISEG compared to any other techniques and MEDIC was superior to FLAIR. The proportions of nondiagnostic scans were lower for EPISEG than for other sequences. The best diagnostic performance was achieved for EPISEG (sensitivity = 65%, specificity = 96%). Using EPISEG, the absence of nigral hyperintensity in PD was associated with higher Hoehn-Yahr stage and MDS-UPDRS II + III. Nigral hyperintensity may be intact at the very early stages of PD. The promising properties of EPISEG may help the transfer of nigral hyperintensity imaging into daily clinical practice.

Background and aims Internet addiction is a non-substance-related addiction disorder with progressively growing prevalence. Internet addiction, like substance-related addictions, has been linked with high impulsivity, low inhibitory control, and poor decision-making abilities. Cortical thickness measurements and trait impulsivity have been shown to have a distinct relationship in addicts compared to healthy controls. Thus, we test whether the cortical correlates of trait impulsivity are different in Internet addicts and healthy controls, using an impulsive control group (smokers). Methods Thirty Internet addicts (15 females) and 60 age- and gender-matched controls (30 smokers, all young adults aged 19–28 years) were scanned using a 3T MRI scanner and completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Results Internet addicts had a thinner left superior temporal cortex than controls. Impulsivity had a significant main effect on the left pars orbitalis and bilateral insula, regardless of group membership. We identified divergent relationships between trait impulsivity and thicknesses of the bilateral middle temporal, right superior temporal, left inferior temporal, and left transverse temporal cortices between Internet addicts and healthy controls. Further analysis with smokers revealed that the left middle temporal and left transverse temporal cortical thickness change might be exclusive to Internet addiction. Discussion The effects of impulsivity, combined with a long-term exposure to some specific substance or stimuli, might result in different natures of relationships between impulsivity and brain structure when compared to healthy controls. Conclusion These results may indicate that Internet addiction is similar to substance-related addictions, such that inefficient self-control could result in maladaptive behavior and inability to resist Internet use.

Background/Aim Migraine-related intracerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) are likely to be microvascular in nature and can be found in all hemispheric lobes. The aim of this study was to investigate migraine patients with or without WMLs to see the effects of these tissue damages on cortical thickness and volume. The role of migraine characteristics (duration of headache, attack frequency, estimated lifetime attack number, aura) was also tested. Methods As study participants, 161 female migraine patients (63 with aura; 52 with WMLs) and 40 age-matched healthy female subjects were enrolled in the study. None of the included migraine patients’ headache or aura (where present) was unilaterally side-locked. Patients and controls were all right handed. Except for migraine, patients were free of any medical comorbidity. Cortical reconstruction and segmentation were performed on the 3D T1-weighted images using Freesurfer 5.3 image analysis suite. The automatic cortical parcellation was based on Freesurfer’s Desikan–Killiany–Tourville atlas, which has 31 cortical regions per hemisphere. The segmented regions were divided into five lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, insula). Since the left and right differences in lobar and insular volumes/thicknesses were not different among our groups, volume and cortical thickness were calculated for corresponding bilateral lobes. Results There was no significant difference in age between the whole migraine and the control groups. Migraineurs with WMLs (L+ patients) were significantly older than lesion-free (L-) patients (P = 0.0003) and controls (P = 0.018). Disease duration (P = 0.003), the total number of migraine attacks (P = 0.022) and the rate of aura (P = 0.0003) were significantly higher in L+ patients than in L- patients. Cortical thickness and volume measurements of lobes were not statistically different between the three groups (L+, L-, control). Age showed a significant negative association with both thickness and volume in each examined lobe (P

Background Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of identifying subtle effects of exercise. However, it is unclear whether it is sensitive enough to differentiate between different contractions. Purpose To compare the acute and delayed effects of concentric and eccentric exercise on quantitative MRI in hamstring muscles. Material and Methods Participants performed eccentric and concentric leg curls. Quantitative T2 and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) maps were calculated in the hamstring complex before exercise, 30 minutes, 24 hours, 7 days, and 14 days after exercise. Results Compared to baseline, significant MTR reduction (-7.3%) and T2 elevation (72.2%) were observed in the semitendinosus muscle (ST) at 24 hours after eccentric exercise ( P = 0.04). Concentric contractions induced T2 elevation in the ST (20.8%) and biceps femoris (5.1%) muscles at 30 minutes after exercise ( P = 0.04) which normalized within 24 hours. Conclusions Longitudinal effects of concentric and eccentric exercise can be detected by both T2 and MTR, but T2 is more sensitive to subtle alterations.

A common brain-related feature of addictions is the altered function of higher-order brain networks. Growing evidence suggests that Internet-related addictions are also associated with breakdown of functional brain networks. Taking into consideration the limited number of studies used in previous studies in Internet addiction (IA), our aim was to investigate the functional correlates of IA in the default mode network (DMN) and in the inhibitory control network (ICN). To observe these relationships, task-related fMRI responses to verbal Stroop and non-verbal Stroop-like tasks were measured in 60 healthy university students. The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was used to assess IA. We found significant deactivations in areas related to the DMN (precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus) and these areas were negatively correlated with PIUQ during incongruent stimuli. In Stroop task the incongruent_minus_congruent contrast showed positive correlation with PIUQ in areas related to the ICN (left inferior frontal gyrus, left frontal pole, left central opercular, left frontal opercular, left frontal orbital and left insular cortex). Altered DMN might explain some comorbid symptoms and might predict treatment outcomes, while altered ICN may be the reason for having difficulties in stopping and controlling overuse.

Background Osteopontin (OPN) is a proinflammatory biomarker, and neurofilament light chain (NFL) levels reflect axonal damage. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) defines brain networks during wakeful rest. Objective To examine, if levels of OPN and NFL are associated on the long term with (i) lesion evolution, (ii) changes in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) microstructure and (iii) functional connectivity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods Concentration of NFL and OPN in the blood and CSF were related to MRI findings 10.3 ± 2.8 years later in 53 patients with MS. NFL was examined by Simoa method, OPN by ELISA. Lesion volume in the brain and cervical spinal cord was examined by 3D FLAIR images. Voxel-wise images of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were examined by tract-based spatial statistics corrected for gender, age and lesion volume. Metabolites were examined by single-voxel MR-spectroscopy in the NAWM. Fifty-five default mode network connections were examined by rs-fMRI corrected for gender, age, MS subtype and current therapy as covariates. Results While NFL in paired serum and CSF positively correlated (p = 0.019), there was no correlation between serum and CSF OPN. Higher OPN levels in the CSF but not in the serum showed association with increased brain WM lesion volume (p = 0.009) in 10.3 ± 2.8 years. Higher OPN in the CSF was associated with reduced FA, increased MD, and reduced RD in different NAWM areas 10.3 ± 2.8 years later. Higher OPN in the serum and CSF were associated with increased connectivity strength between the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and other regions except with inferior parietal lobule. NFL in the CSF and in the serum was associated with decreased connectivity strength except for ventral MPFC-hippocampal formation. Neither serum OPN nor NFL at the time of the MRI were associated with functional connectivity changes. Conclusion While serum NFL levels reflects CNS production, OPN in serum and CSF may have different cellular sources. OPN within the CSF but not in the serum may forecast development of lesions and microstructural abnormalities in 10 years, indicating the detrimental role of CNS inflammation on the long-term. Although both OPN and NFL in the CSF were associated with functional connectivity changes in 10 years, NFL was associated with decreased strength possibly indicating general axonal loss. In contrast, the positive association of OPN levels in the CSF with increased connectivity strength in 10 years may point to adaptive re-organization due to inflammatory WM lesions and microstructural changes.

Introduction Dopamine transporter imaging with 123I-FP-CIT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is helpful for the differential diagnosis between Parkinsonian syndrome (PS) and essential tremor (ET). Although visual assessment and time-consuming manual evaluation techniques are readily available, a fully objective and automated dopamine transporter quantification technique is always preferable, at least in research and follow-up investigations. Our aim was to develop a novel automated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based evaluation technique of dopamine transporter SPECT images and to compare its diagnostic accuracy with those of the gold-standard visual grading and manual dopamine transporter binding quantification methods. Methods 123I-FP-CIT SPECT and MRI sessions were conducted in 33 patients with PS (15 men; mean age: 60.3 ± 9.7 years) and 15 patients with ET (8 men; mean age: 54.7 ± 16.3 years). Striatal dopamine transporter binding was visually classified by 2 independent experts as normal or abnormal grade I, II and III. Caudal and putaminal specific uptake ratios were calculated by both automated MRI-based and manual evaluation techniques. Results We found almost perfect agreement (κ = 0.829) between the visual scores by the 2 observers. The automated method showed strong correlation with the visual and manual evaluation techniques and its diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity = 97.0%; specificity = 93.3%) was also comparable to these methods. The automatically determined uptake parameters showed negative correlation with the clinical severity of parkinsonism. Based on ordinal regression modelling, the automated MRI-based method could reliably determine the visual grading scores. Conclusion The novel MRI-based evaluation of 123I-FP-CIT SPECT images is useful for the differentiation of PS from ET.

Although there is evidence that the ratio of 2nd-4th digit length (2D:4D) correlates with prenatal testosterone level, psychological and health traits only two studies have assessed the relationship with brain morphological features. Here we investigated the association between the 2D:4D ratio and several brain subvolumes. Seventy-five subjects between the ages of 18 and 30 were included in the study. The length of the 2nd and 4th digits were measured with an electronic vernier caliper while MRI measurements were performed on a Siemens Magnetom Trio Tim (3T) system. Freesurfer software suite was used for volumetric segmentation. Finger ratio significantly positively correlated with total cerebral cortex, total cerebellar white matter and total cerebellar cortex in males but not in females. Our results indicate that prenatal testosterone, as estimated by the 2D:4D ratio has an effect on adult brain morphology in males.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between habitual milk and dairy consumption and brain morphology as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations in 119 young healthy university students. MRI measurements were performed on a Siemens Magnetom Trio Tim (3T) system while FreeSurfer software suite was used for volumetric segmentation. Dietary habits related to milk and dairy consumption were assessed by a structured questionnaire. Total cerebral cortex, total cerebral white matter, and total cerebral parenchyma were significantly related with cottage cheese and total protein intake from milk and dairy also when controlled for age and gender in the multivariate model. Our results indicate that dietary habits related with milk and dairy are proportionally associated with volumes of both cerebral cortex and cerebral white matter.

Neuroimaging findings suggest that excessive Internet use shows functional and structural brain changes similar to substance addiction. Even though it is still under debate whether there are gender differences in case of problematic use, previous studies by-passed this question by focusing on males only or by using gender matched approach without controlling for potential gender effects. We designed our study to find out whether there are structural correlates in the brain reward system of problematic Internet use in habitual Internet user females. T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance (MR) images were collected in 82 healthy habitual Internet user females. Structural brain measures were investigated using both automated MR volumetry and voxel based morphometry (VBM). Self-reported measures of problematic Internet use and hours spent online were also assessed. According to MR volumetry, problematic Internet use was associated with increased grey matter volume of bilateral putamen and right nucleus accumbens while decreased grey matter volume of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Similarly, VBM analysis revealed a significant negative association between the absolute amount of grey matter OFC and problematic Internet use. Our findings suggest structural brain alterations in the reward system usually related to addictions are present in problematic Internet use.

Abnormally high deposition of iron can contribute to neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive impairment. Since previous studies investigating cognition-brain iron accumulation relationships focused on elderly people, our aim was to explore the association between iron concentration in subcortical nuclei and two types of memory performances in a healthy young population. Gender difference was found only in the globus pallidus. Our results showed that iron load characterized by R2* value on the MRI in the caudate and putamen was related to visual memory, while verbal memory was unrelated to iron concentration.

Although several methods have been developed to automatically delineate subcortical gray matter structures from MR images, the accuracy of these algorithms has not been comprehensively examined. Most of earlier studies focused primarily on the hippocampus. Here, we assessed the accuracy of two widely used non-commercial programs (FSL-FIRST and Freesurfer) for segmenting the caudate and putamen. T1-weighted 1 mm3 isotropic resolution MR images were acquired for thirty healthy subjects (15 females). Caudate nucleus and putamen were segmented manually by two independent observers and automatically by FIRST and Freesurfer (v4.5 and v5.3). Utilizing manual labels as reference standard the following measures were studied: Dice coefficient (D), percentage volume difference (PVD), absolute volume difference as well as intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for consistency and absolute agreement. For putamen segmentation, FIRST achieved higher D, lower PVD and higher ICC for absolute agreement with manual tracing than either version of Freesurfer. Freesurfer overestimated the putamen, while FIRST was not statistically different from manual tracing. The ICC for consistency with manual tracing was similar between the two methods. For caudate segmentation, FIRST and Freesurfer performed more similarly. In conclusion, Freesurfer and FIRST are not equivalent when comparing to manual tracing. FIRST was superior for putaminal segmentation.

Previous findings on normal sexual dimorphism in hippocampal volume have not always been consistent. This study investigated gender differences in hippocampal volume using different head-size correction strategies. T1-weighted MR images were collected in 99 healthy, Caucasian, university students (66 female subjects; mean age: 23.1 ± 2.3, range: 19-31 years). Sexual dimorphism in hippocampus was investigated by automated MRI volumetry and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) using both general linear model (GLM) and proportion head-size correction strategies. Absolute hippocampal volumes were larger in men than women. After adjusting for head-size, the proportion method indicated larger hippocampi in women than men, while no gender differences were found using the GLM approach. Investigating absolute hippocampal volumes in 15 head-size matched pairs of males and females indicated no gender differences. We suggest that there is no sexual dimorphism in hippocampal size and the apparent gender differences found by the proportion method may have more to do with head-size than with sex. The GLM and proportion head-size correction strategies are not interchangeable and may yield different results. The importance of the present findings is mostly related to scientific reproducibility across MRI volumetry or VBM studies.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine chronic brain white matter hyperintensities in migraine and to gain data on the characteristics of the lesions. BACKGROUND Migraine associates with a higher incidence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible white matter signal abnormalities. Several attack-related pathomechanisms have been proposed in the lesion development, including the effect of repeated intracerebral hemodynamic changes. METHODS Supratentorial white matter hyperintensities of 17 migraine patients were investigated interictally with quantitative MRI, including quantitative single voxel spectroscopy, diffusion, and perfusion MRI at 3.0-Tesla. The findings were compared with data measured in the contralateral, normal-appearing white matter of migraineurs and in the white matter of 17 healthy subjects. RESULTS Significantly higher apparent diffusion coefficient values, prolonged T2 relaxation times, and decreased N-acetyl-aspartate and creatine/phosphocreatine concentrations were found in the white matter hyperintensities. The cerebral blood flow and blood volume values were mildly decreased inside the hyperintensities. Differences were not present between the migraine patients' normal-appearing white matter and the white matter of healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS The MRI measurements denote tissue damage with axonal loss, low glial cell density, and an enlarged extracellular space with an increased extracellular water fraction. These radiological features might be the consequences of microvascular ischemic changes during migraine attacks.

In mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS), structural abnormalities are present not only in the hippocampus but also in the white matter with ipsilateral predominance. Although the timing of epilepsy onset is commonly associated with clinical and semiological dissimilarities, limited data exist regarding white matter diffusion changes with respect to age at epilepsy onset. The aim of this study was to investigate diffusion changes in the white matter of patients with unilateral MTLE-HS with respect to clinical parameters and to compare them with an age- and sex-matched healthy control group. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were derived using monoexponential approaches from 22 (11 early and 11 late age at onset) patients with unilateral MTLE-HS and 22 age- and sex-matched control subjects after acquiring diffusion-weighted images on a 3T MRI system. Data were analyzed using two-tailed t-tests and multiple linear regression models. In the group with early onset MTLE-HS, ADC was significantly elevated in the ipsilateral hemispheric (p=0.04) and temporal lobe white matter (p=0.01) compared with that in controls. These differences were not detectable in late onset MTLE-HS patients. Apparent diffusion coefficient of the group with early onset MTLE-HS was negatively related to age at epilepsy onset in the ipsilateral hemispheric white matter (p=0.03) and the uncinate fasciculus (p=0.03), while in patients with late onset MTLE-HS, ADC was no longer dependent on age at epilepsy onset itself but rather on the seizure frequency in the ipsilateral uncinate fasciculus (p=0.03). Such diffusivity pattern has been associated with chronic white matter degeneration, reflecting myelin loss and higher extracellular volume which are more pronounced in the frontotemporal regions and also depend on clinical features. In the group with early onset MTLE-HS, the timing of epilepsy seems to be the major cause of white matter abnormalities while in late onset disease, it has a secondary role in provoking diffusion changes.

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between verbal memory and total cholesterol (TC) levels related to body mass index (BMI) in healthy young women. Verbal memory was assessed using the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) while total serum cholesterol was measured by enzymatic colorimetric test. In order to analyze the potential significance of BMI subjects were divided into three groups according to their calculated BMI percentile values. No significant correlation was found when assessing the group as a whole. However a remarkable pattern of correlation emerged when assessing the BMI groups separately: a close-to-significant positive correlation was found for total learning score and TC in the low BMI group, no correlation emerged in the medium BMI group while a strong inverse correlation was found in the high BMI group. These findings indicate that the relationship between verbal memory and serum TC level is also influenced by BMI.

The pathophysiology of cervical dystonia is poorly understood. Increased brain iron deposition has been described in different movement disorders. Our aim was to investigate brain iron content in patients with cervical dystonia, using R2* relaxation rate, a validated MRI marker of brain iron level.Twelve female patients with primary focal cervical dystonia (mean age: 45.4 ± 8.0 years) and 12 age-matched healthy female subjects (mean age: 45.0 ± 8.0 years) underwent 3T MRI to obtain regional R2* relaxation rates of the thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus (GP). Regions of interest were delineated automatically on T1-weighted MRIs.R2* values in the putamen were positively correlated with age. Patients with cervical dystonia showed elevated R2* values in the GP.This pilot study provides the first quantitative support for increased brain iron deposition in cervical dystonia. Further studies are needed to explore the implications of this finding.

The growth promoting effects of eccentric (ECC) contractions are well documented but it is unknown if the rate of stretch per se plays a role in such muscular responses in healthy aging human skeletal muscle. We tested the hypothesis that exercise training of the quadriceps muscle with low rate ECC and high rate ECC contractions in the form of stretch-shortening cycles (SSCs) but at equal total mechanical work would produce rate-specific adaptations in healthy old males age 60-70. Both training programs produced similar improvements in maximal voluntary isometric (6%) and ECC torque (23%) and stretch-shortening cycle function (reduced contraction duration [24%] and enhanced elastic energy storage [12%]) (p

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate changes of migraine-related brain white matter hyperintensities 3 years after an initial study. Baseline quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of migraine patients with hemispheric white matter hyperintensities performed in 2009 demonstrated signs of tissue damage within the hyperintensities. The hyperintensities appeared most frequently in the deep white matter of the frontal lobe with a similar average hyperintensity size in all hemispheric lobes. Since in this patient group the repeated migraine attacks were the only known risk factors for the development of white matter hyperintensities, the remeasurements of migraineurs after a 3-year long follow-up may show changes in the status of these structural abnormalities as the effects of the repeated headaches.The same patient group was reinvestigated in 2012 using the same MRI scanner and acquisition protocol. MR measurements were performed on a 3.0-Tesla clinical MRI scanner. Beyond the routine T1-, T2-weighted, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, diffusion and perfusion-weighted imaging, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements were also performed. Findings of the baseline and follow-up studies were compared with each other.The follow-up proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of white matter hyperintensities showed significantly decreased N-acetyl-aspartate (median values 8.133 vs 7.153 mmol/L, P=.009) and creatine/phosphocreatine (median values 4.970 vs 4.641 mmol/L, P=.015) concentrations compared to the baseline, indicating a more severe axonal loss and glial hypocellularity with decreased intracellular energy production. The diffusion values, the T1 and T2 relaxation times, and the cerebral blood flow and volume measurements presented only mild changes between the studies. The number (median values 21 vs 25, P.001) and volume (median values 0.896 vs 1.140 mL, P.001) of hyperintensities were significantly higher in the follow-up study. No changes were found in the hemispheric and lobar distribution of hyperintensities. An increase in the hyperintensity size of preexisting lesions was much more common than a decrease (median values 14 vs 5, P=.004). A higher number of newly developed hyperintensities were detected than disappeared ones (130 vs 22), and most of them were small (.034 mL). Small white matter hyperintensities in patients with a low migraine attack frequency had a higher chance to disappear than large white matter hyperintensities or white matter hyperintensities in patients with a high attack frequency (coefficient: -0.517, P=.034).This longitudinal MRI study found clinically silent brain white matter hyperintensities to be predominantly progressive in nature. The absence of a control group precludes definitive conclusions about the nature of these changes or if their degree is beyond normal aging.

Objective Vitamin D plays an important role in brain development and functioning. Low levels of vitamin D have been described in several psychiatric and neurologic conditions including autism spectrum disorder. Alexithymia that shows high comorbidity with autism is also present in the general population as well as hypovitaminosis D. Methods Here we assessed the relation between alexithymia as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and vitamin D level in healthy young adults. Results We found an inverse correlation between the levels of alexithymia and vitamin D. Discussion These data suggest the association between disturbed emotional processing and low levels of vitamin D to be present in young healthy subjects.

Objectives Vitamin D is important in normal brain development. In animals low vitamin D level is associated with brain morphological alterations including enlargement of the brain. Whether a similar association exists in humans is unknown. Here we investigated the relationship between vitamin D and total intracranial volume as well as total volume of the cortical grey and cerebral white matter and that of the ventricles in young healthy women. Methods To assess volumes we applied semi-automatic user-independent MR volumetry. For the vitamin D measurements automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was used. Results We found a significant negative correlation between vitamin D and total intracranial volume as well as total cortical grey and cerebral white matter volumes. Discussion This association may reflect a trait-like relationship between vitamin D and brain size possibly determined in early development.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of quantitative classification in intervertebral disc degeneration using spin–spin relaxation time (T2) cut-off values with regard to morphological classifications. Lumbar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on 21 subjects (a total of 104 lumbar disks). The T2 relaxation time was measured in the nucleus pulposus using a sagittal multi-echo spin-echo sequence. The morphological classification of disc degeneration was assessed independently by three experienced neuroradiologists according to the Pfirrmann and Schneiderman classifications. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed among grades to determine T2 cut-off values in each classification. Intra- and interobserver differences were calculated using kappa statistics. Moderate overall interobserver agreement was found between observers in both the Pfirrmann and Schneiderman classification schemes (kappa 0.46 and 0.51), while intraobserver reliability was substantial to almost perfect. The interobserver reliability was only fair in Pfirrmann grades III and IV (kappa 0.33 and 0.36), but the T2 cut-off values still indicated a significant difference between grades (p

To compare the white matter lesions seen in multiple sclerosis and migraine using monoexponential and high b-value biexponential diffusion measurements.Diffusion-weighted images were acquired on a 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system. Diffusion parameters were estimated using monoexponential (0-1000 s/mm(2) ) and biexponential (0-5000 s/mm(2) ) approaches from 15 multiple sclerosis patients, 15 patients with migraine and 15 healthy control subjects. The study was performed in accordance with the approval of the Regional Research Ethics Committee. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in the lesions and the normal-appearing white matter of patients and in the white matter of controls.High lesional ADCmono values were detected in both patient groups without significant differences between the groups (10.72 and 9.86 × 10(-4) mm(2) /s for MS and migraine respectively, P = 0.2134). The biexponential measurements showed significantly higher ADCfast , ADCslow , and Pslow values in the migraine lesions than in the multiple sclerosis lesions (16.47 versus 14.29, 1.41 versus 0.76, and 20.34 versus 12.01 all values in 10(-4) mm(2) /s; P = 0.0344, P = 0.0019, P = 0.0021, respectively).Biexponential diffusion analysis may help to differentiate multiple sclerosis-related white matter lesions from migraine-related ones.