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Abstract Background Intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) are associated with a heavy socioeconomic burden; however, their longitudinal changes remain controversial. Methods We conducted a longitudinal analysis on 756 participants of Shunyi Cohort who underwent both baseline and follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR angiography in order to investigate the risk factors for ICAS and CSVD progression in community population. Incident ICAS was defined as new stenosis occurring in at least one artery or increased severity of the original artery stenosis. CSVD markers included lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMB), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Results After 5.58 ± 0.49 years of follow-up, 8.5% of the 756 participants (53.7 ± 8.0 years old, 65.1% women) had incident ICAS. Body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.01–1.17, p = 0.035) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.44–4.93, p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for incident ICAS. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for incident lacunes (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.20–3.77, p = 0.010) and CMB (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.22–4.41, p = 0.011), while WMH progression was primarily affected by BMI (β = 0.108, SE = 0.006, p = 0.002). A higher LDL cholesterol level was found to independently protect against WMH progression (β = −0.076, SE = 0.027, p = 0.019). Conclusions Modifiable risk factor profiles exhibit different in patients with ICAS and CSVD progression. Controlling BMI and diabetes mellitus may help to prevent incident ICAS, and antihypertensive therapy may conduce to mitigate lacunes and CMB progression. LDL cholesterol may play an inverse role in large arteries and small vessels.

Background This study aims to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of structural brain injury related to deep medullary veins (DMVs) damage. Methods and Results This is a longitudinal analysis of the population‐based Shunyi cohort study. Baseline DMVs numbers were identified on susceptibility‐weighted imaging. We assessed vertex‐wise cortex maps and diffusion maps at both baseline and follow‐up using FSL software and the longitudinal FreeSurfer analysis suite. We performed statistical analysis of global measurements and voxel/vertex‐wise analysis to explore the relationship between DMVs number and brain structural measurements. A total of 977 participants were included in the baseline, of whom 544 completed the follow‐up magnetic resonance imaging (age 54.97±7.83 years, 32% men, mean interval 5.56±0.47 years). A lower number of DMVs was associated with a faster disruption of white matter microstructural integrity, presented by increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusion (β=0.0001 and SE=0.0001 for both, P=0.04 and 0.03, respectively), in extensive deep white matter (threshold‐free cluster enhancement P

Abstract Objectives We aimed to present the state of the art of CT- and MRI-based radiomics in the context of ovarian cancer (OC), with a focus on the methodological quality of these studies and the clinical utility of these proposed radiomics models. Methods Original articles investigating radiomics in OC published in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library between January 1, 2002, and January 6, 2023, were extracted. The methodological quality was evaluated using the radiomics quality score (RQS) and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2). Pairwise correlation analyses were performed to compare the methodological quality, baseline information, and performance metrics. Additional meta-analyses of studies exploring differential diagnoses and prognostic prediction in patients with OC were performed separately. Results Fifty-seven studies encompassing 11,693 patients were included. The mean RQS was 30.7% (range − 4 to 22); less than 25% of studies had a high risk of bias and applicability concerns in each domain of QUADAS-2. A high RQS was significantly associated with a low QUADAS-2 risk and recent publication year. Significantly higher performance metrics were observed in studies examining differential diagnosis; 16 such studies as well as 13 exploring prognostic prediction were included in a separate meta-analysis, which revealed diagnostic odds ratios of 25.76 (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.50–49.13) and 12.55 (95% CI 8.38–18.77), respectively. Conclusion Current evidence suggests that the methodological quality of OC-related radiomics studies is unsatisfactory. Radiomics analysis based on CT and MRI showed promising results in terms of differential diagnosis and prognostic prediction. Critical relevance statement Radiomics analysis has potential clinical utility; however, shortcomings persist in existing studies in terms of reproducibility. We suggest that future radiomics studies should be more standardized to better bridge the gap between concepts and clinical applications. Graphical abstract

Objective: To evaluate the image quality of low-dose temporal bone computed tomography (CT) in otitis media and mastoiditis patients by using deep learning reconstruction (DLR). Materials and methods: A total of ninety-seven temporal bones from 53 consecutive adult patients who had suspected otitis media and mastoiditis and underwent temporal bone CT were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent high resolution CT protocol (group A) and an additional low-dose protocol (group B). In group A, high resolution data were reconstructed by filter back projection (FBP). In group B, low-dose data were reconstructed by DLR mild (B1), DLR standard (B2) and DLR strong (B3). The objective image quality was analyzed by measuring the CT value and image noise on the transverse image and calculating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on incudomallear joint, retroauricular muscle, vestibule and subcutaneous fat. Subjective image quality was analyzed by using a five-point scale to evaluate nine anatomical structures of middle and inner ear. The number of temporal bone lesions which involved in five structures of middle ear were assessed in group A, B1, B2 and B3 images. Results: There were no significant differences in the CT values of the four reconstruction methods at four structures (all p > 0.05). The DLR group B1, B2 and B3 had significantly less image noise and a significantly higher SNR than group A at four structures (all p 0.05), however, the group B3 had lower subjective image quality than group A in modiolus, spiral osseous lamina and stapes (all p 0.05), however, the number of temporal bone lesions which involved in mastoid for group B3 images were significantly more than group A (p

Key points T2DL resulted in a 62.7% reduction in acquisition time compared to T2S T2DL can provide higher SNR and CNR, and without geometric distortion T2DL is feasible for reducing the motion-induced blurring and improving image quality

ObjectiveFurther studies are needed to improve the understanding of the pathological process underlying cognitive impairments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the global and topographic changes of white matter integrity and cortical structure related to cognitive impairments in a community-based population.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed based on 995 subjects (aged 56.8 ± 9.1 years, 34.8% males) from the Shunyi study, a community-dwelling cohort. Cognitive status was accessed by a series of neurocognitive tests including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), category Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Digit Span Test (DST), and Trail Making Tests A and B (TMT-A and TMT-B). Structural and diffusional MRI data were acquired. White matter integrity was assessed using fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD). Cortical surface area, thickness, and volume were measured using Freesurfer. Probabilistic tractography was further conducted to track the white matter fibers connecting to the cortical regions related to cognition. General linear models were used to investigate the association between brain structure and cognition.ResultsGlobal mean FA and MD were significantly associated with performances in VFT (FA, β 0.119, p

Purpose: To evaluate changes in the levator palpebrae superioris (LPS) muscle on 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after triamcinolone acetonide injection for treating upper lid retraction (ULR) with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and to explore the value of LPS muscle quantitative measurement for clinical treatment. Methods: Patients with GO showing ULR were studied retrospectively and they underwent 3.0 T MRI scans before and after subconjunctival injection o f triamcinolone acetonide. The largest thickness (T) and highest signal intensity (SI) of LPS muscle on the affected eyes were measured in the sequences of coronal T2-weighted, fat-suppressed fast spin echo imaging (T2WI-fs) and T1-weighted, fat-suppressed, contrast-enhanced fast spin echo imaging (T1WI-fs + C), respectively. The SI ratio (SIR) (LPS muscle SI/ipsilateral temporalis SI) was calculated individually. Depending on the therapeutic effect, patients were divided into effective group and non-effective group. Independent t-test was used to compare SIR and T of LPS muscle in different treatment groups before treatment, and paired sample t-test was used to compare SIR and T of LPS muscle before and after treatment. Then cut-off level for predicting therapeutic effect and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve were analyzed. Results: Sixty-two patients (77 eyes) were enrolled. After treatment, the T of LPS muscle showed significant decrease in all sequences in both effective and non-effective treatment groups. However, changes in SIR of LPS muscle in the two groups were different; SIR of LPS muscle on T2WI-fs and T1WI-fs + C decreased after treatment in the effective group (PT2 < 0.001, PT1 + C < 0.001) and SIR of LPS muscle showed no statistically difference in all sequences (all P > 0.05) in the non-effective group. There was a correlation between SIR of LPS muscle before treatment and after treatment with triamcinolone acetonide injection, which was that SIR of LPS muscle in the effective treatment group was lower than that in the non-effective treatment group on T1WI-fs + C (P < 0.001). SIR of LPS muscle on T1WI-fs + C showed 87.5% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity to predict therapeutic effect (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.840). Conclusion: In GO patients with ULR, 3.0 T MRI can be used to evaluate the response of triamcinolone acetonide injection. SIR of LPS may be a predictor of its efficacy.

Abstract Background The depth of cervical stromal invasion is one of the important prognostic factors affecting decision-making for early stage cervical cancer (CC). This study aimed to develop and validate a T2-weighted imaging (T2WI)-based radiomics model and explore independent risk factors (factors with statistical significance in both univariate and multivariate analyses) of middle or deep stromal invasion in early stage CC. Methods Between March 2017 and March 2021, a total of 234 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics IB1-IIA1 CC patients were enrolled and randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 188) and a validation cohort (n = 46). The radiomics features of each patient were extracted from preoperative sagittal T2WI, and key features were selected. After independent risk factors were identified, a combined model and nomogram incorporating radiomics signature and independent risk factors were developed. Diagnostic accuracy of radiologists was also evaluated. Results The maximal tumor diameter (MTD) on magnetic resonance imaging was identified as an independent risk factor. In the validation cohort, the radiomics model, MTD, and combined model showed areas under the curve of 0.879, 0.844, and 0.886. The radiomics model and combined model showed the same sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% and 84.6%, which were better than radiologists (sensitivity, senior = 75.7%, junior = 63.6%; specificity, senior = 69.2%, junior = 53.8%) and MTD (sensitivity = 69.7%, specificity = 76.9%). Conclusion MRI-based radiomics analysis outperformed radiologists for the preoperative diagnosis of middle or deep stromal invasion in early stage CC, and the probability can be individually evaluated by a nomogram.

Abstract Objectives The least amount of contrast medium (CM) should be used under the premise of adequate diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing ultra-low-dose (224 mgI/kg) CM for pancreatic artery depiction using the combination of advanced virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI+) and high-concentration (400 mgI/mL) CM. Materials and methods 41 patients who underwent both normal dose CM (ND-CM, 320 mgI/kg) and low dose CM (LD-CM, 224 mgI/kg) thoracoabdominal enhanced CT for tumor follow-up were prospectively included. The VMI+ at the energy level of 40-kev for LD-CM images was reconstructed. CT attenuation, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of the abdominal artery, celiac artery, and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and qualitative scores of pancreatic arteries depiction were recorded and compared among the three groups (ND-CM, LD-CM, and VMI+ LD-CM images). ANOVA and Friedman tests were used for statistical analysis. Results All quantitative and qualitative parameters on LD-CM images were lower than that on ND-CM images (all p 0.05). VMI+ LD-CM images had the highest mean CT and CNR values of all arteries (all p

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of deep learning-based image reconstruction (DLR) and hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) for calcification-related obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) evaluation by using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) images and subtraction CCTA images.Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent coronary CTA on a 320-row CT scanner and subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA), which was used as the reference standard, were enrolled. The DLR and HIR images were reconstructed as CTADLR and CTAHIR, and, based on which, the corresponding subtraction CCTA images were established as CTAsDLR and CTAsHIR, respectively. Qualitative images quality comparison was performed by using a Likert 4 stage score, and quantitative images quality parameters, including image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. Diagnostic performance on the lesion level was assessed and compared among the four CCTA approaches (CTADLR, CTAHIR, CTAsDLR, and CTAsHIR).Results: There were 166 lesions of 86 vessels in 42 patients (32 men and 10 women; 62.9 ± 9.3 years) finally enrolled for analysis. The qualitative and quantitative image qualities of CTAsDLR and CTADLR were superior to those of CTAsHIR and CTAHIR, respectively. The diagnostic accuracies of CTAsDLR, CTADLR, CTAsHIR, and CTAHIR to identify calcification-related obstructive diameter stenosis were 83.73%, 69.28%, 75.30%, and 65.66%, respectively. The false-positive rates of CTAsDLR, CTADLR, CTAsHIR, and CTAHIR for luminal diameter stenosis ≥50% were 15%, 31%, 24%, and 34%, respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity to identify ≥50% luminal diameter stenosis was 90.91% and 83.23% for CTAsDLR.Conclusion: Our study showed that deep learning–based image reconstruction could improve the image quality of CCTA images and diagnostic performance for calcification-related obstructive CAD, especially when combined with subtraction technique.

(1) Background: Novel markers for predicting the short-term therapeutic effect of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to assist in the prompt initiation of tailored treatment strategies are greatly needed and highly desirable. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) native T1 mapping radiomics in predicting the short-term therapeutic effect in PAH patients; (2) Methods: Fifty-five PAH patients who received targeted therapy were retrospectively included. Patients were subdivided into an effective group and an ineffective group by assessing the therapeutic effect after ≥3 months of treatment. All patients underwent CMR examinations prior to the beginning of the therapy. Radiomics features from native T1 mapping images were extracted. A radiomics model was constructed using the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm for predicting the therapeutic effect; (3) Results: The SVM radiomics model revealed favorable performance for predicting the therapeutic effect with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.955 in the training cohort and 0.893 in the test cohort, respectively. With the optimal cutoff value, the radiomics model showed accuracies of 0.909 and 0.818 in the training and test cohorts, respectively; (4) Conclusions: The CMR native T1 mapping-based radiomics model holds promise for predicting the therapeutic effect in PAH patients.

Abstract. Objective:. To review the application of radiomics in gastric cancer and its challenges as well as future prospects. Data sources:. A research for relevant studies were performed in PubMed with the terms of “radiomics,” “texture analysis,” and “gastric cancer.” The search was updated until February 28th, 2019. Study selection:. All original articles regarding the investigation of texture analysis or radiomics in gastric cancer were retrieved. Only papers written in English were included. Results:. A total of 17 original articles were selected in final. It is shown that radiomics has yielded moderate to excellent performance in a spectrum of respects including differential diagnosis, assessment of histological differential degree, evaluation of tumor stage, prediction of response to therapy, and prognosis in gastric cancer. Yet, a number of challenges are facing both radiomics itself and its application in gastric cancer. Conclusions:. Radiomics holds great potential in facilitating decision-making in gastric cancer. With the standardization of work-flow and advancement of machine learning methods, radiomics is expected to make great breakthroughs in precision medicine of gastric cancer.

Background and Purpose Epidemiological data of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in the general population of China are lacking. We report on the prevalence of lacunes, white matter hyperintensity (WMH), and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in a community-based sample in China and compare the results with those of other studies. Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of the population-based Shunyi Study in China. A total of 1,211 stroke-free participants (mean age, 55.6±9.3 years; 37.4% men) with available 3 Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance images were included in this analysis. Demographic information and risk factor data were assessed. The overall and age-specific prevalence of lacunes, WMH, and CMBs was evaluated. Associations between cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of these lesions were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. Results Our study showed a prevalence of 14.5% for lacunes, 72.1% for periventricular hyperintensity (PVH), 65.4% for deep white matter hyperintensity (DWMH), and 10.6% for CMBs. When compared with other community-based samples, individuals in the same age group showed a higher burden of lacunes and a relatively lower prevalence of CMBs. Advanced age was independently associated with the prevalence of these CSVD markers, while the presence of hypertension increased the risk of lacunes, PVH/DWMH, and CMBs in deep or infratentorial locations. Conclusions A higher burden of lacunes but a relatively lower prevalence of CMBs was observed in this Chinese population. This notable result highlights the challenge of CSVD prevention in China. Chinese have a risk factor profile for CSVD similar to those in other populations.

Alamethicin (ALM) inhibits the growth of bacteria by disrupting their cell membrane. ALM exhibits poor solubility in aqueous medium thus limiting its application. A method is proposed for encapsulation of ALM with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) by forming a complex of higher solubility with thermal and pH stability as confirmed by FT-IR and DSC, thus greatly improving its application in food safety. Molecular dynamics simulation suggested a stable configuration of the complex when hydrophobic residues are inserted into the hydrophobic cavity of γ-CD. Aggregation of the complex was inhibited at higher γ-CD/ALM molar ratio. γ-CD/ALM complex exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes with the minimum inhibitory concentration being dependent on γ-CD/ALM molar ratio (>0.429 mg/mL for 1:1; >1.094 mg/mL for 5:1; >2.078 mg/mL for 10:1). Optimum γ-CD/ALM molar ratio for maximum antimicrobial activity is the result of competing effects of higher solubility and shielding of hydrophobic ALM groups by γ-CD.

Abstract Background Cardiac impairment is associated with high morbidity and mortality in immunoglobulin light chain (AL) type amyloidosis, for which early identification and risk stratification is vital. For myocardial tissue characterization, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a classic and most commonly performed cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameter. T1 mapping with native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) are recently developed quantitative parameters. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of native T1, ECV and LGE in patients with AL amyloidosis. Methods Eighty-two patients (55.5 ± 8.5 years; 52 M) and 20 healthy subjects (53.2 ± 11.7 years; 10 M) were prospectively recruited. All subjects underwent CMR with LGE imaging and T1 mapping using a Modified Look-Locker Inversion-recovery (MOLLI) sequence on a 3 T scanner. Native T1 and ECV were measured semi-automatically using a dedicated CMR software. The left ventricular (LV) LGE pattern was classified as none, patchy, and global groups. Global LGE was considered when there was diffuse, transmural LGE in more than half of the short axis images. Follow-up was performed for all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results The patients demonstrated an increase in native T1 (1438 ± 120 ms vs. 1283 ± 46 ms, P = 0.001) and ECV (43.9 ± 10.9% vs. 27.0 ± 1.7%, P = 0.001) compared to healthy controls. Native T1, ECV and LGE showed significant correlation with Mayo Stage, and ECV and LGE showed significant correlation with echocardiographic E/E’ and LV ejection fraction. During the follow-up for a median time of 8 months, 21 deaths occurred. ECV ≥ 44.0% (hazard ratio [HR] 7.249, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.751–13.179, P = 0.002) and global LGE (HR 4.804, 95% CI 1.971–12.926, P = 0.001) were independently prognostic for mortality over other clinical and imaging parameters. In subgroups with the same LGE pattern, ECV ≥ 44.0% remained prognostic (log rank P = 0.029). Median native T1 (1456 ms) was not prognostic for mortality (Tarone-Ware, P = 0.069). Conclusions During a short-term follow-up, both ECV and LGE are independently prognostic for mortality in AL amyloidosis. In patients with a similar LGE pattern, ECV remained prognostic. Native T1 was not found to be a prognostic factor.

Background and Objective: Studies on relations between arterial stiffness and full spectrum of radiological features of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) are scarce. We aim to investigate the association of arterial stiffness with lacunes, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), microbleeds (CMBs), dilated perivascular spaces (PVS), and brain atrophy in a community-based sample.Methods: A total of 953 participants (55.7 ± 9.4 years) who underwent brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and brain magnetic resonance imaging were included. Lacunes, CMBs, and PVS were visually rated. Brain structure and WMH were automatically segmented. Brain parenchyma fraction (BPF), a surrogate index of brain atrophy, was calculated as a ratio of brain parenchyma volume to total intracranial volume. Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were used to investigate the associations between baPWV and CSVD. Subsequently, we explored these associations in strata of age.Results: Increased baPWV was associated with severe PVS in white matter (OR, 1.09; 95%CI, 1.01–1.17; p = 0.022), larger WMH volume (β, 0.08; 95%CI, 0.04–0.12; p < 0.001), lower BPF (β, −0.09; 95%CI, −0.15– −0.03; p = 0.007), and marginally associated with strictly lobar CMBs (OR, 1.11; 95%CI, 1.00–1.23; p = 0.055), but not with lacunes. WMH volume mediated the relation between baPWV and BPF. In age subgroup analysis, the association of baPWV with PVS in white matter was stronger among those aged

Background: Recent studies have shown that renal disease is associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), independent of traditional vascular risk factors. Although large artery lesions might be involved in the cerebrorenal association, evidence has been lacking.Methods: A total of 928 participants from a population-based cohort study were included. Kidney injury measurements included urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). CSVD was assessed on MRI by white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), lacunes, brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and perivascular space. Carotid plaques and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were used to assess large artery atherosclerosis and stiffness. Multivariable linear and logistic regression and additional interaction models were used for statistical analysis.Results: Individuals with elevated ACR had higher prevalence of lacunes and more WMHV (p = 0.001 and 0.000, respectively), those with decreased eGFR had smaller brain volume, higher prevalence of lacunes and deep CMBs (p = 0.009, p = 0.017) and p = 0.010 respectively). Interaction analysis revealed that carotid plaque and baPWV significantly enhanced the association between eGFR and BPF (p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively), that is, the association of eGFR with BPF was only significant among participants with carotid plaque and higher baPWV. In addition, carotid plaque enhanced the association between ACR and WMHV (p = 0.034) and baPWV enhanced the association between ACR and the presence of lacunes (p = 0.027). Modifying effect of large vessel disease markers on the association between kidney injury measurements and CMBs was not significant.Conclusion: Evaluation of subclinical CVSD in individuals with kidney injury is warranted, especially in those with combined large artery disease.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden and motor performance of lower and upper extremities in community-dwelling populations.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 770 participants enrolled in the Shunyi study, which is a population-based cohort study. CSVD burden, including white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), perivascular spaces (PVS), and brain atrophy were measured using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. All participants underwent quantitative motor assessment of lower and upper extremities, which included 3-m walking speed, 5-repeat chair-stand time, 10-repeat pronation–supination time, and 10-repeat finger-tapping time. Data on demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, and cognitive functions were collected. General linear model analysis was performed to identify potential correlations between motor performance measures and imaging markers of CSVD after controlling for confounding factors.Results: For motor performance of the lower extremities, WMH was negatively associated with gait speed (standardized β = -0.092, p = 0.022) and positively associated with chair-stand time (standardized β = 0.153, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction). For motor performance of the upper extremities, pronation–supination time was positively associated with WMH (standardized β = 0.155, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction) and negatively with brain parenchymal fraction (BPF; standardized β = -0.125, p = 0.011, surviving FDR correction). Only BPF was found to be negatively associated with finger-tapping time (standardized β = -0.123, p = 0.012). However, lacunes, CMBs, or PVS were not found to be associated with motor performance of lower or upper extremities in multivariable analysis.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that cerebral microstructural changes related to CSVD may affect motor performance of both lower and upper extremities. WMH and brain atrophy are most strongly associated with motor function deterioration in community-dwelling populations.

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to evaluate the image quality and feasibility of 128-slice dual-energy CTA (DE-CTA) for supra-aortic arteries using reduced amounts of contrast medium (CM). METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 54 patients receiving CTA of the head and neck with a 128-slice dual-source CT system. Patients were randomized into two groups with a volume of either 40 mL of CM (Group I) or 50 mL of CM (Group II). Arterial and venous enhancements were recorded for quantitative assessment. Qualitative assessments for images without bone removal (BR) were based on a) the visualization of the circle of Willis and b) streak artifacts due to residual CM in the subclavian or internal jugular veins ipsilateral to injection of CM. Qualitative assessment of dual-energy images using BR was based on the presence of bone remnants and vessel integrity. Quantitative data was compared using the Student t test. The χ(2) test was used for the qualitative measurements of streak artifacts in veins while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for the qualitative measurements of images with BR. RESULTS: Arterial and venous attenuation was significantly higher in Group II (P=0.000). Image quality regarding the circle of Willis was excellent in both groups (3.90±0.30 for Group I and 4.00±0 for Group II) . Imaging of the internal jugular veins was scored higher in Group I (1.87±0.72) compared with Group II (1.48±0.51) (P=0.021). Within Group I using BR, mean scores for bone remnants did not differ significantly (P>0.05) but mean scores of vessel integrity (P

Background and purpose This study aimed to investigate the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with both intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) and imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in a community-based sample.Methods This study included 943 participants (aged 55.6±9.2 years, 36.1% male) from the community-based Shunyi cohort study. MetS was defined according to the joint interim criteria and quantified by the MetS severity Z-score. ICAS was evaluated by brain magnetic resonance angiography. The MRI markers of CSVD, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), were assessed. Multiple regression models were used to investigate the association of MetS severity Z-score with ICAS and these CSVD markers.Results We found that risk of ICAS (OR=1.75, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.21, p