Are there structural brain changes following 10 days of SSRI administration investigated by voxel-based morphometry?

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 913-913
Author(s):  
P. Baldinger ◽  
M. Savli ◽  
G.S. Kranz ◽  
A. Höflich ◽  
C. Kraus ◽  
...  

IntroductionThere is evidence that psychiatric diseases are accompanied by structural alterations in the human brain, partly reversible by pharmacological treatments. Several studies including Tost et al. (Nat.Neurosci.2010;13(8):920-2) investigated the effect of psychotropic drugs on neuronal plasticity pointing towards rapid pharmacologically induced brain grey matter variations, apart from already presumed slow structural changes within weeks. Here, we investigated the short-term (days) structural effects of SSRIs.ObjectiveTo identify structural changes of grey and white matter following 10d of oral administration (citalopram/escitalopram vs. placebo) in 18 healthy subjects investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).MethodsStudy design: Randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.Subjects: 18 healthy caucasian subjects (6 female 24.8 ± 2.5 years, 12 males 28.9 ± 6.7 years) MRI: 3 MRI scans/subject (3 Tesla scanner)Treatment: 10d of oral medication intake of either 20 mg citalopram/d, 10 mg escitalopram/d or placebo in alternating order of administrationData analysis: VBM, as implemented in SPM8.Statistical analysis: analysis of variance (ANOVA, FWE corrected), post-hoc pair-wise comparisons.ResultsANOVA (grey matter: F(2,48) = 18.85, p < 0.05; white matter: F(2,48) = 17.79, p < 0.05) did not reveal suprathreshold clusters in grey or white matter.ConclusionThis VBM-study does not support previous short-time (days) MR findings of pharmacologically-induced structural alterations in the brain, considering the lack of significant changes in grey and white matter volumes following 10d of SSRI administration. This divergence may be caused by dissent pharmacological effects of SSRIs compared to other psychotropic drugs.

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Ghani Mikati ◽  
Luying Li ◽  
Robert Shenkar ◽  
Lingjao Zhang ◽  
Xiaodong Guo ◽  
...  

Introduction: Vascular hyperpermeability in lesions and nonlesional brain is a cardinal feature of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) pathogenesis. Thus we implemented a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique in order to quantitate vascular permeability in CCMs and non-CCM brain tissue in humans. We hypothesize that permeability of lesions and background brain will differ between familial and sporadic patients and measurements will be consistent between observers and over time. Method: We used a T 1 -weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced quantitative perfusion (DCEQP) protocol in 30 patients (13 sporadic, 12 familial, and 5 non-CCM cases) in conjunction with routine MRI scans. Regions of interest (ROIs) for permeability measurement included the entire lesion and areas of 12.9 mm 2 (16 pixels) of grey and white matter near and far from the lesion. Measurements were repeated by two observers and at two time points on a subset of patients. Results: For each ROI category except white matter near lesions, the mean permeability was higher in the familial than in the sporadic patients with p-values of 0.04, 0.005, 0.05, and 0.007 for CCM lesions, grey matter near, grey matter far (GMF), and white matter far (WMF) from lesions respectively. No difference was seen between sporadic and non-CCM cases, however familial WMF had higher permeability than both those groups (p0.05) except GMF with p=0.04. The intrapatient coefficients of variation between measurements were 0.74 and 0.63 and interpatient coefficients of variation were 1.36 and 1.56 for sporadic and familial cases respectively. Lastly, it was found that 3 of 4 patients with two scans had stable background (WMF) brain permeability over time. Conclusion: Results show the higher lesional and background brain permeability of familial cases, corroborating previous findings in mice. We also demonstrate the feasibility of DCEQP in CCM disease and the potential of permeability as a biomarker of disease activity or response to treatment. It also highlights the need for further investigation into clinical factors that may impact disease activity and permeability measures.


Author(s):  
Zahra Heidari ◽  
◽  
Hamidreza Mahmoudzadeh-Sagheb ◽  
Mansour Shakiba ◽  
Enam Alhagh Charkhat Gorgich ◽  
...  

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe psychotic brain disorder. One of the probable mechanisms can be volumetric changes in some brain regions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate quantitative analysis of the brain by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with schizophrenia compared to the controls. Methods: This case–control study was conducted on MRI scans of 20 patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls in Zahedan, Southeastern Iran. MRIs with 4 mm slice thickness and 5 mm intervals in coronal and sagittal planes were captured. Then, quantitative parameters including volume and volume density of various brain regions were estimated in both groups using Cavalieri's point counting method. Data analyses performed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The findings of this investigation revealed that volumes of gray matter, hippocampus, and gray/white matter in patients with schizophrenia were significantly lower than the controls (p˂0.05). The volumes of lateral ventricles in patients with schizophrenia (36.60±4/32 mm3) were significantly higher than the healthy individuals (30.10±7.98 mm3). However, there were no statistically significant changes in the total volume of brain, cerebral hemispheres, white matter, brain stem, cerebellum, and corpus callosum between the two groups (p˃0.05). Conclusion: Volumetric estimations on brain MRI-based stereological technique can be helpful for elucidation of structural changes, follow-up the treatment trends, and evaluating the therapeutic situation in schizophrenia patients. Volumetric alternations in specific brain areas might be linked to cognitive impairments and severity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Further researches are needed in this regards.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301-303 ◽  
pp. 1189-1195
Author(s):  
Ling Jing Hu ◽  
Long Zheng Tong ◽  
Yun Yun Duan ◽  
Bo Wu

Voxel-based morphometry method (VBM) has been widely applied to detect the brain atrophy and achieved promising results; however, the effect of the segmentation step in VBM is not clear and the new segmentation method in SPM8 hasn’t been used in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the locations and degrees of grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) atrophy and evaluate the results derived from two segmentation methods. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was collected in 16 AD patients and 16 healthy controls (HC). Using two segmentation methods respectively, several reduction clusters of GM and WM were detected but the locations and degrees of reduction volumes were discrepant resulted from different segmentation methods. Our results suggest that VBM is an effective tool to analyze AD brain atrophy and based on VBM, the comparison of the locations and degrees of volume reduction among AD researches through different segmentation methods should be cautious.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Hayes ◽  
Katherine L Alfred ◽  
Rachel Pizzie ◽  
Joshua S. Cetron ◽  
David J. M. Kraemer

Modality specific encoding habits account for a significant portion of individual differences reflected in functional activation during cognitive processing. Yet, little is known about how these habits of thought influence long-term structural changes in the brain. Traditionally, habits of thought have been assessed using self-report questionnaires such as the visualizer-verbalizer questionnaire. Here, rather than relying on subjective reports, we measured habits of thought using a novel behavioral task assessing attentional biases toward picture and word stimuli. Hypothesizing that verbal habits of thought are reflected in the structural integrity of white matter tracts and cortical regions of interest, we used diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric analyses to assess this prediction. Using a whole-brain approach, we show that word bias is associated with increased volume in several bilateral language regions, in both white and grey matter parcels. Additionally, connectivity within white matter tracts within an a priori speech production network increased as a function of word bias. These results demonstrate long-term structural and morphological differences associated with verbal habits of thought.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Barisano ◽  
Farshid Sepehrband ◽  
Nasim Sheikh-Bahaei ◽  
Meng Law ◽  
Arthur W. Toga

AbstractThe analysis of cerebral perivascular spaces (PVS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows to explore in vivo their contributions to neurological disorders. To date the normal amount and distribution of PVS in healthy human brains are not known, thus hampering our ability to define with confidence pathogenic alterations. Furthermore, it is unclear which biological factors can influence the presence and size of PVS on MRI. We performed exploratory data analysis of PVS volume and distribution in a large population of healthy individuals (n = 897, age = 28.8 ± 3.7). Here we describe the global and regional amount of PVS in the white matter, which can be used as a reference for clinicians and researchers investigating PVS and may help the interpretation of the structural changes affecting PVS in pathological states. We found a relatively high inter-subject variability in the PVS amount in this population of healthy adults (range: 1.31-14.49 cm3). We then identified body mass index, time of day, and genetics as new elements significantly affecting PVS in vivo under physiological conditions, offering a valuable foundation to future studies aimed at understanding the physiology of perivascular flow.


Author(s):  
Xuemei Qi ◽  
Huidong Tang ◽  
Qi Luo ◽  
Bei Ding ◽  
Jie Chen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT:Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were commonly seen in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the elderly. Many studies found that WMHs were associated with cognitive decline and dementia. However, the association between WMHs in different brain regions and cognitive decline remains debated. Methods: We explored the association of the severity of WMHs and cognitive decline in 115 non-demented elderly (≥50 years old) sampled from the Wuliqiao Community located in urban area of Shanghai. MRI scans were done during 2009–2011 at the beginning of the study. Severity of WMHs in different brain regions was scored by Improved Scheltens Scale and Cholinergic Pathways Hyperintensities Scale (CHIPS). Cognitive function was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) every 2 to 4 years during 2009–2018. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors including age, gender, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, depression, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, brain infarcts, brain atrophy, apoE4 status, and baseline MMSE score, periventricular and subcortical WMH lesions as well as WMHs in cholinergic pathways were significantly associated with annual MMSE decline ( p &lt; 0.05), in which the severity of periventricular WMHs predicted a faster MMSE decline (–0.187 points/year, 95% confidence interval: –0.349, –0.026, p = 0.024). Conclusions: The severity of WMHs at baseline was associated with cognitive decline in the non-demented elderly over time. Interventions on WMH lesions may offer some benefits for cognitive deterioration.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2097285
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Barisano ◽  
Nasim Sheikh-Bahaei ◽  
Meng Law ◽  
Arthur W Toga ◽  
Farshid Sepehrband

The analysis of cerebral perivascular spaces (PVS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows to explore in vivo their contributions to neurological disorders. To date the normal amount and distribution of PVS in healthy human brains are not known, thus hampering our ability to define with confidence pathogenic alterations. Furthermore, it is unclear which biological factors can influence the presence and size of PVS on MRI. We performed exploratory data analysis of PVS volume and distribution in a large population of healthy individuals (n = 897, age = 28.8 ± 3.7). Here we describe the global and regional amount of PVS in the white matter, which can be used as a reference for clinicians and researchers investigating PVS and may help the interpretation of the structural changes affecting PVS in pathological states. We found a relatively high inter-subject variability in the PVS amount in this population of healthy adults (range: 1.31–14.49 cm3). The PVS volume was higher in older and male individuals. Moreover, we identified body mass index, time of day, and genetics as new elements significantly affecting PVS in vivo under physiological conditions, offering a valuable foundation to future studies aimed at understanding the physiology of perivascular flow.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 973-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Mendelt Tillema ◽  
Stephen D Weigand ◽  
Jay Mandrekar ◽  
Yunhong Shu ◽  
Claudia F Lucchinetti ◽  
...  

Background: The relationship between cortical lesions (CLs) and white matter lesions (WMLs) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is poorly understood. Pathological studies support a topographical association between CLs and underlying subcortical WMLs and suggest CLs may play a role in both disease initiation and progression. We hypothesized that cortical MS lesions are physically connected to white matter MS lesions via axonal connections. Objective: To assess the presence of CL-WML connectivity utilizing novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methodology. Methods: In all, 28 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 25 controls received 3 T MRI scans, including double inversion recovery (DIR) for CL detection coupled with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). CL and WML maps were created, and DTI was used to calculate inter-lesional connectivity and volumetric connectivity indices. Results: All patients showed inter-lesional WML connectivity (median 76% of WMLs connected to another WML; interquartile range (IQR), 58%–88%). On average, 52% of detected CLs per patient were connected to at least one WML (IQR, 42%–71%). Volumetric connectivity analysis showed significantly elevated cortical lesion ratios in MS patients (median, 2.3; IQR, 1.6–3.3) compared to null MS and healthy control datasets ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings provide strong evidence of inter-lesional connectivity between CLs and WMLs, supporting our hypothesis of intrinsic CL-WML connectivity.


2008 ◽  
Vol 193 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Walterfang ◽  
Philip K. McGuire ◽  
Alison R. Yung ◽  
Lisa J. Phillips ◽  
Dennis Velakoulis ◽  
...  

BackgroundGrey matter changes have been described in individuals who are pre- and peri-psychotic, but it is unclear if these changes are accompanied by changes in white matter structures.AimsTo determine whether changes in white matter occur prior to and with the transition to psychosis in individuals who are pre-psychotic who had previously demonstrated grey matter reductions in frontotemporal regions.MethodWe used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine regional white matter volume in 75 people with prodromal symptoms. A subset of the original group (n=21) were rescanned at 12–18 months to determine white matter volume changes. Participants were retrospectively categorised according to whether they had or had not developed psychosis at follow-up.ResultsComparison of the baseline MRI data from these two subgroups revealed that individuals who later developed psychosis had larger volumes of white matter in the frontal lobe, particularly in the left hemisphere. Longitudinal comparison of data in individuals who developed psychosis revealed a reduction in white matter volume in the region of the left fronto-occipital fasciculus. Participants who had not developed psychosis showed no reductions in white matter volume but increases in a region subjacent to the right inferior parietal lobule.DiscussionThe reduction in volume of white matter near the left fronto-occipital fasciculus may reflect a change in this tract in association with the onset of frank psychosis.


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