Migraine is a common disabling condition likely to be associated with dysfunction of brain pathways involved in pain and other sensory modalities. Functional brain imaging in acute migraine has proved challenging due to the logistic problems associated with an episodic condition although it has provided us with important insights into the pathophysiology of the condition. Since the seminal obse...

The field of MR brain mapping is made possible by exploiting properties of cerebral hemodynamics subsequent to neuronal activity. With the onset of neuronal activity there is an associated change in cerebral metabolism, blood flow, blood volume and oxygen consumption [1-5]. The complex physiologic interplay of these parameters is not well understood. However, current research efforts are aimed ...

Tendons are composed of cells, blood vessels and extracellular matrix, intricately woven together to form a vital musculoskeletal connective tissue. They act as a mechanical buffer for transmitting forces generated in muscles to bones, thus enabling movement. There is a growing need for functional imaging of tendon, for example to provide noninvasive biochemical and biomechanical insight into i...

The successes of PET and fMRI in non-invasively localizing sensory functions had encouraged efforts to transform the subjective concepts of cognitive psychology into objective physical measures. The assumption was that mental functions could be decomposed into non-overlapping, context-independent modules that are operated on by separable areas of a computer-like brain. The failures of cognitive...

©2015 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without permission from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Page 1 of 9 Applies to all products admini...

Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful approach to defining activity in the healthy and diseased human brain. BOLD fMRI detects local increases in relative blood oxygenation that are most probably a direct consequence of neurotransmitter action and thus reflect local neuronal signalling. The method allows localisation to volumes of th...

Proper scientific training has long been rooted in organized course work and structured laboratory practice. However, a considerable amount of education occurs beyond the classroom and work bench. In his short memoir, John G. Nicholls regales his readers with stories dating from his undergraduate studies in London to his experiences working abroad with international scientists. Nicholls’ vignet...

   18F-FDG is the most commonly used radioisotope in PET scanning and is administered intravenously. When patients cannot cannulated, there are limited options available for functional tumour assessment. A fifty year old male presented for investigation of a suspected lung carcinoma identified during investigation of pneumonia. The patient had a severe needle phobia, intellectual dis...

Nuclear medicine imaging is routinely used for evaluation of perfusion and function of the transplanted kidneys. At present, the radiopharmaceutical of choice for this study in our center is Tc 99m-Ec. Complications of the kidney graft are demonstrable in the early and delayed images. One of these complications is vesicoureteral reflux to the graft or to the native kidneys. We present a 27 year...

When cartoonists use speed lines--also called motion streaks--to suggest the speed of a stationary object, they use form to imply motion. The goal of this study was to investigate the mechanisms that mediate the percept of implied motion in the human visual cortex. In an adaptation functional imaging paradigm we presented Glass patterns that, just like speed lines, imply motion but do not on av...