BACKGROUND Although conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could provide excellent detection of morphological changes in the diagnosis of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD), it has some difficulties in discriminating minimal changes associated with early LDD before morphological or clinical alterations. Therefore, newer MRI techniques have emerged for investigation of early LDD. OBJECTIVES...

BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disorder associated with an intellectual deficit which is non-progressive. The aim of this study was to investigate brain microstructural changes in DMD and to explore the relationship between such changes and cognitive impairment. METHODS All participants (12 DMD patients, 14 age-matched healthy boys), intelligence quotient...

Introduction In the recent decade, in vivo micro computed tomography (μCT) scanners have become available to monitor longitudinal bone changes in rodents. With an isotropic image voxel size up to 10.5 μm, changes in geometry and microstructural properties of rodent bone in response to either disease or treatment can be visualized and quantified over time. In order to detect longitudinal changes...

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence to suggest that delusions associated with schizophrenia arise from altered structural brain connectivity. The present study investigated whether structural changes in three major fasciculi that interconnect the limbic system - the cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus and fornix - are associated with delusions in chronic schizophrenia patients. METHODS Free...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We used quantitative diffusion MR imaging to investigate the microstructural changes that occur in white matter during normal aging in order to identify regional changes in anisotropy and to quantify global microstructural changes by use of whole-brain diffusion histograms. METHODS Full diffusion tensor MR imaging was performed in 20 healthy volunteers, 20 to 91 years o...

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that internet addiction disorder (IAD) is associated with structural abnormalities in brain gray matter. However, few studies have investigated the effects of internet addiction on the microstructural integrity of major neuronal fiber pathways, and almost no studies have assessed the microstructural changes with the duration of internet addiction. METHODOLOGY...

PURPOSE We aimed to examine whether the brain displays any microstructural changes after a three-week Ramadan fasting period using diffusion tenson imaging. METHODS This study included a study and a control group of 25 volunteers each. In the study group, we examined and compared apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the participants during (phase 1) an...

Components in the industry are often exposed to elevated temperatures and high pressures. These conditions cause changes in the microstructure and thermo-mechanical properties of steel components. With the aim to determine the properties of steels after a certain period of operation, thermo-mechanical investigations and microstructure characterization can be made and the results of this investi...

PURPOSE Various methods exist for interpolating diffusion tensor fields, but none of them linearly interpolate tensor shape attributes. Linear interpolation is expected not to introduce spurious changes in tensor shape. METHODS Herein we define a new linear invariant (LI) tensor interpolation method that linearly interpolates components of tensor shape (tensor invariants) and recapitulates th...

Target Audience: Researchers in brain MRI of aging. Purpose: Previous research suggests that more frequent cognitive activity in late life is associated with lower rate of cognitive decline, reduced risk of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia [1,2]. The underlying mechanism is thought to be that more frequent cognitive activity builds “cognitive reserve”, which reduces suscep...