Molecular connectivity studies in neurotransmission: a scoping review.

Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are essential molecular imaging tools for the in vivo investigation of neurotransmission. Traditionally, PET and SPECT images are analysed in a univariate manner, testing for changes in radiotracer binding in regions or voxels of interest independently of each other. Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the so-calledapproach that captures relationships of molecular imaging measures in different brain regions.

Public interest and engagement in care for brain health in Slovenia: the role of education.

Background And Objective: Knowledge gap theory posits that individuals with better education have better opportunities to obtain, understand and utilise available information. In a health-related context, this insight could lead to a more effective disease prevention. The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that knowledge gap underlies differences in behaviour aimed at maintaining brain health.

A Case Series of Four Patients with Artery of Percheron Occlusion over a Three-Month Period.

Here, we present a case series of four patients diagnosed with acute ischaemic stroke due to occlusion of the artery of Percheron (AOP), a rare stroke variant, observed in a single emergency centre within a three-month period. AOP occlusion is characterized by bilateral thalamic infarction with or without involvement of the mesencephalon. The presenting symptoms are diverse and not specific, but commonly include disturbance of consciousness, memory impairment, and vertical gaze palsy.

Longitudinal changes in metabolic network activity in early Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: The progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to two metabolic networks, the AD-related pattern (ADRP) and the default mode network (DMN).

Methods: Converting and clinically stable cognitively normal subjects (n = 47) and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (n = 96) underwent 2-[ F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) three or more times over 6 years (n  = 705). Expression levels for ADRP and DMN were measured in each subject and time point, and the resulting changes were correlated with cognitive performance.

Functional brain networks in the evaluation of patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

Network analytical tools are increasingly being applied to brain imaging maps of resting metabolic activity (PET) or blood oxygenation-dependent signals (functional MRI) to characterize the abnormal neural circuitry that underlies brain diseases. This approach is particularly valuable for the study of neurodegenerative disorders, which are characterized by stereotyped spread of pathology along discrete neural pathways. Identification and validation of disease-specific brain networks facilitate the quantitative assessment of pathway changes over time and during the course of treatment.

Automated differential diagnosis of dementia syndromes using FDG PET and machine learning.

Background: Metabolic brain imaging with 2-[F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) is a supportive diagnostic and differential diagnostic tool for neurodegenerative dementias. In the clinic, scans are usually visually interpreted. However, computer-aided approaches can improve diagnostic accuracy.

Disease specific and nonspecific metabolic brain networks in behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia.

Behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is common among young-onset dementia patients. While bvFTD-specific multivariate metabolic brain pattern (bFDRP) has been identified previously, little is known about its temporal evolution, internal structure, effect of atrophy, and its relationship with nonspecific resting-state networks such as default mode network (DMN). In this multicenter study, we explored FDG-PET brain scans of 111 bvFTD, 26 Alzheimer's disease, 16 Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease, 24 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (PPA), 18 nonfluent variant PPA and 77 healthy control subjects (HC) from Slovenia, USA, and Germany.

Development of a deep learning network for Alzheimer's disease classification with evaluation of imaging modality and longitudinal data.

. Neuroimaging uncovers important information about disease in the brain. Yet in Alzheimer's disease (AD), there remains a clear clinical need for reliable tools to extract diagnoses from neuroimages.

Identification and validation of Alzheimer's disease-related metabolic brain pattern in biomarker confirmed Alzheimer's dementia patients.

Metabolic brain biomarkers have been incorporated in various diagnostic guidelines of neurodegenerative diseases, recently. To improve their diagnostic accuracy a biologically and clinically homogeneous sample is needed for their identification. Alzheimer's disease-related pattern (ADRP) has been identified previously in cohorts of clinically diagnosed patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), meaning that its diagnostic accuracy might have been reduced due to common clinical misdiagnosis.

Metabolic brain pattern in dementia with Lewy bodies: Relationship to Alzheimer's disease topography.

Purpose: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia, that shares clinical and metabolic similarities with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In this study we aimed to identify a DLB-related pattern (DLBRP), study its relationship with other metabolic brain patterns and explore its diagnostic and prognostic value.

Methods: A cohort of 79 participants with DLB, 63 with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 41 normal controls (NCs) and their 2-[F]FDG PET scans were analysed for identification and validation of DLBRP.

Abnormal metabolic covariance patterns associated with multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Purpose: Differentiation between neurodegenerative parkinsonisms, whose early clinical presentation is similar, may be improved with metabolic brain imaging. In this study we applied a specific network analysis to 2-[F]FDG PET brain scans to identify the characteristic metabolic patterns for multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in a new European cohort. We also developed a new tool to recognize and estimate patients' metabolic brain heterogeneity.

Electrophysiological Proxy of Cognitive Reserve Index.

Cognitive reserve (CR) postulates that individual differences in task performance can be attributed to differences in the brain's ability to recruit additional networks or adopt alternative cognitive strategies. Variables that are descriptive of lifetime experience such as socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and leisure activity are common proxies of CR. CR is mostly studied using neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI) in which case individuals with a higher CR were observed to activate a smaller brain network compared to individuals with a lower CR, when performing a task equally effectively (higher efficiency), and electroencephalography (EEG) where a particular EEG component (P300) that reflects the attention and working memory load, has been targeted.

Lay Public View of Neuroscience and Science-Based Brain Health Recommendations in Slovenia.

Brain health is one of the cornerstones of a long and full life. Active care for brain health and reduction of lifestyle-related risks for brain disorders may be a key strategy in tackling the growing prevalence of mental and neurological illnesses. Public knowledge, perception, and preventive behavior need to be considered in the planning of effective strategies for brain health promotion.

Correlations of Neuropsychological and Metabolic Brain Changes in Parkinson's Disease and Other α-Synucleinopathies.

Cognitive impairment is a common feature in Parkinson's disease (PD) and other α-synucleinopathies as 80% of PD patients develop dementia within 20 years. Early cognitive changes in PD patients present as a dysexecutive syndrome, broadly characterized as a disruption of the fronto-striatal dopamine network. Cognitive deficits in other domains (recognition memory, attention processes and visuospatial abilities) become apparent with the progression of PD and development of dementia.

Parvovirus B19-associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in a Patient With Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency.

We report a case of a 12-year-old male with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency presenting with clinical signs of sepsis and pancytopenia. Investigations revealed parvovirus B19 (PVB19)-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). The patient recovered fully and quickly with symptomatic treatment.