Diabetes linked to functional and structural brain changes through MRI

A new study finds that the longer a person has type 2 diabetes, the more likely they may be to experience changes in brain structure. MRI results, researchers say, indicate the negative effects longstanding diabetes may have on brain health outcomes and emphasize the importance of preventing early onset type 2 diabetes.

Studying brain activity of swallowing helps researchers understand aging, disease

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Carle Hospital, and Purdue University teamed up to develop a new imaging tool that will improve our understanding of how the brain controls swallowing in both healthy patients and those experiencing a swallowing-related disorder. Their work will be funded by a five-year grant expected to total $2.8 million from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.

Study: Drug May Delay Earliest Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

A drug called teriflunomide may delay first symptoms for people whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) even though they do not yet have symptoms of the disease. The preliminary study, released April 19, 2023, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting, being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023. Called radiologically isolated syndrome, the condition is diagnosed in people who do not have MS symptoms but who have abnormalities in the brain or spinal cord called lesions, similar to those seen in MS.

Case Western Reserve University awarded $3M grant to advance MRI scan and software to analyze aggressive brain tumors more effectively

With a new five-year, $3.03 million grant from the National Cancer Institute—an agency of the National Institutes of Health—Case Western Reserve University researchers are leading the development and commercialization of a novel MRI and software technology that results in more accurate, consistent brain tumor diagnosis.

Study Shows Promising Safety, Patient Outcomes Data for MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy to Treat Pancreatic Cancer

Findings from a recent prospective study show promising safety and patient outcomes data for locally advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer treatment using ablative Stereotactic MRI-Guided On-table Adaptive Radiation Therapy, also known as SMART.

Neuroimaging Study Reveals Functional and Structural Brain Abnormalities in People with Post-Treatment Lyme Disease

In a study using specialized imaging techniques, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report distinctive changes in the “white matter” and other brain tissue physiology of those with post-treatment Lyme disease, a condition affecting 10% to 20% of the nearly half a million Americans who contract Lyme disease annually.

Functional, nonepileptic seizures show structural abnormalities in brain scans, study shows

For a long time, functional, nonepileptic seizures were not believed to involve structural changes in the brain, but a new study suggests that they are associated with structural changes that can be seen using MRI. Researchers say the findings bring potential for earlier diagnosis of functional seizures, which are often misdiagnosed as epilepsy.

Ceramic material could improve MRIs by enabling faster times, better images

An academic/enterprise partnership that includes Penn State researchers is developing a new dielectric material to enable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines with shorter scan times and higher image resolutions, good news for cutting the cost of MRI scans for the hospitals and for patients who struggle with MRI-related anxiety.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine Collaborating with Physicians in Ecuador on Virtual Reality Radiology Project

Neuroradiologists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have begun a pilot study testing the use of virtual reality (VR) systems to remotely read MRIs and other medical images.
“The wonderful thing about this is that it’s a collaborative environment with people who can look at medical images at the same time, regardless of where they are in the world,” Burdette said. “We are able to interpret images in incredible detail while communicating with the referring clinicians who are seeing the same images in real time, which is just not possible in a traditional reading room in the hospital.”

Few patients undergo recommended MRI screening after silicone implant breast surgery

Only six percent of women with silicone breast implants followed the previous US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation for regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening, suggests a study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

MD Anderson Research Highlights for July 27, 2022

Clinical advances include treating hematologic cancers with effective targeted therapies, circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for recurrence with colorectal liver metastases, and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide surgical decisions for patients with lateral pelvic lymph node metastases in rectal cancer. Laboratory findings offer new understanding of the pancreatic cancer immune microenvironment, melanoma cell states, TP53 mutation status in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and potential targets for metastatic prostate cancer and GNAS-mutant colorectal cancer.

How MRI and CT predict flap failure after head and neck reconstructive cancer surgery

A new study finds that early postoperative CT scans and MRIs can help predict whether a free flap, used for reconstructive head and neck cancer surgery, will fail. The method carries around a 10-40% risk of wound complications, and researchers say the findings could allow surgeons to intervene earlier if the flap fails.

New machine learning method to analyze complex scientific data of proteins

Scientists have developed a method using machine learning to better analyze data from a powerful scientific tool: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). One way NMR data can be used is to understand proteins and chemical reactions in the human body. NMR is closely related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for medical diagnosis.

New Research on MRI Biomarkers May Aid in Evaluating Potential Treatments for Peripheral Nerve Diseases

Jun Li, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, recently received a $246,172 R-21 grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop new strategies for assessing appropriate treatments of peripheral nerve diseases.

Mouse brain imaged from the microscopic to the macroscopic level

Researchers at the University of Chicago and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have leveraged existing advanced X-ray microscopy techniques to bridge the gap between MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and electron microscopy imaging, providing a viable pipeline for multiscale whole brain imaging within the same brain

NIH-funded study shows children recycle brain regions when acquiring new skills

Scientists studied the brain activity of school-aged children during development and found that regions that activated upon seeing limbs (hands, legs, etc.) subsequently activated upon seeing faces or words when the children grew older. The research, by scientists at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, reveals new insights about vision development in the brain and could help inform prevention and treatment strategies for learning disorders. The study was funded by the National Eye Institute and is published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Are Heavy Metals Toxic? Scientists Find Surprising New Clues in Yeast

Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have compiled the most complete library yet of lanthanide heavy metals and their potential toxicity – by exposing baker’s yeast to lanthanides. Their findings could help researchers uncover hidden pathways between lanthanide metals and disease.

¬Children With Asymptomatic Brain Bleeds As Newborns Show Normal Brain Development At Age 2

A study by UNC School of Medicine researchers finds that neurodevelopmental scores and gray matter volumes at age two years did not differ between children who had MRI-confirmed asymptomatic subdural hemorrhages when they were neonates, compared to children with no history of subdural hemorrhage.

People with Anorexia Nervosa and Body Dysmorphic Disorder Show Similarities and Differences in Brain Function

A new UCLA study shows partially overlapping patterns of brain function in people with anorexia nervosa and those with body dysmorphic disorder, a related psychiatric condition characterized by misperception that particular physical characteristics are defective.