- Altered Relationship between Working Memory and Brain Microstructure after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
The authors investigated how working memory deficits relate to detectable WM microstructural injuries to discover robust biomarkers that allow early identification of patients with mild traumatic brain injury at the highest risk of working memory impairment. Multi-shell diffusion MR imaging was performed on a 3T scanner with 5 b-values. Diffusion metrics of fractional anisotropy, diffusivity and kurtosis (mean, radial, axial), and WM tract integrity were calculated. Auditory-verbal working memory was assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. ROI analysis found a significant positive correlation between axial kurtosis and Digit Span Backward in mild traumatic brain injury mainly present in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, which was not observed in healthy controls.
- Posterior Fossa Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas with Subarachnoid Venous Drainage: Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment
Twenty-six patients treated endovascularly for posterior fossa dural AVFs, type III, IV, or V, were included in this study. One hundred percent of the dural AVFs were occluded. A transarterial approach was performed in 23 dural AVFs; a combined transarterial and transvenous approach, in 2 dural AVFs; and a transvenous approach alone, in 1 dural AVF. The middle meningeal artery was the most common artery chosen to inject embolic liquid (12/26). Procedure-related morbidity was 15.4% at 24 hours, 7.7% at discharge, and 0% at 6 months. Procedure-related mortality was 0%. The authors conclude that endovascular treatment offers high occlusion rates for posterior fossa dural AVFs with low morbidity and mortality rates.
- Intrathecal Use of Gadobutrol for Glymphatic MR Imaging: Prospective Safety Study of 100 Patients
The authors performed a prospective safety and feasibility study in 100 consecutive patients undergoing glymphatic MR imaging from September 2015 to August 2018. Short- and long-term serious and nonserious adverse events were registered clinically and by interview after intrathecal administration of 0.5 mL of gadobutrol (1.0 mmol/mL) along with 3 mL of iodixanol (270 mg I/mL). One serious adverse event (anaphylaxis) occurred in a patient with known allergy to iodine-containing contrast agents (1%). The main nonserious adverse events during the first 1–3 days after contrast injection included severe headache (28%) and severe nausea (34%), though the frequency depended heavily on the diagnosis. They conclude that intrathecal administration of gadobutrol in conjunction with iodixanol for glymphatic MR imaging is safe and feasible.
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