Localisation of epileptic foci using novel imaging modalities.

This review examines recent reports on the use of advanced techniques to map the regions and networks involved during focal epileptic seizure generation in humans

The Use of the Kirton Adaption-innovation Inventory in Thailand: An Exploratory Study

The generalisability of Western personality research to non-Western cultures is challenged when concepts and constructs rooted in one culture (the UK) are transported to another (Thai), particularly where there is purportedly a marked difference in the concept of self. The Kirton Adaption-innovation (KAI) inventory (Kirton 2006) when viewed from a Western perspective comprises items that are related to both the Innovative and Adaptive poles; the items associated with the latter pole are reverse-scored within the measure to align with the Innovative items (r= 0.41, p< 0.001 n=562) so as to provide an Innovatively oriented scale of 32 items (Mean=95 Alpha=0.88). In the Thai sample, while there were no significant differences in the item scores the Innovative items were negatively related to the reversed-scored Adaptive items (r= -0.37 p< 0.001 n=202), in effect bringing together the two opposite poles of the bipolar concept into a single holistic group (e.g. Nisbett & Peng 1999; Spencer Rogers & Peng 2005). While the factor configuration for the Thai sample was fragmented a number of the more significant items were selected to represent the original three factors of the Kai scale. This scale of 15 items was factored and the three original factors were easily identified. However, the Innovative items (the factor SO) retained their negative relationship with other items in the scale

Los andares de Hefesto: perspectivas torcidas sobre la consiliciencia

Depth psychology provides a means to view consilience as an expression of anima mundi, a world ‘alive’ with consciousness, in which humanity takes part. Mythopoïesis becomes an active mode of cognition via the imaginative interaction with the cosmos. The Greek god Hephaistos, crippled god of technology and making, is the paradigmatic possessor not only of consummate technical skill (techne), but also of cunning intelligence and flexible opportunism (metis). Logic places these qualities at opposing ends of a cognitive and behavioral spectrum, but the unique combination of techne with metis, seen in light of another Hephaistean epithet, amphigueeis, an ambiguous term which can be translated either as “crippled” or “ambidextrous,” lameness or crooked-walking reveals itself as emblematic of the ability to contain apparent opposites in dynamic tension.  The myth of the wounded maker-god becomes a way of perceiving, understanding and reifying the ambidextrous, consilient consciousness needed to navigate a dangerous world.  La psicología profunda proporciona una forma de contemplar la consiliencia como una expresión del anima mundi, un mundo “vivo” de conciencia en el que participa la humanidad. La mitopoïesis se convierte en un modo activo de cognición a través de la interacción imaginativa con el cosmos. El dios griego y lisiado Hefesto, dios de la tecnología y la fabricación, es el paradigmático poseedor tanto de la habilidad técnica consumada (techne), como de la inteligencia astuta y el oportunismo flexible (metis). La lógica coloca estas cualidades en extremos opuestos de un espectro cognitivo y conductual. Pero la combinación única de techne con metis, contemplada a la luz de otro epíteto muy de Hefesto, ‘amphigueeis’, un término ambiguo que se puede traducir como “lisiado” o como “ambidiestro”, cojera o andar tortuoso, se revela como emblemática en su capacidad de contener aparentes opuestos en tensión dinámica. El mito del dios hacedor y herido se convierte en una forma de percibir, comprender y reificar la ambidiestra conciencia consiliente necesaria para navegar por un mundo peligroso

The use of linear and nonlinear methods for evaluating balance on collegiate men???s and women???s ice hockey teams throughout a season

If objective data from balance assessments are to be used in assessing player???s for returning to play, it is necessary to understand the in-season variability that can occur. The purpose of this work was to determine if the time evolving nature of these measures can reveal insights, that more effective return-to-lay guidelines can be stablished. Forty-six varsity ice hockey players participated during the 2014-15 season. All underwent baseline measurements and were tested ever 4 weeks throughout the season, plus one post-season session. Dependent linear (mean power frequency, mean velocity, and total excursion) and nonlinear (approximate entropy) measures were used to interpret force plate data. Linear and nonlinear measures both showed significant main effects of time. Monthly testing throughout the season demonstrated decreases in mean values for all measures with respect to baseline. In-season variability of balance postures recorded can be used when comparing concussed athlete???s baseline measures to post-concussion measures

Characterization of a rat model of metastatic prostate cancer bone pain

Paolo Donato De Ciantis1, Kiran Yashpal2, James Henry3, Gurmit Singh11Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, 2Pain Research Laboratories, 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaPurpose: The objectives of this study were to establish and characterize a novel animal model of metastatic prostate cancer-induced bone pain.Methods: Copenhagen rats were injected with 106 MATLyLu (MLL) prostate cancer cells or phosphate-buffered saline by per cutaneous intra femoral injections into the right hind leg distal epiphysis. Over 13 days, rats progressively developed a tumor within the distal femoral epiphysis. On days 3, 7, 10, and 13 post injection, rats were subjected to the incapacitance and Randall–Selitto behavioral tests as they are believed to be indirect reflections of tumor induced pain. Ipsilateral hind limbs were subjected to X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans and histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E).Results: Intra femoral injections of MLL cells resulted in the progressive development of a tumor leading to bone destruction and nociceptive behaviors. Tumor development resulted in the redistribution of weight to the contralateral hind leg and significantly reduced the paw withdrawal threshold of the ipsilateral hind paw as observed via the incapacitance and Randall–Selitto tests, respectively. X-ray and computed tomography scans along with H&E stains indicated tumor-associated structural damage to the distal femur. This model was challenged with administration of meloxicam. Compared with vehicle-injected controls, the meloxicam-treated rats displayed smaller nociceptive responses as observed with the incapacitance and Randall–Selitto tests, suggesting that meloxicam was effective in reducing the pain-related symptoms displayed by model animals and that the model behaved in a predictable way to cyclooxygenase-2 treatment.Conclusions: This model is unique from other bone cancer models in that it is a comprehensive model utilizing a competent immune system with a syngeneic tumor. The model establishes a tool that will be useful to investigate mechanisms of cancer pain that are induced by cancer cells.Keywords: tumor, nociception, behavior, meloxica

Ultra-high-field MR imaging in polymicrogyria and epilepsy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Polymicrogyria is a malformation of cortical development that is often identified in children with epilepsy or delayed development. We investigated in vivo the potential of 7T imaging in characterizing polymicrogyria to determine whether additional features could be identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten adult patients with polymicrogyria previously diagnosed by using 3T MR imaging underwent additional imaging at 7T. We assessed polymicrogyria according to topographic pattern, extent, symmetry, and morphology. Additional imaging sequences at 7T included 3D T2* susceptibility-weighted angiography and 2D tissue border enhancement FSE inversion recovery. Minimum intensity projections were used to assess the potential of the susceptibility-weighted angiography sequence for depiction of cerebral veins. RESULTS: At 7T, we observed perisylvian polymicrogyria that was bilateral in 6 patients, unilateral in 3, and diffuse in 1. Four of the 6 bilateral abnormalities had been considered unilateral at 3T. While 3T imaging revealed 2 morphologic categories (coarse, delicate), 7T susceptibility-weighted angiography images disclosed a uniform ribbonlike pattern. Susceptibility-weighted angiography revealed numerous dilated superficial veins in all polymicrogyric areas. Tissue border enhancement imaging depicted a hypointense line corresponding to the gray-white interface, providing a high definition of the borders and, thereby, improving detection of the polymicrogyric cortex. CONCLUSIONS: 7T imaging reveals more anatomic details of polymicrogyria compared with 3T conventional sequences, with potential implications for diagnosis, genetic studies, and surgical treatment of associated epilepsy. Abnormalities of cortical veins may suggest a role for vascular dysgenesis in pathogenesis

EEG-fMRI in the presurgical evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) often requires thorough investigation to define the epileptogenic zone for surgical treatment. We used simultaneous interictal scalp EEG-fMRI to evaluate its value for predicting long-term postsurgical outcome

International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force recommendations for a veterinary epilepsy-specific MRI protocol

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases in veterinary practice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is regarded as an important diagnostic test to reach the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy. However, given that the diagnosis requires the exclusion of other differentials for seizures, the parameters for MRI examination should allow the detection of subtle lesions which may not be obvious with existing techniques. In addition, there are several differentials for idiopathic epilepsy in humans, for example some focal cortical dysplasias, which may only apparent with special sequences, imaging planes and/or particular techniques used in performing the MRI scan. As a result, there is a need to standardize MRI examination in veterinary patients with techniques that reliably diagnose subtle lesions, identify post-seizure changes, and which will allow for future identification of underlying causes of seizures not yet apparent in the veterinary literature. There is a need for a standardized veterinary epilepsy-specific MRI protocol which will facilitate more detailed examination of areas susceptible to generating and perpetuating seizures, is cost efficient, simple to perform and can be adapted for both low and high field scanners. Standardisation of imaging will improve clinical communication and uniformity of case definition between research studies. A 6–7 sequence epilepsy-specific MRI protocol for veterinary patients is proposed and further advanced MR and functional imaging is reviewed

Effects of carbamazepine and lamotrigine on functional magnetic resonance imaging cognitive networks.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of sodium channel-blocking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) language network activations in patients with focal epilepsy. METHODS: In a retrospective study, we identified patients who were treated at the time of language fMRI scanning with either carbamazepine (CBZ; n = 42) or lamotrigine (LTG; n = 42), but not another sodium channel-blocking AED. We propensity-matched 42 patients taking levetiracetam (LEV) as "patient-controls" and included further 42 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. After controlling for age, age at onset of epilepsy, gender, and antiepileptic comedications, we compared verbal fluency fMRI activations between groups and out-of-scanner psychometric measures of verbal fluency. RESULTS: Patients on CBZ performed less well on a verbal fluency tests than those taking LTG or LEV. Compared to either LEV-treated patients or controls, patients taking CBZ showed decreased activations in left inferior frontal gyrus and patients on LTG showed abnormal deactivations in frontal and parietal default mode areas. All patient groups showed fewer activations in the putamen bilaterally compared to controls. In a post hoc analysis, out-of-scanner fluency scores correlated positively with left putamen activation. SIGNIFICANCE: Our study provides evidence of AED effects on the functional neuroanatomy of language, which might explain subtle language deficits in patients taking otherwise well-tolerated sodium channel-blocking agents. Patients on CBZ showed dysfunctional frontal activation and more pronounced impairment of performance than patients taking LTG, which was associated only with failure to deactivate task-negative networks. As previously shown for working memory, LEV treatment did not affect functional language networks