3-D data handling and registration of multiple modality medical images

The many different clinical imaging modalities used in diagnosis and therapy deliver two different types of information: morphological and functional. Clinical interpretation can be assisted and enhanced by combining such information (e.g. superimposition or fusion). The handling of such data needs to be performed in 3-D. Various methods for registration developed by other authors are reviewed and compared. Many of these are based on registering external reference markers, and are cumbersome and present significant problems to both patients and operators. Internal markers have also been used, but these may be very difficult to identify. Alternatively, methods based on the external surface of an object have been developed which eliminate some of the problems associated with the other methods. Thus the methods which have been extended, developed, and described here, are based primarily on the fitting of surfaces, as determined from images obtained from the different modalities to be registered. Annex problems to that of the surface fitting are those of surface detection and display. Some segmentation and surface reconstruction algorithms have been developed to identify the surface to be registered. Surface and volume rendering algorithms have also been implemented to facilitate the display of clinical results. An iterative surface fitting algorithm has been developed based on the minimization of a least squares distance (LSD) function, using the Powell method and alternative minimization algorithms. These algorithms and the qualities of fit so obtained were intercompared. Some modifications were developed to enhance the speed of convergence, to improve the accuracy, and to enhance the display of results during the process of fitting. A common problem with all such methods was found to be the choice of the starting point (the initial transformation parameters) and the avoidance of local minima which often require manual operator intervention. The algorithm was modified to apply a global minimization by using a cumulative distance error in a sequentially terminated process in order to speed up the time of evaluating of each search location. An extension of the algorithm into multi-resolution (scale) space was also implemented. An initial global search is performed at coarse resolution for the 3-D surfaces of both modalities where an appropriate threshold is defined to reject likely mismatch transformations by testing of only a limited subset of surface points. This process is used to define the set of points in the transformation space to be used for the next level of resolution, again with appropriately chosen threshold levels, and continued down to the finest resolution level. All these processes were evaluated using sets of well defined image models. The assessment of this algorithm for 3-D surface registration of data from (3-D) MRI with MRI, MRI with PET, MRI with SPECT, and MRI with CT data is presented, and clinical examples are illustrated and assessed. In the current work, the data from multi-modality imaging of two different types phantom (e.g. Hoffman brain phantom, Jaszczak phantom), thirty routinely imaged patients and volunteer subjects, and ten patients with setting external markers on their head were used to assess and verify 3-D registration. The accuracy of the sequential multi-resolution method obtained by the distance values of 4-10 selected reference points on each data set gave an accuracy of 1.44±0.42 mm for MR-MR, 1.82±0.65 for MR-CT, 2.38±0.88 for MR-PET, and 3.17±1.12 for MR-SPECT registration. The cost of this process was determined to be of the order of 200 seconds (on a Micro-VAX II), although this is highly dependent on some adjustable parameters of the process (e.g. threshold and the size of the geometrical transformation space) by which the accuracy is aimed

Involved brain areas in processing of Persian classical music: an fMRI study

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to investigate the neurological process of the rhythm in Persian classical music by using fMRI. The test consists of two groups of no rhythmic and rhythmic pieces that has examined on 12 right-handed musicians. The result showed that no rhythmic Persian pieces activated right middle frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left planum temporal and right superior temporal gyrus, and rhythmic pieces activated left frontal pole, left inferior frontal gyrus and left suramarginal. These results are based on the laterality and hierarchical models

A Different Olfactory Perception in Anosmic Patients: Evidence from Functional MRI

Olfactory system is a vital sensory system in mammals, giving them the ability to connect with their environment. Anosmia, or the complete loss of olfaction ability, which could be caused by injuries, is an interesting topic for inspectors with the aim of diagnosing patients. Sniffing test is currently utilized to examine if an individual is suffering from anosmia; however, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) provides unique information about the structure and function of the different areas of the human brain, and therefore this noninvasive method could be used as a tool to locate the olfactory-related regions of the brain. In this study, by recruiting 31 healthy and anosmic individuals, we investigated the neural BOLD responses in the olfactory cortices following two odor stimuli, rose and eucalyptus, by using a 3T MR scanner. Comparing the two groups, we observed a network of brain areas being more active in the normal individuals when smelling the odors. In addition, a number of brain areas also showed an activation decline during the odor stimuli, which is hypothesized as a resource allocation deactivation. This study illustrated alterations in the brain activity between the normal individuals and anosmic patients when smelling odors, and could potentially help for a better anosmia diagnosis in the future

Longitudinal Effects of Bumetanide on Neuro-Cognitive Functioning in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have repeatedly shown inconsistent and almost contradictory effects on the neurocognitive system, from substantial impairments in processing speed to the noticeable improvement in working memory and executive functioning. Previous studies have provided a novel insight into the cognitive improvement by bumetanide as a potential antiepileptic drug. Through the current investigation, we evaluated the longitudinal effects of bumetanide, an NKCC1 co-transporter antagonist, on the brain microstructural organization as a probable underlying component for cognitive performance. Microstructure assessment was completed using SPM for the whole brain assay and Freesurfer/TRACULA for the automatic probabilistic tractography analysis. Primary cognitive operations including selective attention and processing speed, working memory capacity and spatial memory were evaluated in 12 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of refractory epilepsy. Participants treated with bumetanide (2 mg/ day) in two divided doses as an adjuvant therapy to their regular AEDs for 6 months, which followed by the re-assessment of their cognitive functions and microstructural organizations. Seizure frequency reduced in eight patients which accompanied by white matter reconstruction; fractional anisotropy (FA) increased in the cingulum-cingulate gyrus (CCG), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and temporal part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLFt) in correlation with the clinical response. The voxel-based analysis in responder patients revealed increased FA in the left hippocampus, right cerebellum, and right medial temporal lobe, while mean diffusivity (MD) values reduced in the right occipital lobe and cerebellum. Microstructural changes in SLFt and ATR accompanied by a reduction in the error rate in the spatial memory test. These primary results have provided preliminary evidence for the effect of bumetanide on cognitive functioning through microstructural changes in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy

Lead poisoning among opium users in Iran: an emerging health hazard

Background Lead (Pb) poisoning among people using opium has been an increasing problem in Iran. The present study highlights the clinical effects of lead toxicity associated with opium use in Iran, Kerman province. Methods Between January 2016 and June 2016, patients with signs and symptoms of Pb poisoning were questioned to assess whether they had a history of opium dependency. In total, 249 patients were enrolled onto this cross-sectional study, all were opium dependent. Para-clinical data including blood lead level (BLL), demographic information, user preferences, and symptoms were obtained. Results The patients used either opium (83.9%), refined opium (6.4%) or a combination of both (9.7%) via ingestion (71.9%), smoking (8.4%) or a combination of both (19.7%). The overall median BLL was 80.0 μg/dL [IQR: 51.7–119.0]. The median BLL did not differ significantly between opium and refined opium users. Further, BLL was not significantly affected by the type of substance, route of use, duration of use, or daily quantity consumed. Common symptoms included abdominal pain (86.9%), constipation (75.8%), anorexia (71.5%) and nausea (54.7%). Linear regression analysis showed log of BLL was significantly associated with abdominal pain, myalgia and anorexia. Conclusions The study unravelled an increase in opium-related Pb poisoning in the Kerman province. Raised awareness of this emerging Pb source and investigation of its aetiology is recommended. Pb poisoning should be considered among the primary differential diagnosis of opium users with gastrointestinal symptoms.publishedVersio

Introducing an Optimized Method for Obtaining X-ray Diffraction Patterns of Biological Tissues

Introduction Individual X-Ray diffraction patterns of biological tissues are obtained via interference of coherent scattering with their electrons. Many scientists have distinguished normal and cancerous breast tissue, bone density, and urinary stone types using the X-Ray diffraction patterns resulting from coherent scattering. The goal of this study was to introduce an optimized method for obtaining X-ray diffraction patterns of different types from biological tissues. Materials and Methods A special tool constituting primary and scatter collimators as well as a sample holder was designed and built. All measurements were done using an X-ray tube, the above-mentioned tool, and a semiconductor detector (HPGe). The X-ray diffraction patterns of some tissue-equivalent materials (acrylic, polyethylene, nylon, and calcium carbonate) and biological tissues (adipose, muscle, and bone) were obtained. Results The corresponding peak positions for adipose, muscle, bone, acrylic, polyethylene, nylon, and calcium carbonate in corresponding X-ray diffraction patterns are located in 1.1±0.055 nm-1, 1.41±0.072, 1.6±0.08 nm-1, 0.8±0.04 nm-1, 1.03±0.051 nm-1, 1.22±0.061 nm-1, and 1.7 ± 0.085 nm-1, respectively. Conclusion The X-ray diffraction patterns obtained in this study were in good agreement relative to previous measurements in terms of peak position. This study introduces a useful setup for extraction of X-ray diffraction patterns from different biological tissues

Homayoun as a Persian Music Scale on Non-Musician’s Brain: an fMRI Study

The aim of this study was to get to a neurological evaluation of one of the Persian music scales, Homayoun, on brain activation of non-musician subjects. We selected this scale because Homayoun is one of the main scales in Persian classical music which is similar to minor mode in western scales. This study was performed on 19 right handed subjects, Aging 22-31. Here some pices from Homayoun Dastgah are used in both rhythmic and non- rhythmic. The results of this study revealed the brain activities for each of rhythmic and non-rhythmic versions of Homayoun Dastgah. The activated regions for non-rhythmic Homayoun contained: right and left Subcallosal Cortex, left Medial Frontal cortex, left anterior Cingulate Gyrus, left Frontal Pole and for rhythmic Homayoun contained: left Precentral Gyrus, left Precuneous Cortex, left anterior Supramarginal, left Superior Parietal Lobule, left Postcentral Gyrus. Also, we acquired amygdala area in both pieces of music. Based on arousal effects of rhythm and Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, non-rhythmic Homayoun activates regions related to emotion and thinking while activity of rhythmic Homayoun is related to areas of movement and motion

Homayoun as a Persian Music Scale on Non-Musician’s Brain: an fMRI Study

Introduction: The aim of this study was to get to a neurological evaluation of one of the Persian music scales, Homayoun, on brain activation of non-musician subjects. We selected this scale because Homayoun is one of the main scales in Persian classical music which is similar to minor mode in western scales. Methods: This study was performed on 19 right handed subjects, Aging 22-31. Here some pieces from Homayoun Dastgah are used in both rhythmic and non-rhythmic. Result: The results of this study revealed the brain activities for each of rhythmic and non-rhythmic versions of Homayoun Dastgah. The activated regions for non-rhythmic Homayoun contained: right and left Subcallosal Cortex, left Medial Frontal cortex, left anterior Cingulate Gyrus, left Frontal Pole and for rhythmic Homayoun contained: left Precentral Gyrus, left Precuneous Cortex, left anterior Supramarginal, left Superior Parietal Lobule, left Postcentral Gyrus. Also, we acquired amygdala area in both pieces of music. Discussion: Based on arousal effects of rhythm and Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis, non-rhythmic Homayoun activates regions related to emotion and thinking while activity of rhythmic Homayoun is related to areas of movement and motion