The Ghost Penumbra Pattern in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Characterization and Prognostic Significance
We studied the so-called ghost penumbra pattern (GPP), characterized by an underestimation of ischemic core volume on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) as compared with noncontrast CT (NCCT). We aimed to describe its frequency, to characterize the baseline factors associated with its presence, and to investigate its impact on clinical and radiological outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with endovascular therapy (EVT).
Middle Meningeal Artery Lidocaine Infusion for Refractory Migraine: Angiographic Dose Response and 3-Month Outcomes
Several studies have demonstrated the amelioration of refractory migraines with middle meningeal artery (MMA) intra-arterial lidocaine infusion, but the durability beyond 1 month is not well studied, and the angiographic dose response of lidocaine infusion was not previously evaluated. We aimed to assess the efficacy of middle meningeal artery lidocaine infusion in the treatment of refractory migraines at a 3-month follow-up.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Neuromuscular Ultrasound for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Real-World Study
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of median nerve ultrasound in suspected cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a prospective, real-world study.
Edge-Guided Deep Learning Model to Predict Fetal Brain Age Using MRI
Deep learning enables fast fetal brain age prediction from MRI. However, most models emphasize global features while ignoring local edge details. To improve accuracy, we propose a novel model incorporating global edge information, achieving performance comparable to that of experienced clinicians.
Cancer Predisposition Syndromes With Involvement of the Head and Neck Regions in Children: An Imaging Guide
Cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) are a group of inherited disorders that significantly increase the risk of developing various cancers, ranging from infancy through adulthood. CPSs account for about 10% of the pediatric cancers, and they represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in affected children. The inheritance pattern and the variable penetrance influence the age of onset and the clinical course, resulting in substantial variation in presentation, even within a single family. Early recognition of CPSs is crucial, as timely diagnosis allows for health surveillance, preventive interventions, and genetic counselling for patients and their families. Guidelines and surveillance programs have been developed to identify at-risk patients and coordinate long-term care. This review focuses on the most common CPSs associated with pediatric cancers, with particular emphasis on the involvement of the head and neck region. For each syndrome, we provide a background summary including its genetics and clinical manifestations, followed by a detailed description of characteristic head and neck imaging findings. Illustrative case examples are then presented to demonstrate the spectrum of clinical and imaging features. It highlights imaging features to assist providers reading these studies in the early identification of all possible pathological manifestations in these syndromes. Key CPSs covered include retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, DICER1 syndrome, rhabdoid tumor predisposition syndrome, Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma syndrome, constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome, and neuroblastoma predisposition syndrome.
Beyond Parkinson's Disease: A Narrative Review of Neuromelanin MRI in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) is an emerging noninvasive biomarker of catecholaminergic neurons. It assesses neuromelanin-rich regions such as the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and locus coeruleus (LC). Although initially developed for Parkinson's disease (PD), evidence supports broader utility. This narrative review highlights the diagnostic and prognostic applications of NM-MRI in PD, atypical parkinsonian syndromes, spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA), and Alzheimer's disease (AD), while evaluating methodological heterogeneity, diagnostic performance across diseases, and directions for clinical implementation.
Differentiating Brain Metastasis and High-Grade Glioma Using Multi-b Value Diffusion MRI and Tumor Volumetry
To evaluate feasibility of multi-b value diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and volumetry in differentiating between brain metastases and high-grade gliomas (HGGs) while producing a differentiation tool.
Corticospinal Tract Injury Leads to Poor Motor Recovery Immediately After Ischemic Stroke
Corticospinal tract (CST) integrity is an imaging biomarker for predicting upper extremity motor recovery, but data are limited in acute ischemic stroke patients. Our study aimed to assess the impact of CST disruption on upper extremity motor recovery after acute ischemic stroke.
Cerebral Perfusion and Blood-Brain Barrier Changes After Cranioplasty: A Diffusion-Prepared Arterial Spin Labeling Study
Cranioplasty reconstruction after hemicraniectomy restores skull integrity and has been associated with neurological improvement, but the physiological mechanisms underlying recovery remain incompletely understood. This study investigated cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial transit time (ATT), and blood-brain barrier (BBB) water exchange rate (Kw) as imaging metrics of hemodynamic recovery following cranioplasty.
Perfusion Territory Shifts in Cerebrovascular Diseases Measured by Super-Selective Arterial Spin Labeling
Individualized diagnostic approaches are crucial in cerebrovascular diseases, such as internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). To evaluate individual collateral blood supply, vessel-selective imaging has gained high relevance. However, clinically established digital subtraction angiography (DSA) exposes patients to intervention risks and radiation. Two noninvasive MRI-based alternatives are super-selective pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (ss-pCASL, a technique for selective labeling of arterial blood-water) for perfusion territory mapping and four-dimensional vessel-selective angiography (4D-sPACK). We hypothesized that asymptomatic atherosclerosis-induced ICAS and Moyamoya disease result in chronic malperfusion. Therefore, we aimed towards quantitative assessment of collateral blood flow by ss-pCASL.
The Effect of Gadolinium on Synthetic Magnetic Resonance Quantitative Imaging
Synthetic (Sy) MRI is a clinically approved technique providing quantitative MRI measures based on T-weighted, T-weighted, and proton density relaxometry. MRI sequences are often acquired after contrast injection with gadolinium (Gd) to assess active lesions in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), affecting relaxation time. We aimed to assess the influence of Gd on the SyMRI-based volumetrics in PwMS.
New Stent Retriever Technology Versus Standard Devices for Anterior Large Vessel Thrombectomy: A Multicenter Study
Guidelines recommend stent retrievers (SRs) for treating large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. We assessed noninferiority of the iNtercept (iVascular) SR with a self-expanding basket on a pusher wire versus contemporary SRs (CSRs) using propensity score (PS) matching analysis.
Imaging Biomarkers in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Associations With Symptoms and 1-Year Treatment Outcomes
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological disorder that primarily affects older adults and is typically characterized clinically by a triad of symptoms: gait disturbance, urinary urgency or incontinence, and cognitive decline. The relationship between clinical presentation and iNPH imaging biomarkers remains unclear, as does the ability of these markers to predict outcomes following cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Additionally, the association between fecal incontinence (FI) and iNPH, as well as the relationship between FI and iNPH imaging biomarkers, is poorly understood.
Dynamic Nature of Arachnoid Granulations During Acute Changes in Intracranial Pressure: A Pilot Study
Arachnoid granulations (AGs) are cerebrospinal fluid drainage structures whose number and size may vary with intracranial pressure (ICP). Although changes in AG size following lumbar puncture have been reported, longitudinal changes in patients with and without acute ICP alterations have not been studied. This study evaluated AG number and volume over time in patients with and without acute ICP changes.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Reveals Altered Centrality of Pain-Related Regions in SCN9A-Associated Small Fiber Neuropathy
Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a neuropathic disorder that is associated with chronic pain. While most SFN cases are idiopathic, SFN can also have hereditary causes. For example, rare SCN9A gene mutations can impair the Na1.7 sodium channel, which leads to dorsal root ganglion neuron hyperexcitability, causing SFN. Although chronic pain may induce cerebral changes, the specific structural brain alterations in SCN9A-associated SFN (SFN-SCN9A) remain insufficiently characterized. Therefore, potential alterations in the structural brain network of idiopathic SFN and SFN-SCN9A were explored.
Bridging Neuroimaging and Neuropathology: A Comprehensive Workflow for Targeted Sampling of White Matter Lesions
White matter lesions are common imaging biomarkers associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases, yet their underlying pathology remains unclear due to limitations in imaging-based characterization. We aim to develop and validate a comprehensive workflow enabling precise MRI-guided histological sampling of white matter lesions to bridge neuroimaging and neuropathology.
Distinguishing Myo-Inositol From Glycine in Brain MRS at 3T: A Pitfall Using Intermediate Echo Times
In in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the brain, glycine (Gly) is traditionally separated from the overlapping signal of myo-inositol (mI) through the use of intermediate (e.g., 130-140 ms) or long (270-280 ms) echo times (TE). However, no quantitative comparisons have been performed to date comparing the performance of clinically available MRS sequences to differentiate mI and Gly as a function of TE.
Correction to "A Novel Convolutional Neural Network for Automated Multiple Sclerosis Brain Lesion Segmentation"
Assessing a Stimulator Modification for Simultaneous Noninvasive Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and MRI
The vagus nerve can be stimulated noninvasively at the ear using transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). Concurrent functional MRI (fMRI) permits study of taVNS-induced changes in brain dynamics, a key requisite for precision neurostimulation. However, there is no standardized protocol for how to safely apply taVNS during MRI. One major risk is temperature increase exceeding innocuous thresholds due to coupling of the emitted radio frequency (RF) pulse during imaging. Thus, we developed and tested a stimulator cable configuration with floating ground cable traps and filter plate connectors.
Prolonged Venous Transit Is Associated With Unfavorable Outcomes in Anterior Circulation Distal Medium Vessel Stroke
Distal medium-vessel occlusion (DMVO) strokes represent a significant proportion of acute ischemic stroke cases, yet optimal management remains unclear. Prolonged venous transit (PVT), a marker of poor venous outflow, has been associated with worse outcomes in large-vessel occlusion strokes, but its role in DMVO is unknown.
Neurodegeneration With Brain Iron Accumulation and Ferroptosis Disorders in Children and Adults: An Imaging Review
Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) refers to a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by abnormal iron deposition in the basal ganglia and brainstem due to impaired iron homeostasis. Disease severity and manifestations vary according to the underlying genetic mutation and age of presentation; however, most subtypes share progressive neurological features such as dystonia, Parkinsonism, spasticity, cognitive decline, and intellectual disability. In this review, we first outline the physiological role of iron in the central nervous system, emphasizing its importance for neurotransmitter synthesis, myelination, and mitochondrial metabolism, and discuss how disruption of homeostatic mechanisms may lead to ferroptosis and neuronal injury. We then explore the role of neuroimaging in the diagnosis of NBIA, with a focus on MRI as the modality of choice. Finally, we provide an overview of the clinical and imaging features of the major NBIA subtypes, highlighting both shared characteristics and distinctive patterns. Covered NBIA include primary disorders of iron metabolism, such as neuroferritinopathy and aceruloplasminemia, and secondary disorders with disrupted iron regulation, including Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration, Phospholipase A2 Group VI-Associated Neurodegeneration, Mitochondrial Membrane Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration, Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration, Fatty Acid Hydroxylase-Associated Neurodegeneration, Coenzyme A Synthetase Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration, Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome, and Kufor-Rakeb Disease. By integrating genetics, pathophysiology, and imaging, this review aims to improve recognition of NBIA and support comprehensive clinical management.
