Computational AND Spinal Cord

PURPOSE: To address the limitations of spinal cord imaging at ultra-high field (UHF) due to time-consuming parallel transmit (pTx) adjustments. This study introduces calibration-free offline computed universal shim modes that can be applied seamlessly for different pTx RF coils and spinal cord target regions, substantially enhancing spinal cord imaging efficiency at UHF. METHODS: A library of channel-wise relative <mml:math xmlns:mml="https://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo></mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation>$$ {B}_1^{+} $$</mml:annotation></mml:semantics> </mml:math> maps for the cervical spinal cord (six datasets) and thoracic and lumbar spinal cord (nine datasets) was constructed to optimize transmit homogeneity and efficiency for these regions...

The Sparsely Annotated Region and Organ Segmentation (SAROS) dataset was created using data from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) to provide a large open-access CT dataset with high-quality annotations of body landmarks. In-house segmentation models were employed to generate annotation proposals on randomly selected cases from TCIA. The dataset includes 13 semantic body region labels (abdominal/thoracic cavity, bones, brain, breast implant, mediastinum, muscle, parotid/submandibular/thyroid glands, pericardium, spinal cord, subcutaneous tissue) and six body part labels (left/right arm/leg, head, torso)...

Implantable electrode arrays are powerful tools for directly interrogating neural circuitry in the brain, but implementing this technology in the spinal cord in behaving animals has been challenging due to the spinal cord's significant motion with respect to the vertebral column during behavior. Consequently, the individual and ensemble activity of spinal neurons processing motor commands remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that custom ultraflexible 1-μm-thick polyimide nanoelectronic threads can conduct laminar recordings of many neuronal units within the lumbar spinal cord of unrestrained, freely moving mice...

Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) is a method for restoring sensation to people with paralysis as part of a bidirectional brain-computer interface to restore upper limb function. Evoking tactile sensations of the hand through ICMS requires precise targeting of implanted electrodes. Here we describe the presurgical imaging procedures used to generate functional maps of the hand area of the somatosensory cortex and subsequent planning that guided the implantation of intracortical microelectrode arrays. In five participants with cervical spinal cord injury, across two study locations, this procedure successfully enabled ICMS-evoked sensations localized to at least the first four digits of the hand...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an optimized deep leaning-based image post-processing technique in lumbar spine MRI at 0.55 T in terms of image quality and image acquisition time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lumbar spine imaging was conducted on 18 patients using a 0.55 T MRI scanner, employing conventional (CDLR) and advanced (ADLR) deep learning-based post-processing techniques. Two musculoskeletal radiologists visually evaluated the images using a 5-point Likert scale to assess image quality and resolution...

PURPOSE: This article reports detailed quality-of-life data including preferred and actual place of care from SCORAD, the only large prospective randomized trial in metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). METHODS: SCORAD compared 2 doses of radiotherapy in patients with MSCC: 8 Gy single fraction and 20 Gy in 5 fractions. In total, 686 patients were randomized, of whom 590 had Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) data collected at baseline and at least 1 later time point...

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc herniation was regarded as an age-related degenerative disease. Nevertheless, emerging reports highlight a discernible shift, illustrating the prevalence of these conditions among younger individuals. METHODS: This study introduces a novel deep learning methodology tailored for spinal canal segmentation and disease diagnosis, emphasizing image processing techniques that delve into essential image attributes such as gray levels, texture, and statistical structures to refine segmentation accuracy...

PURPOSE: To develop a deep learning tool for the automatic segmentation of T2-weighted intramedullary lesions in spinal cord injury (SCI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included a cohort of SCI patients from three sites enrolled between July 2002 and February 2023. A deep learning model, SCIseg , was trained in a three-phase process involving active learning for the automatic segmentation of intramedullary SCI lesions and the spinal cord. The data consisted of T2-weighted MRI acquired using different scanner manufacturers with heterogeneous image resolutions (isotropic/anisotropic), orientations (axial/sagittal), lesion etiologies (traumatic/ischemic/hemorrhagic) and lesions spread across the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate postoperative patterns of collateral arteries to the spinal cord during occlusion of the segmental arteries supplying the artery of Adamkiewicz (AKA). METHODS: Between April 2011 and December 2022, 179 patients underwent thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; 141 had an identifiable AKA on preoperative multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, 40 underwent thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm replacement (TAAR), and 101 underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR)...

BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare implant sparing irradiation with conventional radiotherapy (RT) using helical (H) and TomoDirect (TD) techniques in breast cancer patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction (IBR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The dosimetric parameters of 40 patients with retropectoral implants receiving 50.4 Gy delivered in 28 fractions were analyzed. Three plans were created: H plan using conventional planning target volume (PTV) that included the chest wall, skin, and implant; TD plan using conventional PTV; and Hs plan using implant-sparing PTV...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To study the dynamical system, it is necessary to formulate the mathematical model to understand the dynamics of various diseases that are spread worldwide. The main objective of our work is to examine neurological disorders by early detection and treatment by taking asymptomatic. The central nervous system (CNS) is impacted by the prevalent neurological condition known as multiple sclerosis (MS), which can result in lesions that spread across time and place...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to establish a weighted comprehensive evaluation model (WCEM) of image registration for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) guided lung cancer radiotherapy that considers the geometric accuracy of gross target volume (GTV) and organs at risk (OARs), and assess the registration accuracy of different image registration methods to provide clinical references. METHODS: The planning CT and CBCT images of 20 lung cancer patients were registered using diverse algorithms (bony and grayscale) and regions of interest (target, ipsilateral, and body)...

Capillary hemangiomas are benign tumors comprising a lobulated proliferation of capillary vessels frequently located in the soft tissues of the neck and head. Spinal intradural capillary hemangiomas are rare, particularly intramedullary lesions. To our knowledge, only 31 cases of spinal intramedullary capillary hemangiomas have been reported. Here, we describe a rare case of a thoracic capillary hemangioma comprising extramedullary and intramedullary components. A 51-year-old male patient presented with bilateral lower extremity numbness and subsequent paraparesis, sensory disturbance, and bladder-bowel dysfunction with a subacute clinical course...

Central pattern generators are circuits generating rhythmic movements, such as walking. The majority of existing computational models of these circuits produce antagonistic output where all neurons within a population spike with a broad burst at about the same neuronal phase with respect to network output. However, experimental recordings reveal that many neurons within these circuits fire sparsely, sometimes as rarely as once within a cycle. Here we address the sparse neuronal firing and develop a model to replicate the behavior of individual neurons within rhythm-generating populations to increase biological plausibility and facilitate new insights into the underlying mechanisms of rhythm generation...

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study at a single academic institution. PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify imaging risk factors for stenosis in extended neck positions undetectable in preoperative neutral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and improving decompression strategies for cervical spine disorders. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Cervical disorders are influenced by various dynamic factors, with spinal stenosis appearing during neck extension...

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine an accurate and convenient screening method for predicting proximal junctional fractures (PJFr) following surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) using computed tomography (CT)-based measurement of Hounsfield units (HUs). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: CT-based measurement of HUs is an alternative tool for assessing bone mineral density. However, the optimal method for predicting adjacent vertebral fractures following spinal fusion using HUs remains unclear...

INTRODUCTION: We aim to review the outcomes of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureteroscopy, and percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) for renal and ureteral stones in spinal cord neuropathy patients (SNP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search was performed on 8th March 2023 using PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar with no date limit. Preclinical/animal studies, reviews, letters to the editor, case reports, and meeting abstracts were excluded. Only English papers were accepted...

A 43-year-old, previously healthy man experienced a decreased sensation in the left lower extremity without preceding spinal trauma. At presentation, the patient exhibited slight motor weakness in the left lower extremity, in addition to decreased pain sensation below the ipsilateral T7. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed abnormal findings consistent with idiopathic thoracic spinal cord herniation (ITSCH) at the T5/6 level. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a small vertebral erosion at the lower T5...

Semi-recumbent cycling performed from a wheelchair is a popular rehabilitation exercise following spinal cord injury (SCI) and is often paired with functional electrical stimulation. However, biomechanical assessment of this cycling modality is lacking, even in unimpaired populations, hindering the development of personalised and safe rehabilitation programs for those with SCI. This study developed a computational pipeline to determine lower limb kinematics, kinetics, and joint contact forces (JCF) in 11 unimpaired participants during voluntary semi-recumbent cycling using a rehabilitation ergometer...

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made breakthroughs in spinal cord neural injury and restoration in recent years. It has a positive impact on clinical treatment. This study explores AI research's progress and hotspots in spinal cord neural injury and restoration. It also analyzes research shortcomings related to this area and proposes potential solutions. METHODS: We used CiteSpace 6.1.R6 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 to research WOS articles on AI research in spinal cord neural injury and restoration...