BMC Medical Imaging最新文献

Background: The loss of an only child represents a profound psychological trauma that is a significant risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and executive dysfunction. Research indicates that cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) shares partial pathophysiological mechanisms with PTSD and may directly contribute to cognitive impairment through multiple pathways. Therefore, CSVD could serve as a pivotal entry point for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying executive dysfunction in parents who have lost their only child.

Methods: We utilized resting-state fMRI in a cross-sectional design, comparing 39 individuals with executive dysfunction with 115 matched trauma-exposed controls without executive dysfunction. We quantified spontaneous neural activity via fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and ALFF, while CSVD burden was assessed. Moderation analysis was used to identify the moderating role of CSVD on executive dysfunction-related neural alterations in adults who lost their only child.

Results: Individuals with executive dysfunction exhibited decreased fALFF in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and reduced ReHo in the right medial SFG, alongside elevated ALFF and fALFF in the superior temporal gyrus (STG). fALFF in the left SFG demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy for detecting executive dysfunction. Crucially, moderation analysis revealed that higher CSVD burden was associated with a greater reduction in fALFF in the left SFG, among individuals in the executive dysfunction group.

Conclusion: Executive dysfunction subjects demonstrated abnormal spontaneous activity in SFG and STG. The moderation analysis suggested that CSVD burden may be associated with a greater reduction in executive dysfunction-related frontal hypoactivity, supporting the construction of a "vascular-neuro-cognitive" triad model.

Objectives: Atherosclerosis is influenced by hemodynamic forces and arterial stiffness. Vector flow imaging (VFI) provides assessment of wall shear stress (WSS) and turbulence, while radiofrequency-based quantitative analysis (RVQS) measures hardness coefficient (HC) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). To date, these techniques have not been applied together in a well-characterised healthy cohort. This study aimed to evaluate segmental age and sex-related differences in the carotid artery using VFI and RVQS.

Methods: Sixty healthy volunteers (30 women, 30 men; aged 20-59 years) underwent carotid ultrasonography. The common carotid artery (CCA), the bifurcation (BIF), and the internal carotid artery (ICA) segments were examined. WSS, turbulence, HC, PWV, and distension parameters were measured in each segment. Non-parametric tests were used.

Results: Significant segmental variation was found (p < 0.001). The BIF showed the lowest mean WSS (median = 0.84 Pa, < 0.001), the highest turbulence 3.87 (< 0.001), and the highest stiffness (HC: 3.22 < 0.001, PWV: 6.04, < 0.001). ICA had greatest distension (866 μm, < 0.001) and lowest stiffness (HC = 1.25, < 0.001, PWV: 3,83 < 0.001). Older participants had markedly stiffer arteries. PWV was higher in the older vs. younger group at both CCA (6.1 m/s vs. 4.6 m/s, p < 0.001) and BIF (7.2 vs. 4.96 m/s, p < 0.001). HC was also significantly higher in CCA and BIF (3.3 vs. 1.8, p < 0.001, 1.3 vs. 2.3, p < 0.001). Distension decreased with age in CCA and BIF (CCA: 364 vs. 560 μm, p < 0.001, BIF: 547 vs. 355 μm, p < 0.001). In contrast, WSS and turbulence did not differ significantly by age. Women exhibited higher mean WSS in the ICA (1.3 vs. 1.1 Pa, p = 0.018) and BIF (0.94 vs. 0.74 Pa, p = 0.045). Men showed slightly higher turbulence in the ICA (TAT = 1.1 vs. 0.5, p = 0.020).

Conclusion: The study revealed marked segmental and demographic differences in atherosclerosis parameters. RVQS parameters showed significant age-related differences, whereas WSS did not vary with age in this healthy group (20-59 years), suggesting RVQS may be more sensitive for detecting subclinical early vascular change. The combined application of VFI and RVQS may provide a physiologic reference framework for assessing the carotid arteries.