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Wang Y, Yang L, Shang Y, Huang Y, Ju C, Zheng H, Zhao W, Liu J. Identifying Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: A New Perspective from Magnetic Resonance Imaging. J Magn Reson Imaging 2023. [PMID: 38149764 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.29179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Type C hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a condition characterized by brain dysfunction caused by liver insufficiency and/or portal-systemic blood shunting, which manifests as a broad spectrum of neurological or psychiatric abnormalities, ranging from minimal HE (MHE), detectable only by neuropsychological or neurophysiological assessment, to coma. Though MHE is the subclinical phase of HE, it is highly prevalent in cirrhotic patients and strongly associated with poor quality of life, high risk of overt HE, and mortality. It is, therefore, critical to identify MHE at the earliest and timely intervene, thereby minimizing the subsequent complications and costs. However, proper and sensitive diagnosis of MHE is hampered by its unnoticeable symptoms and the absence of standard diagnostic criteria. A variety of neuropsychological or neurophysiological tests have been performed to diagnose MHE. However, these tests are nonspecific and susceptible to multiple factors (eg, aging, education), thereby limiting their application in clinical practice. Thus, developing an objective, effective, and noninvasive method is imperative to help detect MHE. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a noninvasive technique which can produce many objective biomarkers by different imaging sequences (eg, Magnetic resonance spectroscopy, DWI, rs-MRI, and arterial spin labeling), has recently shown the ability to screen MHE from NHE (non-HE) patients accurately. As advanced MRI techniques continue to emerge, more minor changes in the brain could be captured, providing new means for early diagnosis and quantitative assessment of MHE. In addition, the advancement of artificial intelligence in medical imaging also presents the potential to mine more effective diagnostic biomarkers and further improves the predictive efficiency of MHE. Taken together, advanced MRI techniques may provide a new perspective for us to identify MHE in the future. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisong Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Longtao Yang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Youlan Shang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yijie Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chao Ju
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
- Department of Radiology Quality Control Center in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
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Jopowicz A, Tarnacka B. Neurological Wilson's Disease Signs-Hepatic Encephalopathy or Copper Toxicosis? Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13050893. [PMID: 36900037 PMCID: PMC10001333 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13050893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive (AR) disorder resulting from mutations in the ATP7B gene, which is responsible for the encryption of transmembrane copper transporting ATPase. The symptomatic presentation of the disease is estimated to be about 1 in 30,000. The impairment of ATP7B function results in a copper overload in hepatocytes, which further leads to liver pathology. This copper overload also occurs in other organs, most particularly in the brain. This could then cause the occurrence of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Symptoms differ substantially and most often occur between the ages of 5 and 35 years. Early symptoms are commonly hepatic, neurological, or psychiatric. While disease presentation is most often asymptomatic, it could also range as far as to include fulminant hepatic failure, ataxia, and cognitive disorders. Various treatments are available for Wilson's disease, including chelation therapy and zinc salts, which can reverse copper overload through different mechanisms. In select cases, liver transplantation is recommended. New medications, such as tetrathiomolybdate salts, are currently being investigated in clinical trials. With prompt diagnosis and treatment, prognosis is favorable; however, diagnosing patients before the onset of severe symptoms is a significant concern. Early screening for WD could help in diagnosing patients earlier and improving treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Jopowicz
- Department of Rehabilitation, Eleonora Reicher National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Spartańska 1, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Beata Tarnacka
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Warsaw Medical University, Spartańska 1, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland
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Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Other Gut Microbiota Manipulation Strategies. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122424. [PMID: 36557677 PMCID: PMC9781458 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota is composed of bacteria, archaea, phages, and protozoa. It is now well known that their mutual interactions and metabolism influence host organism pathophysiology. Over the years, there has been growing interest in the composition of the gut microbiota and intervention strategies in order to modulate it. Characterizing the gut microbial populations represents the first step to clarifying the impact on the health/illness equilibrium, and then developing potential tools suited for each clinical disorder. In this review, we discuss the current gut microbiota manipulation strategies available and their clinical applications in personalized medicine. Among them, FMT represents the most widely explored therapeutic tools as recent guidelines and standardization protocols, not only for intestinal disorders. On the other hand, the use of prebiotics and probiotics has evidence of encouraging findings on their safety, patient compliance, and inter-individual effectiveness. In recent years, avant-garde approaches have emerged, including engineered bacterial strains, phage therapy, and genome editing (CRISPR-Cas9), which require further investigation through clinical trials.
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Lin S, Guo Z, Chen S, Lin X, Ye M, Qiu Y. Progressive Brain Structural Impairment Assessed via Network and Causal Analysis in Patients With Hepatitis B Virus-Related Cirrhosis. Front Neurol 2022; 13:849571. [PMID: 35599731 PMCID: PMC9120530 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.849571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This research amid to elucidate the disease stage-specific spatial patterns and the probable sequences of gray matter (GM) deterioration as well as the causal relationship among structural network components in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) patients. Methods Totally 30 HBV-RC patients and 38 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for this study. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) were evaluated in all participants. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), structural covariance network (SCN), and causal SCN (CaSCN) were applied to identify the disease stage-specific GM abnormalities in morphology and network, as well as their causal relationship. Results Compared to HC (0.443 ± 0.073 cm3), the thalamus swelled significantly in the no minimal hepatic encephalopathy (NMHE) stage (0.607 ± 0.154 cm3, p <0.05, corrected) and further progressed and expanded to the bilateral basal ganglia, the cortices, and the cerebellum in the MHE stage (p < 0.05, corrected). Furthermore, the thalamus swelling had a causal effect on other parts of cortex-basal ganglia-thalamus circuits (p < 0.05, corrected), which was negatively correlated with cognitive performance (r = −0.422, p < 0.05). Moreover, the thalamus-related SCN also displayed progressive deterioration as the disease advanced in HBV-RC patients (p < 0.05, corrected). Conclusion Progressive deterioration of GM morphology and SCN exists in HBV-RC patients during advanced disease, displaying thalamus-related causal effects. These findings indicate that bilateral thalamus morphology as well as the thalamus-related network may serve as an in vivo biomarker for monitoring the progression of the disease in HBV-RC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Lin
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zheng Guo
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shengli Chen
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoshan Lin
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Hematological Malignancies, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min Ye
- Department of Geriatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Min Ye
| | - Yingwei Qiu
- Department of Radiology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- Yingwei Qiu
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Zhu L, Zhang W, Chen L, Ren Y, Cao Y, Sun T, Sun B, Liu J, Wang J, Zheng C. Brain Gray Matter Alterations in Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Voxel-Based Meta-Analysis of Whole-Brain Studies. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:838666. [PMID: 35517986 PMCID: PMC9062230 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.838666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies on voxel-based morphometry (VBM) have found that there were gray matter alterations in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). However, the reported results were inconsistent and lack a quantitative review. Therefore, this study aims for a quantitative meta-analysis of VBM analysis on patients with HE. Methods The studies in our meta-analysis were collected from Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase, which were published from January 1947 to October 2021. The seed-based d mapping (SDM) method was applied to quantitatively estimate the regional gray matter abnormalities in patients with HE. A meta-regression analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between plasma ammonia and gray matter alteration. Results There were nine studies, with sixteen datasets consisting of 333 participants with HE and 429 healthy controls. The pooled and subgroup meta-analyses showed an increase in gray matter volume (GMV) in the bilateral thalamus and the calcarine fissure but a decrease in the GMV in the bilateral insula, the basal ganglia, the anterior cingulate gyrus, and the cerebellum. The meta-regression showed that plasma ammonia was positively associated with the GMV in the left thalamus but was negatively associated with the GMV in the cerebellum and the bilateral striatum. Conclusion Gray matter volume in patients with HE largely varied and could be affected by plasma ammonia. The findings of this study could help us to better understand the pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in patients with HE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licheng Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weihua Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanqiao Ren
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanyan Cao
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuansheng Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, China
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6
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Serper M, Asrani S, VanWagner L, Reese PP, Kim M, Wolf MS. Redefining Success After Liver Transplantation: From Mortality Toward Function and Fulfillment. Liver Transpl 2022; 28:304-313. [PMID: 34608746 DOI: 10.1002/lt.26325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Liver transplantation (LT), the only cure for end-stage liver disease, is a lifesaving, costly, and limited resource. LT recipients (LTRs) are aging with an increasing burden of medical comorbidities. Patient and graft survival rates exceed 70% at 5 years; however, patient-centered health outcomes beyond survival have received relatively little attention. LTRs must have strong self-management skills to navigate health systems, adhere to clinical monitoring, and take complex, multidrug regimens. All of these tasks require formidable cognitive abilities for active learning and problem solving. Yet, LTRs are at higher risk for impaired cognition as a result of the high prevalence of pretransplant hepatic encephalopathy, multiple chronic conditions, alcohol use, physical frailty, sarcopenia, and older age. Cognitive impairment after transplant may persist and has been causally linked to poor self-management skills, worse physical function, and inferior health outcomes in other health care settings, yet its impact after LT is largely unknown. There is a need to study potentially modifiable, posttransplant targets including caregiver support, physical activity, sleep, and treatment adherence to inform future health system responses to promote the long-term health and well-being of LTRs. Prospective, longitudinal data collection that encompasses key sociodemographic, cognitive-behavioral, psychosocial, and medical factors is needed to improve risk prediction and better inform patient and caregiver expectations. Interventions with proactive monitoring, reducing medical complexity, and improved care coordination can be tailored to optimize posttransplant care. We propose a research agenda focused on understudied, potentially modifiable risk factors to improve the long-term health of LTRs. Our conceptual model accounts for cognitive function, caregiver and patient self-management skills, health behaviors, and patient-centered outcomes beyond mortality. We propose actionable health-system, patient, and caregiver-directed interventions to fill knowledge gaps and improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Serper
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.,Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Lisa VanWagner
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Peter P Reese
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Division of Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Minjee Kim
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.,Northwestern University Transplant Outcomes Research Collaborative, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Michael S Wolf
- Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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Kuang Y, Wu X, Lai H, Wang Z, Lei Q, Zhong W, Yang Y, Deng C, Zhou Z. Abnormal corpus callosum induced by overt hepatic encephalopathy impairs interhemispheric functional coordination in cirrhosis patients. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1579. [PMID: 34790785 PMCID: PMC8576733 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-5109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background Although overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) patients were shown to have bilaterally symmetrical structural and functional abnormalities in the whole brain, few studies have focused on the bilateral cerebral hemisphere commissural fibers and measured functional coordination between bilateral hemispheres. This study aimed to investigate the structural changes of the corpus callosum (CC) and interhemispheric functional coordination in patients with OHE and to test the hypothesis that abnormal CC induced by OHE impairs interhemispheric functional coordination in cirrhosis patients. Methods The microstructural integrity and the volumes of each subregion of the CC were analyzed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) was derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results Compared with the healthy controls (HCs) and patients without hepatic encephalopathy (noHE), the OHE group showed decreased volumes in all subregions of the CC. In OHE patients, the decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) of CC-5 correlated with decreased VMHC in the middle occipital gyrus (MOG) and precuneus. The value of FA in CC-5 and the volumes of CC-3, CC-4, and CC-5 showed correlations with neuropsychological performance in patients with OHE. Conclusions These findings suggest that impairment of interhemispheric white matter pathways may disturb the functional connectivity associated with coordination and neurocognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangying Kuang
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaojia Wu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Lai
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhigang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiang Lei
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weijia Zhong
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chen Deng
- Department of Radiology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiming Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Malaquias MJ, Pinto CM, Ramos C, Ferreira S, Gandara J, Almeida A, Cavaco S, Miranda HP, Magalhães M. Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration and hepatic encephalopathy: one or two entities? Eur J Neurol 2020; 27:2396-2404. [DOI: 10.1111/ene.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Malaquias
- Neurology Department Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - C. M. Pinto
- Neuroradiology Department Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - C. Ramos
- Neuroradiology Department Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - S. Ferreira
- Hepatic Pancreatic Transplantation Unit Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - J. Gandara
- Hepatic Pancreatic Transplantation Unit Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - A. Almeida
- Chemistry Science Department Faculdade de Farmácia Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - S. Cavaco
- Neuropsychology Unit Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - H. P. Miranda
- Hepatic Pancreatic Transplantation Unit Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
| | - M. Magalhães
- Neurology Department Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto Porto Portugal
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Chen LH, Shi JY, Zou TX, Zhang L, Gou Y, Lin Y, Chen HJ. Disturbance of thalamic metabolism and its association with regional neural dysfunction and cognitive impairment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Eur J Radiol 2020; 131:109252. [PMID: 32949859 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2020.109252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To conduct the first investigation on thalamic metabolic alterations in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and elucidate their association with intrinsic neural activity change and cognitive dysfunction. METHODS Thirty-eight cirrhotic patients [18 with MHE, 20 without MHE (NHE)] and 21 healthy controls (HC) were included, all of whom underwent 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), as well as cognitive assessment based on the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES). Metabolite ratios in the thalamus were measured, including N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), glutamate plus glutamine (Glx)/Cr, choline (Cho)/Cr, and myo-inositol (mI)/Cr. Intrinsic neural activity was evaluated based on frequency-specific amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) using fMRI signals. RESULTS MHE patients showed an increase in Glx/Cr and a decrease in Cho/Cr and mI/Cr, compared with HC. These changes were aggravated from NHE to MHE. Cho/Cr and mI/Cr were positively correlated with regional ALFF derived from the frequency-specific band (0.01-0.027 Hz) and PHES. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that Cho/Cr and mI/Cr measurements exhibited moderate discrimination ability between NHE and MHE. CONCLUSION Our findings provide evidence that MHE is associated with disturbed metabolism in the thalamus, which may contribute to the altered neural activity and underlie the mechanisms of cognitive impairments. MRS measurements in the thalamus could serve as the potential biomarker for diagnosing MHE among cirrhotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
| | - Jia-Yan Shi
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
| | - Tian-Xiu Zou
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China; Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Yaoping Gou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Yanqin Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Department of Electronic Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Hua-Jun Chen
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China.
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Xiao Q, Zhong Y, Jiao Q, Lu G, Su Y. Gray matter voxel-based morphometry in mania and remission states of children with bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 2020; 268:47-54. [PMID: 32158006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been found by many studies that gray matter (GM) abnormalities exist in both adults and children with bipolar disorder (PBD) which is a serious mental illness characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. However, there are few studies on the comparison between brain imaging of different mood states shown by patients with bipolar disorder. This study is aimed at exploring the differences existing in brain structures between children with bipolar disorder and that of healthy controls, and then it tries to further explore whether there is a structural difference between the states of mania and remission in children with bipolar disorder. METHODS 21 PBD-mania subjects, 19 PBD-remission subjects and 18 control subjects aged 12-17 years old were engaged in this study. In the present study, magnetic resonance imaging was obtained by employing a Siemens 3.0 T scanner. With regard to the volumes of gray matter in the mania group, remission group and healthy control group, analysis was carried out by using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Further analysis was conducted on the correlation between MRI data and clinical features of patients with PBD. RESULTS In comparison with the healthy control subjects, the gray matter volume measured from the left hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and amygdala in both manic and euthymic groups showed a decreasing trend, while the volume of left orbitofrontal cortex increased. However, no significant difference in volumes was found between BD manic and euthymic groups. It was observed that the volume of orbitofrontal cortex had a positive correlation with onset age in PBD euthymic group. CONCLUSIONS Our study came to the conclusion that extensive brain structural changes are available in patients with PBD. The brain regions with structural changes are distributed in the anterior limbic network (ALN), which has been proved to have been involved in the abnormal emotional and cognitive regulation of PBD. However, there is no difference in the volumes of gray matter between mania and remission in PBD .
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xiao
- Mental Health Centre of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Yuan Zhong
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097,China; Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China
| | - Qing Jiao
- Department of Radiology, Taishan Medical University, Taian 271016, China
| | - Guangming Lu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
| | - Yi Su
- Child Language Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, China.
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11
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Reduced Cortical Complexity in Cirrhotic Patients with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:7364649. [PMID: 32256557 PMCID: PMC7104259 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7364649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Gray matter volume loss, regional cortical thinning, and local gyrification index alteration have been documented in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Fractal dimension (FD), another morphological parameter, has been widely used to describe structural complexity alterations in neurological or psychiatric disease. Here, we conducted the first study to investigate FD alterations in MHE. Methods and Materials We performed high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging on cirrhotic patients with MHE (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 21). We evaluated their cognitive performance using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES). The regional FD value was calculated by Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12) and compared between groups. We further estimated the association between patients' cognitive performance and FD values. Results MHE patients presented significantly decreased FD values in the left precuneus, left supramarginal gyrus, right caudal anterior cingulate cortex, right isthmus cingulate cortex, right insula, bilateral pericalcarine cortex, and bilateral paracentral cortex compared to normal controls. In addition, the FD values in the right isthmus cingulate cortex and right insula were shown to be positively correlated with patients' cognitive performance. Conclusion Aberrant cortical complexity is an additional characteristic of MHE, and FD analysis may provide novel insight into the neurobiological basis of cognitive dysfunction in MHE.
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12
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Chen QF, Zou TX, Yang ZT, Chen HJ. Identification of patients with and without minimal hepatic encephalopathy based on gray matter volumetry using a support vector machine learning algorithm. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2490. [PMID: 32051514 PMCID: PMC7016173 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59433-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is characterized by diffuse abnormalities in cerebral structure, such as reduced cortical thickness and altered brain parenchymal volume. This study tested the potential of gray matter (GM) volumetry to differentiate between cirrhotic patients with and without MHE using a support vector machine (SVM) learning method. High-resolution, T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired from 24 cirrhotic patients with MHE and 29 cirrhotic patients without MHE (NHE). Voxel-based morphometry was conducted to evaluate the GM volume (GMV) for each subject. An SVM classifier was employed to explore the ability of the GMV measurement to diagnose MHE, and the leave-one-out cross-validation method was used to assess classification accuracy. The SVM algorithm based on GM volumetry achieved a classification accuracy of 83.02%, with a sensitivity of 83.33% and a specificity of 82.76%. The majority of the most discriminative GMVs were located in the bilateral frontal lobe, bilateral lentiform nucleus, bilateral thalamus, bilateral sensorimotor areas, bilateral visual regions, bilateral temporal lobe, bilateral cerebellum, left inferior parietal lobe, and right precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus. Our results suggest that SVM analysis based on GM volumetry has the potential to help diagnose MHE in cirrhotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Feng Chen
- College of Computer and Information Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Tian-Xiu Zou
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
| | - Zhe-Ting Yang
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China
| | - Hua-Jun Chen
- Department of Radiology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, China.
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Jaeger V, DeMorrow S, McMillin M. The Direct Contribution of Astrocytes and Microglia to the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2019; 7:352-361. [PMID: 31915605 PMCID: PMC6943208 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2019.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy is a neurological complication resulting from loss of hepatic function and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. During acute liver failure over 20% of mortality can be associated with the development of hepatic encephalopathy. In patients with liver cirrhosis, 1-year survival for those that develop overt hepatic encephalopathy is under 50%. The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is complicated due to the multiple disruptions in homeostasis that occur following a reduction in liver function. Of these, elevations of ammonia and neuroinflammation have been shown to play a significant contributing role to the development of hepatic encephalopathy. Disruption of the urea cycle following liver dysfunction leads to elevations of circulating ammonia, which enter the brain and disrupt the functioning of astrocytes. This results in dysregulation of metabolic pathways in astrocytes, oxidative stress and cerebral edema. Besides ammonia, circulating chemokines and cytokines are increased following liver injury, leading to activation of microglia and a subsequent neuroinflammatory response. The combination of astrocyte dysfunction and microglia activation are significant contributing factors to the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Jaeger
- Baylor Scott & White Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Temple, TX, USA
| | - Sharon DeMorrow
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Department of Medical Physiology, Temple, TX, USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, USA
- University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Austin, TX, USA
- University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Matthew McMillin
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Department of Medical Physiology, Temple, TX, USA
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, USA
- University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Austin, TX, USA
- Correspondence to: Matthew McMillin, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, 1601 Trinity Street, Building B, Austin, TX 78701, USA. Tel: +1-512-495-5037, Fax: +1-512-495-5839, E-mail:
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Winterdahl M, Abbas Z, Noer O, Thomsen KL, Gras V, Nahimi A, Vilstrup H, Shah NJ, Dam G. Cerebral water content mapping in cirrhosis patients with and without manifest HE. Metab Brain Dis 2019; 34:1071-1076. [PMID: 31089866 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-019-00427-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a frequent and debilitating complication of cirrhosis and its pathogenesis is not definitively clarified. Recent hypotheses focus on the possible existence of low-grade cerebral edema due to accumulation of osmolytes secondary to hyperammonemia. In the present study we investigated increases in cerebral water content by a novel magnetic resonance impedance (MRI) technique in cirrhosis patients with and without clinically manifest HE. We used a 3 T MRI technique for quantitative cerebral water content mapping in nine cirrhosis patients with an episode of overt HE, ten cirrhosis patients who never suffered from HE, and ten healthy aged-matched controls. We tested for differences between groups by statistical non-parametric mapping (SnPM) for a voxel-based spatial evaluation. The patients with HE had significantly higher water content in white matter than the cirrhosis patients (0.6%), who in turn, had significantly higher content than the controls (1.7%). Although the global gray matter water content did not differ between the groups, the patients with HE had markedly higher thalamic water content than patients who never experienced HE (6.0% higher). We found increased white matter water content in cirrhosis patients, predominantly in those with manifest HE. This confirms the presence of increasing degrees of low-grade edema with exacerbation of pathology. The thalamic edema in manifest HE may lead to compromised basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuits, in accordance with the major clinical symptoms of HE. The identification of the thalamus as particularly inflicted in manifest HE is potentially relevant to the pathophysiology of HE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Winterdahl
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Zaheer Abbas
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany
- JARA - Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ove Noer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Karen Louise Thomsen
- Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Adjmal Nahimi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hendrik Vilstrup
- Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nadim Joni Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany
- JARA - Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, Aachen, Germany
| | - Gitte Dam
- Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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15
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Zheng W, Zhu WW, Feng ZC, Liang Q, Rong PF, Li LF, Liao YJ, Wang W. Increased serum malondialdehyde levels are associated with grey matter volume loss in patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2019; 9:230-237. [PMID: 30976547 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2018.12.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Grey matter volume (GMV) loss has been observed in patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Oxidative stress (OS) is a recognized feature and systemic phenomenon of cirrhosis. However, little is known about whether OS is associated with GMV loss in cirrhosis. This study aimed to assess the relationship between oxidative damage and GMV loss in patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Methods Thirty-four patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis and 27 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. All subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was performed to assess normalized global GMV. As an OS marker, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in all subjects. In the patient group, a correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between serum MDA levels and normalized global GMV. Results Compared with healthy controls, cirrhotic patients displayed a significant decrease in normalized global GMV and a significant increase in serum MDA levels. In the patient group, serum MDA levels were negatively correlated with normalized global GMV adjusted for age, sex and Child-Pugh class. Conclusions Increased serum MDA levels were associated with GMV loss in patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis, suggesting that oxidative damage may be involved in GMV loss observed in cirrhotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zheng
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Wen-Wei Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Zhi-Chao Feng
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Qi Liang
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Peng-Fei Rong
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Li-Feng Li
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Yun-Jie Liao
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
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16
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Liu K, Chen G, Ren SY, Zhu YQ, Yu TL, Tian P, Li C, Xi YB, Wang ZY, Ye JJ, Han GH, Yin H. Regional gray matter abnormality in hepatic myelopathy patients after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a voxel-based morphometry study. Neural Regen Res 2019; 14:850-857. [PMID: 30688271 PMCID: PMC6375042 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.249233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic myelopathy is a complication seen in patients with chronic liver failure with physiologic or iatrogenic portosystemic shunting. The main symptom is progressive lower limb dyskinesia. The role of the brain motor control center in hepatic myelopathy is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the gray matter changes in patients with hepatic myelopathy secondary to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and to examine their clinical relevance. This was a cross-sectional study. Twenty-three liver failure patients with hepatic myelopathy (hepatic myelopathy group), 23 liver failure patients without hepatic myelopathy (non-hepatic myelopathy group) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and 23 demographically matched healthy volunteers were enrolled from March 2014 to November 2016 at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), China. High-resolution magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo brain imaging was acquired. Group differences in regional gray matter were assessed using voxel-based morphometry analysis. The relationship between aberrant gray matter and motor characteristics was investigated. Results demonstrated that compared with the non-hepatic myelopathy group, gray matter volume abnormalities were asymmetric, with decreased volume in the left insula (P = 0.003), left thalamus (P = 0.029), left superior frontal gyrus (P = 0.006), and right middle cingulate cortex (P = 0.021), and increased volume in the right caudate nucleus (P = 0.017), corrected with open-source software. The volume of the right caudate nucleus in the hepatic myelopathy group negatively correlated with the lower limb clinical rating of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (r = -0.53, P = 0.01). Compared with healthy controls, patients with and without hepatic myelopathy exhibited overall increased gray matter volume in both thalami, and decreased gray matter volume in both putamen, as well as in the globus pallidus, cerebellum, and vermis. The gray matter abnormalities we found predominantly involved motor-related regions, and may be associated with motor dysfunction. An enlarged right caudate nucleus might help to predict weak lower limb motor performance in patients with preclinical hepatic myelopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), China (approval No. 20140227-6) on February 27, 2014.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Radiology, Lanzhou General Hospital, Lanzhou Military Command, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Shu-Yao Ren
- Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yuan-Qiang Zhu
- Life Sciences Research Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Tian-Lei Yu
- Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Ping Tian
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yi-Bin Xi
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Zheng-Yu Wang
- Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jian-Jun Ye
- Department of Radiology, Lanzhou General Hospital, Lanzhou Military Command, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Guo-Hong Han
- Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Hong Yin
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
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17
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Ahluwalia V, Wade JB, White MB, Gilles HS, Heuman DM, Fuchs M, Gavis EA, Fagan A, Thacker LR, Sterling RK, Stravitz RT, Puri P, Sanyal AJ, Siddiqui MS, Matherly S, Luketic V, Steinberg J, Moeller FG, Bajaj JS. Brain Integrity Changes Underlying Cognitive and Functional Recovery Postliver Transplant Continue to Evolve Over 1 Year. Transplantation 2018; 102:461-470. [PMID: 29087971 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000001991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence of brain recovery on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) early postliver transplant (LT), but the longer-term impact is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the change in brain MRI parameters, cognition, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between 6 and 12 months post-LT. METHODS Listed cirrhotics underwent cognitive, HRQOL and brain MRI pre-LT, 6 months (post-LT1), and 1-year (post-LT2) post-LT. Assessment of MRI changes between visits was performed for ammonia-associated metabolite changes using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, white matter changes using tract-based spatial statistics analysis on diffusion tensor imaging data and grey matter changes using voxel-based morphometry analysis on 3D high resolution T1-weighted images. RESULTS Forty-five patients were included, of which 23 were tested at all visits. Cognitive and HRQOL scores improved between all visits compared with pre-LT values. This trend continued on magnetic resonance spectroscopy with reduced glutamine + glutamate and higher myoinositol, choline between pre-LT/post-LT1 but lower degrees of improvement between post-LT1/post-LT2. On diffusion tensor imaging, mean diffusivity, linear diffusivity and mode of anisotropy continued to increase in the posterior internal capsule at both post-LT visits. On voxel-based morphometry, a continued increase was seen in basal ganglia grey matter between both post-LT visits was seen. CONCLUSIONS HRQOL and cognition continue to improve compared with pre-LT values up to 1 year post-LT, although the rate of improvement slows down after 6 months. Grey matter increase is steady over time at 1 year although changes in ammonia-related metabolites and white matter integrity improve at a slower pace at 1 year post-LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishwadeep Ahluwalia
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - James B Wade
- Division of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Melanie B White
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - HoChong S Gilles
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Douglas M Heuman
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Michael Fuchs
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Edith A Gavis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Andrew Fagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Leroy R Thacker
- Division of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Richard K Sterling
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Richard Todd Stravitz
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Puneet Puri
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Arun J Sanyal
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Muhammad S Siddiqui
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Scott Matherly
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Velimir Luketic
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Joel Steinberg
- Division of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Frederick Gerard Moeller
- Division of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
| | - Jasmohan S Bajaj
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
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18
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Lu CQ, Jiao Y, Meng XP, Cai Y, Luan Y, Xu XM, Ju S. Structural change of thalamus in cirrhotic patients with or without minimal hepatic encephalopathy and the relationship between thalamus volume and clinical indexes related to cirrhosis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 20:800-807. [PMID: 30268989 PMCID: PMC6169337 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant brain structural change in cirrhotic patients with or without hepatic encephalopathy is one of the most typical cases in voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies. However, there exist inconsistent results regarding to the volume change of the thalamus. Furthermore, the relationship between thalamus structural change and cirrhotic symptoms has not yet been fully elucidated. To address these two issues, we repeated two VBM analyses in SPM and FreeSurfer and compared the two measurements with manually measured thalamic volumes. We also correlated the VBM results with clinical indexes related to cirrhosis to further investigate the relationship between thalamic structural change and liver cirrhosis. The inconsistent result of thalamic structural change was successfully reproduced in regard to the volume measurements of SPM and FreeSurfer. The manually measured results demonstrate an increase in the volume of the thalamus in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls, which differs from the results of FreeSurfer. The structural change of thalamus closely correlated with the blood biochemical indexes, including albumin levels, blood coagulation time, and AST/ALT ratio. All of these biochemical indexes are closely related to the severity of liver cirrhosis. Beyond all the results, this study also provides a good demonstration of the difference between multiple VBM measurements for clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Qiang Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yun Jiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiang-Pan Meng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yu Cai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ying Luan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiao-Min Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Shenghong Ju
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Zhang XD, Zhang LJ. Multimodal MR imaging in hepatic encephalopathy: state of the art. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:661-671. [PMID: 29374342 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-018-0191-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neurological or neuropsychological complication due to liver failure or portosystemic shunting. The clinical manifestation is highly variable, which can exhibit mild cognitive or motor impairment initially, or gradually progress to a coma, even death, without treatment. Neuroimaging plays a critical role in uncovering the neural mechanism of HE. In particular, multimodality MR imaging is able to assess both structural and functional derangements of the brain with HE in focal or neural network perspectives. In recent years, there has been rapid development in novel MR technologies and applications to investigate the pathophysiological mechanism of HE. Therefore, it is necessary to update the latest MR findings regarding HE by use of multimodality MRI to refine and deepen our understanding of the neural traits in HE. Herein, this review highlights the latest MR imaging findings in HE to refresh our understanding of MRI application in HE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Dong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Clinical School of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300192, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Jiang Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 305 Zhongshan East Road, Nanjing, 210002, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Cheng Y, Zhang G, Shen W, Huang LX, Zhang L, Xie SS, Zhang XD, Liu B. Impact of previous episodes of hepatic encephalopathy on short-term brain function recovery after liver transplantation: a functional connectivity strength study. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:237-249. [PMID: 29170933 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-0155-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychological studies have documented an incomplete reversal of pre-existing cognitive dysfunction in cirrhotic patients after liver transplantation (LT) and have found this is more severe in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of prior HE episodes on post-transplantation brain function recovery. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data was collected from 30 healthy controls and 33 cirrhotic patients (HE, n = 15 and noHE, n = 18) before and one month after LT. Long- and short-range functional connectivity strength (FCS) analysis indicated that before transplantation both noHE and HE groups showed diffuse FCS abnormalities relative to healthy controls. For the noHE group, the abnormal FCS found before LT largely returned to normal levels after LT, except for in the cerebellum, precuneus, and orbital middle frontal gyrus. However, the abnormal FCS prior to LT was largely preserved in the HE group, including high-level cognition-related (frontal and parietal lobes) and vision-related areas (occipital lobe, cuneus, and precuneus). In addition, comparisons between HE and noHE groups revealed that weaker FCS in default mode network (DMN) in HE group persisted from pre- to post- LT. Correlation analysis showed that changes in FCS in the left postcentral and right middle frontal gyrus correlated with alterations in neuropsychological performance and ammonia levels. In conclusion, the findings in this study demonstrate potential adverse effects of pre-LT episode of HE on post-LT brain function recovery, and reveal that DMN may be the most affected brain region by HE episodes, which can't be reversed by LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Gaoyan Zhang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cognitive Computing and Application, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road No. 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wen Shen
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Li-Xiang Huang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Xie
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Baolin Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cognitive Computing and Application, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road No. 135, Jinnan District, Tianjin, 300350, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Technology and Systems, National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of China
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Brain Microstructural Abnormalities in Patients With Cirrhosis Without Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Voxel-Based Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Study. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2017; 209:1128-1135. [PMID: 28813200 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.17.17827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate whole-brain microstructural abnormalities and their correlation with cognitive impairment in patients with cirrhosis using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS Eighteen patients with cirrhosis and 17 healthy control subjects underwent DKI. Cognition was measured using psychometric hepatic encephalopathy (HE) scores. Whole-brain voxel-based analyses were performed to investigate between-group differences in DKI-derived parameters, including mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, and radial kurtosis. RESULTS Compared with control subjects, the patients with cirrhosis had lower psychometric HE scores, indicating cognitive impairments. The patients with cirrhosis had significantly lower global mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, and radial kurtosis in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM). Voxel-based analyses showed that patients with cirrhosis had decreased mean kurtosis, axial kurtosis, and radial kurtosis in diffuse GM regions (particularly in the cingulate cortex, precuneus, insular cortex, frontal areas, basal ganglia, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus and angular gyrus, postcentral and precentral gyrus, and cerebellum) and WM regions (particularly in the corpus callosum, internal capsule, frontal regions, parietal regions, occipital regions, and cerebellum). The DKI metrics were positively correlated with psychometric HE score among patients. CONCLUSION Lower DKI parameters suggest decreased brain microstructural complexity in patients with cirrhosis, which may contribute to the neurobiologic basis of cognitive impairment.
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Diabetes Mellitus is Associated with More Severe Brain Spontaneous Activity Impairment and Gray Matter Loss in Patients with Cirrhosis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7775. [PMID: 28798299 PMCID: PMC5552886 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies showed many cirrhosis patients may have diabetes mellitus (DM), however, the effect of DM on brain in cirrhotic patients is unclear. This study included 34 cirrhosis patients (17 with DM, 17 without DM) and 17 age-, sex-matched healthy controls. MRI examination and neuropsychological tests were performed. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and voxel-based morphometry algorithms were used to obtain fALFF values and gray matter volume, which were compared and correlated with clinical variables. In cirrhosis patients with and without DM, fALFF values were decreased in the left postcentral gyrus, right precentral gyrus, left supramarginal gyrus, bilateral lingual gyri and occipital lobe, while increased in the left orbital frontal gyrus. Gray matter volume was decreased in bilateral caudates and putamen, while increased in bilateral thalami. Compared with non-DM cirrhosis patients, DM cirrhosis patients showed decreased fALFF values in bilateral caudates and decreased gray matter volume in bilateral thalami. The blood glucose levels of cirrhosis patients showed negative correlations with fALFF values in bilateral caudates and gray matter volume in bilateral thalami. In conclusion, DM aggravates brain damage in cirrhosis patients. Thus, it is important to pay more attention to the management of DM in cirrhotic patients.
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Kharabian Masouleh S, Herzig S, Klose L, Roggenhofer E, Tenckhoff H, Kaiser T, Thöne-Otto A, Wiese M, Berg T, Schroeter ML, Margulies DS, Villringer A. Functional connectivity alterations in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: A multimodal MRI study. J Viral Hepat 2017; 24:216-225. [PMID: 27813284 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with fatigue and depression. Cognitive impairments are also reported in a smaller number of HCV-positive patients. Recent studies linked HCV to low-grade inflammation in brain. Here, we test the hypothesis that chronic HCV is associated with 3T-neuroimaging-derived grey matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity alterations in a sample of chronic HCV (1b), without severe liver disease. Regional GMV and resting-state fMRI-derived eigenvector centrality (EC) were compared between 19 HCV-positive patients and 23 healthy controls (all females, 50-69 and 52-64 years, respectively), controlling for white matter hyperintensities and age. Standard tests were used to assess fatigue, depression and cognitive performance. Also, liver fibrosis stage and viral load were quantified among patients. In comparison with controls, HCV-positive patients had higher scores in fatigue and depression, and worse alertness scores. The groups performed similarly in other cognitive domains. We report higher EC in a cluster in the right anterior superior parietal lobule in patients, while no differences are found in GMV. Post hoc functional connectivity analysis showed increased connectivity of this cluster with primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, and temporal and occipital lobes in patients. Higher mean EC in the superior parietal cluster, adjusted for mean framewise displacement, was associated with better memory and attention performance, but not with fatigue, depression, viral load or level of liver fibrosis, among patients. These results suggest a compensatory mechanism in chronic hepatitis C and explain equivocal results in the literature about cognitive deficits in infected persons. Further studies should define the relation of these connectivity changes to the brain's inflammatory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kharabian Masouleh
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - S Herzig
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - L Klose
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - E Roggenhofer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,LREN, Department for Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - H Tenckhoff
- Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany
| | - T Kaiser
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A Thöne-Otto
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M Wiese
- Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany
| | - T Berg
- Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M L Schroeter
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - D S Margulies
- Max Planck Research Group for Neuroanatomy and Connectivity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Shin HW, Park HK. Recent Updates on Acquired Hepatocerebral Degeneration. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2017; 7:463. [PMID: 28975044 PMCID: PMC5623760 DOI: 10.7916/d8tb1k44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) refers to a chronic neurological syndrome in patients with advanced hepatobiliary diseases. This comprehensive review focuses on the pathomechanism and neuroimaging findings in AHD. METHODS A PubMed search was performed using the terms "acquired hepatocerebral degeneration," "chronic hepatocerebral degeneration," "Non-Wilsonian hepatocerebral degeneration," "cirrhosis-related parkinsonism," and "manganese and liver disease." RESULTS Multiple mechanisms involving the accumulation of toxic substances such as ammonia or manganese and neuroinflammation may lead to widespread neurodegeneration in AHD. Clinical characteristics include movement disorders, mainly parkinsonism and ataxia-plus syndrome, as well as cognitive impairment with psychiatric features. Neuroimaging studies of AHD with parkinsonism show hyperintensity in the bilateral globus pallidus on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, whereas molecular imaging of the presynaptic dopaminergic system shows variable findings. Ataxia-plus syndrome in AHD may demonstrate high-signal lesions in the middle cerebellar peduncles on T2-weighted images. DISCUSSION Future studies are needed to elucidate the exact pathomechanism and neuroimaging findings of this heterogeneous syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Won Shin
- Department of Neurology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hee Kyung Park
- Department of Neurology, Inje University Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea
- Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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25
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Gao X, Fan L, Li H, Li J, Liu X, Sun R, Yu Z. Hepatic injury is associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with alteration of cyclin A and D1 in ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemic rats. Exp Ther Med 2015; 11:427-434. [PMID: 26893626 PMCID: PMC4733954 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2015.2931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperammonemia is considered to be central to the pathophysiology of hepatic encephalopathy in patients exhibiting hepatic failure (HF). It has previously been determined that hyperammonemia is a serious metabolic disorder commonly observed in patients with HF. However, it is unclear whether hyperammonemia has a direct adverse effect on hepatic cells or serves as a cause and effect of HF. The present study investigated whether hepatic injury is caused by hyperammonemia, and aimed to provide an insight into the causes and mechanisms of HF. Hyperammonemic rats were established via intragastric administration of ammonium chloride solution. Hepatic tissues were assessed using biochemistry, histology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry (FCM), semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Hyperammonemic rats exhibited significantly increased levels of liver function markers, including alanine transaminase (P<0.01), aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.01), blood ammonia (P<0.01) and direct bilirubin (P<0.05), which indicated hepatic injury. A pathological assessment revealed mild hydropic degeneration, but no necrosis or inflammatory cell infiltration. However, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assays confirmed a significant increase in the rate of cellular apoptosis in hyperammonemic rat livers (P<0.01). FCM analysis revealed that there were significantly more cells in the S phase and fewer in the G2/M phase (P<0.01), and the expression levels of cyclin A and D1 mRNA and proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01). In summary, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and an alteration of cyclin A and D1 levels were all markers of hyperammonemia-induced hepatic injury. These findings provide an insight into the potential mechanisms underlying hyperammonemia-induced hepatic injury, and may be used as potential targets for treating or preventing hepatic damage caused by hyperammonemia, including hepatic encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Gao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Lei Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou City, Zhengzhou, Henan 450053, P.R. China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Xiaorui Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Ranran Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Zujiang Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
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26
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Role of local and distant functional connectivity density in the development of minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13720. [PMID: 26329994 PMCID: PMC4556960 DOI: 10.1038/srep13720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The progression of functional connectivity (FC) patterns from non-hepatic encephalopathy (non-HE) to minimal HE (MHE) is not well known. This resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study investigated the evolution of intrinsic FC patterns from non-HE to MHE. A total of 103 cirrhotic patients (MHE, n = 34 and non-HE, n = 69) and 103 healthy controls underwent rs-fMRI scanning. Maps of distant and local FC density (dFCD and lFCD, respectively) were compared among MHE, non-HE, and healthy control groups. Decreased lFCD in anterior cingulate cortex, pre- and postcentral gyri, cuneus, lingual gyrus, and putamen was observed in both MHE and non-HE patients relative to controls. There was no difference in lFCD between MHE and non-HE groups. The latter showed decreased dFCD in inferior parietal lobule, cuneus, and medial frontal cortex relative to controls; however, MHE patients showed decreased dFCD in frontal and parietal cortices as well as increased dFCD in thalamus and caudate head relative to control and non-HE groups. Abnormal FCD values in some regions correlated with MHE patients’ neuropsychological performance. In conclusion, lFCD and dFCD were perturbed in MHE. Impaired dFCD in regions within the cortico-striato-thalamic circuit may be more closely associated with the development of MHE.
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27
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Chai C, Zhang M, Long M, Chu Z, Wang T, Wang L, Guo Y, Yan S, Haacke EM, Shen W, Xia S. Increased brain iron deposition is a risk factor for brain atrophy in patients with haemodialysis: a combined study of quantitative susceptibility mapping and whole brain volume analysis. Metab Brain Dis 2015; 30:1009-16. [PMID: 25796223 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-015-9664-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To explore the correlation between increased brain iron deposition and brain atrophy in patients with haemodialysis and their correlation with clinical biomarkers and neuropsychological test. Forty two patients with haemodialysis and forty one age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited in this prospective study. 3D whole brain high resolution T1WI and susceptibility weighted imaging were scanned on a 3 T MRI system. The brain volume was analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in patients and to compare with that of healthy controls. Quantitative susceptibility mapping was used to measure and compare the susceptibility of different structures between patients and healthy controls. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the brain volume, iron deposition and neuropsychological scores. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to explore the effect of clinical biomarkers on the brain volumes in patients. Compared with healthy controls, patients with haemodialysis showed decreased volume of bilateral putamen and left insular lobe (All P < 0.05). Susceptibilities of bilateral caudate head, putamen, substantia nigra, red nucleus and dentate nucleus were significantly higher (All P < 0.05). The increased brain iron deposition is negatively correlated with the decreased volume of bilateral putamen (P < 0.01). Neuropsychological scores positively correlated with decreased volume of left insular lobe (P < 0.05). Dialysis duration was negatively associated with decreased volume of bilateral putamen (P < 0.05). Our study indicated increased brain iron deposition and dialysis duration was risk factors for brain atrophy in patients with haemodialysis. The decreased gray matter volume of the left insular lobe was correlated with neurocognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Chai
- Department of Medical Imaging, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
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28
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Wu X, Lv XF, Zhang YL, Wu HW, Cai PQ, Qiu YW, Zhang XL, Jiang GH. Cortical signature of patients with HBV-related cirrhosis without overt hepatic encephalopathy: a morphometric analysis. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:82. [PMID: 26106307 PMCID: PMC4458689 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) are associated with a varying degree of cognitive dysfunction. Several resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have been conducted to explore the neural correlates of such cognitive deficits, whereas little effort has been made to investigate the cortical integrity in cirrhotic patients without OHE. Here, using cortical thickness, surface area and local gyrification index (lGI), this study performed a comprehensive analysis on the cortical morphometry of patients with HBV-RC without OHE (HBV-RC-NOHE) vs. matched healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, we found significantly increased cortical thickness in the bilateral lingual and parahippocampal gyrus, right posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, peri-calcarine sulcus and fusiform gyrus in patient with HBV-RC-NOHE, which may closely relate to be the low-grade brain edema. Cortical gyrification analysis showed significantly increased lGI in the left superior and inferior parietal cortex as well as lateral occipital cortex, which was speculated to be associated with disruptions in white matter connectivity and sub-optimal intra-cortical organization. In addition, the mean cortical thickness/lGI of the regions with structural abnormalities was shown to be negatively correlated with psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) of the patients with HBV-RC-NOHE. These morphological changes may serve as potential markers for the preclinical diagnosis and progression of HBV-RC-NOHE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Wu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China ; Department of Medical Imaging, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Lv
- Department of Medical Imaging, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Ling Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China
| | - Hua-Wang Wu
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, China ; Department of Medical imaging, Guangzhou Brain Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Qiang Cai
- Department of Medical Imaging, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying-Wei Qiu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Lin Zhang
- Medical Imaging Centre, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medial University Guangzhou, China
| | - Gui-Hua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital Guangzhou, China
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29
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Rathi S, Dhiman RK. Hepatobiliary Quiz (Answers)-14 (2015). J Clin Exp Hepatol 2015; 5:175-8. [PMID: 26155047 PMCID: PMC4491639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Radha K. Dhiman
- Department of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
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30
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Chavarria L, Cordoba J. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in hepatic encephalopathy. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2015; 5:S69-74. [PMID: 26041961 PMCID: PMC4442861 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2013.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain alteration associated to liver failure that produces cognitive impairments at long term. Neuroimaging are non-invasive methods for the study of the brain by means of spectroscopy and imaging techniques. These technologies give huge information about cerebral metabolism and water distribution to explore brain pathways involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. Furthermore, new magnetic resonance implementations such as voxel-based morphometry or resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging allow studying brain atrophy and neuronal connectivity of the cerebral network involved in the neurocognitive impairments observed in the patients. The development of magnetic resonance technology will generate handy tools for the brain study of liver failure to elucidate the time-course of the pathology and thus to obtain an early diagnosis of cerebral complications.
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Key Words
- ADC, apparent diffusion coefficient
- CFF, critical flicker frequency
- HE, hepatic encephalopathy
- MR, magnetic resonance
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- MRS, magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- MT, magnetization transfer
- MTR, magnetization transfer ratio
- NAA, N-acetyl aspartate
- PHES, psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score
- VBM, voxel-based morphometry
- fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging
- hepatic encephalopathy
- imaging
- magnetic resonance
- spectroscopy
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Chavarria
- Liver Unit, Hospital Vall Hebron, Barcelona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain,Departament Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Juan Cordoba
- Liver Unit, Hospital Vall Hebron, Barcelona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain,Departament Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain,Address for correspondence: Juan Córdoba, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119-129, Barcelona 08035, Spain. Tel.: +34 932476140; fax: +34 932476068.
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31
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Chavarria L, Cordoba J. Magnetic resonance of the brain in chronic and acute liver failure. Metab Brain Dis 2014; 29:937-44. [PMID: 24254992 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-013-9452-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Brain alterations such as hepatic encephalopathy or brain edema are usually associated with liver failure. The mechanisms that lead to the generation of edema seem to be different depending on the course of liver failure (acute, chronic or acute-on-chronic liver failure). Several neuroimaging methods allow a non-invasive assessment of brain alterations in liver failure. Magnetic resonance has gained more interest due to the ability of giving information about cerebral metabolism using spectroscopy, water distribution by diffusion methods or neuronal connectivity by means of resting state magnetic resonance. These techniques have been applied to experimental models and patients with liver failure to elucidate cerebral pathways involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. In the future, the development of new magnetic resonance implementations will generate handy tools for the study of the brain and get better understanding of the mechanisms that take place in liver failure. This could be useful for the early diagnosis, as well as for the design of new treatments for cerebral complications of liver failure.
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32
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Zhang XD, Zhang LJ, Wu SY, Lu GM. Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging in hepatic encephalopathy: An update. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:11262-11272. [PMID: 25170210 PMCID: PMC4145764 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i32.11262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric complication of cirrhosis or acute liver failure. Currently, HE is regarded as a continuous cognitive impairment ranging from the mildest stage, minimal HE to overt HE. Hyperammonaemia and neuroinflammation are two main underlying factors which contribute to the neurological alterations in HE. Both structural and functional impairments are found in the white mater and grey mater involved in HE. Although the investigations into HE pathophysiological mechanism are enormous, the exact pathophysiological causes underlying HE remain controversial. Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in helping to understand the pathological process of HE. This paper reviews the up-to-date multimodality MRI methods and predominant findings in HE patients with a highlight of the increasingly important role of blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI.
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33
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Qiu Y, Lv X, Su H, Jiang G, Li C, Tian J. Structural and functional brain alterations in end stage renal disease patients on routine hemodialysis: a voxel-based morphometry and resting state functional connectivity study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98346. [PMID: 24854737 PMCID: PMC4031192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cognitive impairment is a well-described phenomenon in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. However, its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The primary focus of this study was to examine structural and functional brain deficits in ESRD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty ESRD patients on hemodialysis (without clinical neurological disease) and 30 age- and gender-matched control individuals (without renal or neurological problems) were recruited in a prospective, single-center study. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting state functional MRI were performed on both groups to detect the subtle cerebral deficits in ESRD patients. Voxel-based morphometry was used to characterize gray matter deficits in ESRD patients. The impact of abnormal morphometry on the cerebral functional integrity was investigated by evaluating the alterations in resting state functional connectivity when brain regions with gray matter volume reduction were used as seed areas. RESULTS A significant decrease in gray matter volume was observed in ESRD patients in the bilateral medial orbito-prefrontal cortices, bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortices, and the left middle temporal cortex. When brain regions with gray matter volume reduction were used as seed areas, the integration was found to be significantly decreased in ESRD patients in the fronto-cerebellum circuits and within prefrontal circuits. In addition, significantly enhanced functional connectivity was found between the prefrontal cortex and the left temporal cortex and within the prefrontal circuits. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed that both the structural and functional cerebral cortices were impaired in ESRD patients on routine hemodialysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingwei Qiu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, PR China
- * E-mail:
| | - Xiaofei Lv
- Departments of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Huanhuan Su
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of Renal Transplantation, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Junzhang Tian
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China
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34
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Chen HJ, Wang Y, Zhu XQ, Li PC, Teng GJ. Classification of cirrhotic patients with or without minimal hepatic encephalopathy and healthy subjects using resting-state attention-related network analysis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89684. [PMID: 24647353 PMCID: PMC3960105 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Attention deficit is an early and key characteristic of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and has been used as indicator for MHE detection. The aim of this study is to classify the cirrhotic patients with or without MHE (NMHE) and healthy controls (HC) using the resting-state attention-related brain network analysis. Methods and Findings Resting-state fMRI was administrated to 20 MHE patients, 21 NMHE patients, and 17 HCs. Three attention-related networks, including dorsal attention network (DAN), ventral attention network (VAN), and default mode network (DMN), were obtained by independent component analysis. One-way analysis of covariance was performed to determine the regions of interest (ROIs) showing significant functional connectivity (FC) change. With FC strength of ROIs as indicators, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was conducted to differentiate MHE from HC or NMHE. Across three groups, significant FC differences were found within DAN (left superior/inferior parietal lobule and right inferior parietal lobule), VAN (right superior parietal lobule), and DMN (bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus and precuneus, and left inferior parietal lobule). With FC strength of ROIs from three networks as indicators, LDA yielded 94.6% classification accuracy between MHE and HC (100% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity) and 85.4% classification accuracy between MHE and NMHE (90.0% sensitivity and 81.0% specificity). Conclusions Our results suggest that the resting-state attention-related brain network analysis can be useful in classification of subjects with MHE, NMHE, and HC and may provide a new insight into MHE detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Jun Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi-Qi Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pei-Cheng Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gao-Jun Teng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail:
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Zhang LJ, Wen J, Ni L, Zhong J, Liang X, Zheng G, Lu GM. Predominant gray matter volume loss in patients with end-stage renal disease: a voxel-based morphometry study. Metab Brain Dis 2013; 28:647-54. [PMID: 24065440 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-013-9438-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the pattern of brain volume changes in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and correlation with clinical and neuropsychological (NP) tests. Fifty seven ESRD patients with no anatomical abnormalities in conventional magnetic resonance imaging [24 patients with abnormal NP scores, 16 male, 39 ± 12 years; 33 patients with normal NP scores, 23 male, 35 ± 9.7 years] and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (14 male, 36 ± 10.1 years) were recruited in this study. Results from VBM analysis were analyzed with ANOVA test among 3 groups (controls, minimal nephro-encephalopathy group, non-nephro-encephalopathy group). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of serum urea and creatinine, and dialysis duration on the brain volumes in ESRD patients. Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the association between NP scores with the brain volumes in ESRD patients. Compared with healthy controls, ESRD patients showed diffusely decreased gray matter volume that further decreased in the presence of encephalopathy. Multiple linear regression results showed that serum urea was negatively associated with changes in gray matter volume in many regions, while dialysis duration was negatively associated with some white matter volume changes (All P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction). NP scores correlated with some decreased gray matter volume in ESRD patients (All P < 0.05, AlphaSim correction). No correlation was found between white matter volume and any NP test scores in ESRD patients. This study found predominantly decreased gray matter volume in ESRD patients, which was associated with neurocognitive dysfunction. Serum urea level may be a risk factor for decreased gray matter in ESRD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Jiang Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210002, China,
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Ishihara T, Ito M, Niimi Y, Tsujimoto M, Senda J, Kawai Y, Watanabe H, Ishigami M, Ito T, Kamei H, Onishi Y, Nakamura T, Goto H, Naganawa S, Kiuchi T, Sobue G. Clinical and radiological impact of liver transplantation for brain in cirrhosis patients without hepatic encephalopathy. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2013; 115:2341-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2013.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2012] [Revised: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Liang X, Wen J, Ni L, Zhong J, Qi R, Zhang LJ, Lu GM. Altered pattern of spontaneous brain activity in the patients with end-stage renal disease: a resting-state functional MRI study with regional homogeneity analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71507. [PMID: 23990958 PMCID: PMC3750036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the pattern of spontaneous neural activity in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) with and without neurocognitive dysfunction using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) with a regional homogeneity (ReHo) algorithm. MATERIALS AND METHODS rs-fMRI data were acquired in 36 ESRD patients (minimal nephro-encephalopathy [MNE], n = 19, 13 male, 37±12.07 years; non-nephro-encephalopathy [non-NE], n = 17, 11 male, 38±12.13 years) and 20 healthy controls (13 male, 7 female, 36±10.27 years). Neuropsychological (number connection test type A [NCT-A], digit symbol test [DST]) and laboratory tests were performed in all patients. The Kendall's coefficient of concordance (KCC) was used to measure the regional homogeneity for each subject. The regional homogeneity maps were compared using ANOVA tests among MNE, non-NE, and healthy control groups and post hoc t -tests between each pair in a voxel-wise way. A multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between ReHo index and NCT-A, DST scores, serum creatinine and urea levels, disease and dialysis duration. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, both MNE and non-NE patients showed decreased ReHo in the multiple areas of bilateral frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. Compared with the non-NE, MNE patients showed decreased ReHo in the right inferior parietal lobe (IPL), medial frontal cortex (MFC) and left precuneus (PCu). The NCT-A scores and serum urea levels of ESRD patients negatively correlated with ReHo values in the frontal and parietal lobes, while DST scores positively correlated with ReHo values in the bilateral PCC/precuneus, MFC and inferior parietal lobe (IPL) (all P<0.05, AlphaSim corrected). No significant correlations were found between any regional ReHo values and disease duration, dialysis duration and serum creatinine values in ESRD patients (all P>0.05, AlphaSim corrected). CONCLUSION Diffused decreased ReHo values were found in both MNE and non-NE patients. The progressively decreased ReHo in the default mode network (DMN), frontal and parietal lobes might be trait-related in MNE. The ReHo analysis may be potentially valuable for elucidating neurocognitive abnormalities of ESRD patients and detecting the development from non-NE to MNE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Liang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jiqiu Wen
- Department of Nephrology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Ni
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhui Zhong
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Rongfeng Qi
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Long Jiang Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (LJZ); (GML)
| | - Guang Ming Lu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (LJZ); (GML)
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The thalamus in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy: a volumetric MRI study. Eur J Radiol 2013; 82:e715-20. [PMID: 23981388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2013.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The thalamus is a major relay and filter station in the central neural system. Some previous studies have suggested that the thalamus maybe implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The aim of our study was to investigate changing thalamic volumes in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy. METHODS Neuropsychological tests and structural MR scanning were performed on 24 cirrhotic patients, 23 cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, 24 cirrhotic patients during their first episode of overt hepatic encephalopathy, and 33 healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to detect gray matter morphological changes. The thalamus and whole brain volume were extrapolated. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of thalamic volumes was used to discriminate patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy from those with hepatic cirrhosis. RESULTS Thalamic volume increased in a stepwise manner in patients with progressively worse stages of hepatic encephalopathy compared to healthy subjects. Additionally, a comparison of gray matter morphometry between patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, or C and controls revealed a progression in thalamic volumes in parallel with the degree of liver failure. Moreover, thalamic volume was significantly correlated with the number connection test A time and digit-symbol test score in cirrhotic patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (r=0.659, P=0.001; r=-0.577, P=0.004; respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.827 (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS A significantly increased thalamic volume may be provide an objective imaging measure for predicting seizures due to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.
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Gao W, Jiao Q, Qi R, Zhong Y, Lu D, Xiao Q, Lu S, Xu C, Zhang Y, Liu X, Yang F, Lu G, Su L. Combined analyses of gray matter voxel-based morphometry and white matter tract-based spatial statistics in pediatric bipolar mania. J Affect Disord 2013; 150:70-6. [PMID: 23477846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2013.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ample evidence has suggested the presence of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) abnormalities in bipolar disorder (BD) patients, including pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). However, little research has been done in PBD patients that carefully classify the mood states. The aim of the present study is to investigate the brain structural changes in PBD-mania children and adolescents. METHODS Eighteen children and adolescents with bipolar mania (male/female, 6/12) aged 10-18 years old and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the present study. The 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained on a Siemens 3.0 T scanner. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis were conducted to compare the gray matter volume and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) value between patients and controls. Correlations of the MRI data of each survived area with clinical characteristics in PBD patients were further analyzed. RESULTS As compared with the control group, PBD-mania children showed decreased gray matter volume in the left hippocampus. Meanwhile, significant lower FA value was detected in the right anterior cingulate (AC) in the patient group. No region of increased gray matter volume or FA value was observed in PBD-mania. The hippocampal volume was negatively associated with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score when controlling for clinical characteristics in PBD-mania patients, however, there was no significant correlation of FA value of the survived area with illness duration, the onset age, number of episodes, or the YMRS score in PBD-mania patients. LIMITATION The present outcomes require replication in larger samples and verification in medication free subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlighted that extensive brain structural lesions (including GM and WM) were existed in PBD-mania. The widespread occurrence of structural abnormalities mainly located in the anterior limbic network (ALN) which suggested that this network might contribute to emotional and cognitive dysregulations in PBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Gao
- Mental Health Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Lu S, Gao W, Wei Z, Wu W, Liao M, Ding Y, Zhang Z, Li L. Reduced cingulate gyrus volume associated with enhanced cortisol awakening response in young healthy adults reporting childhood trauma. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69350. [PMID: 23894454 PMCID: PMC3722240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Preclinical studies have demonstrated the relationship between stress-induced increased cortisol levels and atrophy of specific brain regions, however, this association has been less revealed in clinical samples. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes and associations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and gray matter volumes in young healthy adults with self-reported childhood trauma exposures. Methods Twenty four healthy adults with childhood trauma and 24 age- and gender-matched individuals without childhood trauma were recruited. Each participant collected salivary samples in the morning at four time points: immediately upon awakening, 30, 45, and 60 min after awakening for the assessment of cortisol awakening response (CAR). The 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained on a Philips 3.0 Tesla scanner. Voxel-based morphometry analyses were conducted to compare the gray matter volume between two groups. Correlations of gray matter volume changes with severity of childhood trauma and CAR data were further analyzed. Results Adults with self-reported childhood trauma showed an enhanced CAR and decreased gray matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus. Moreover, a significant association was observed between salivary cortisol secretions after awaking and the right middle cingulate gyrus volume reduction in subjects with childhood trauma. Conclusions The present research outcomes suggest that childhood trauma is associated with hyperactivity of the HPA axis and decreased gray matter volume in the right middle cingulate gyrus, which may represent the vulnerability for developing psychosis after childhood trauma experiences. In addition, this study demonstrates that gray matter loss in the cingulate gyrus is related to increased cortisol levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojia Lu
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Weijia Gao
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoguo Wei
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mei Liao
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuqiang Ding
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- The Department of Neuropsychiatry and Institute of Neuropsychiatric Research Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital of Southeast University, Nanking, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingjiang Li
- Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- * E-mail:
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