Multicontrast multiecho FLASH MRI for targeting the subthalamic nucleus

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is one of the most common stimulation targets for treating Parkinson's disease using deep brain stimulation (DBS). This procedure requires precise placement of the stimulating electrode. Common practice of DBS implantation utilizes microelectrode recording to locate the sites with the correct electrical response after an initial location estimate based on a universal human brain atlas that is linearly scaled to the patient's anatomy as seen on the preoperative images. However, this often results in prolonged surgical time and possible surgical complications since the small-sized STN is difficult to visualize on conventional magnetic resonance (MR) images and its intersubject variability is not sufficiently considered in the atlas customization. This paper proposes a multicontrast, multiecho MR imaging (MRI) method that directly delineates the STN and other basal ganglia structures through five co-registered image contrasts (T1-weighted navigation image, R2 map, susceptibility-weighted imaging (phase, magnitude and fusion image)) obtained within a clinically acceptable time. The image protocol was optimized through both simulation and in vivo experiments to obtain the best image quality. Taking advantage of the multiple echoes and high readout bandwidths, no interimage registration is required since all images are produced in one acquisition, and image distortion and chemical shift are reduced. This MRI protocol is expected to mitigate some of the shortcomings of the state-of-the-art DBS implantation methods.     

Modeling and simulation of an acoustic well stimulation method

This paper presents a mathematical model and a numerical procedure to simulate an acoustic well stimulation (AWS) method for enhancing the permeability of the rock formation surrounding oil and gas wells. The AWS method considered herein aims to exploit the well-known permeability-enhancing effect of mechanical vibrations in acoustically porous materials, by transmitting time-harmonic sound waves from a sound source device—placed inside the well—to the well perforations made into the formation. The efficiency of the AWS is assessed by quantifying the amount of acoustic energy transmitted from the source device to the rock formation in terms of the emission frequency and the well configuration. A simple methodology to find optimal emission frequencies for a given well configuration is presented. The proposed model is based on the Helmholtz equation, a sound-hard boundary condition at the casing, and an impedance boundary condition that effectively accounts for the porous solid–fluid interaction at the interface between the rock formation and the well perforations. Exact non-reflecting boundary conditions derived from Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps are utilized to truncate the circular cylindrical waveguides considered in the model. The resulting boundary value problem is then numerically solved by means of the finite element method. A variety of numerical examples are presented in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed procedure for finding optimal emission frequencies.     

基于激光多普勒频移的钢轨缺陷监测

针对现阶段我国铁路上应用的探伤设备只能在天窗时间进行人工巡检,无法在线监测的问题,提出一种基于超声导波的激光多普勒频移法钢轨内部缺陷监测方法。首先,引入环境温度作为变量改进了半解析有限元方法,并应用该方法获得了我国无缝线路CHN60钢轨在特定温度下的频散曲线。通过分析振型并结合激励响应算法确定了适于检测缺陷的模态及其激励方式,从而激励该超声导波模态使其在钢轨中传播。然后,应用半反半透玻璃镜将激光分为参考光和测量光,测量光通过Bragg Cell进行频偏照射钢轨表面,通过反射光产生的多普勒频移与参考光干涉得到光强度变化曲线,经过信号处理及标定测得钢轨内部缺陷的回波速度信号,再经过数字化处理和计算得到缺陷的位置。最后,在北京环形铁路试验基地进行了现场实验,以钢轨接地孔模拟钢轨内部核伤,得到缺陷定位误差均小于0. 5 m,验证了该方法的可行性。使用激光多普勒频移方法检测导波信号从而定位缺陷的方法可以有效避免由于换能器接触性测量而产生的误差。该方法在不影响列车的正常运营的同时,实现了全天候无间断的在线监测,提高了检测效率。     

动态突触、神经耦合与时间延迟对神经元发放的影响

神经元膜电位的受激发放在神经系统的信息传递中起着重要作用.基于一个受动态突触刺激的突触后神经元发放模型,采用数值模拟和傅里叶变换分析的方法研究了动态突触、神经耦合与时间延迟对突触后神经元发放的影响.结果发现:突触前神经元发放频率与Hodgkin-Huxley神经元的固有频率发生共振决定了突触后神经元发放的难易,特定频率范围内的电流刺激有利于神经元激发,动态突触输出的随机突触电流中这些电流刺激所占的比率在很大程度上影响了突触后神经元的发放次数;将突触后神经元换成神经网络后,网络中神经元之间的耦合可以促进神经元的发放,耦合中的时间延迟可以增强这种促进作用,但是不会改变神经耦合对神经元发放的促进模式.     

Analytical solutions of transient pulsed eddy current problem due to elliptical electromagnetic concentrative coils

The electromagnetic concentrative coils are indispensable in the functional magnetic stimulation and have potential applications in nondestructive testing.In this paper,we propose a figure-8-shaped coil being composed of two arbitrary oblique elliptical coils,which can change the electromagnetic concentrative region and the magnitude of eddy current density by changing the elliptical shape and/or spread angle between two elliptical coils.Pulsed current is usually the excitation source in the functional magnetic stimulation,so in this paper we derive the analytical solutions of transient pulsed eddy current field in the time domain due to the elliptical concentrative coil placed in an arbitrary position over a half-infinite plane conductor by making use of the scale-transformation,the Laplace transform and the Fourier transform are used in our derivation.Calculation results of field distributions produced by the figure-8-shaped elliptical coil show some behaviours as follows:1) the eddy currents are focused on the conductor under the geometric symmetric centre of figure-8-shaped coil;2) the greater the scale factor of ellipse is,the higher the eddy current density is and the wider the concentrative area of eddy current along y axis is;3) the maximum magnitude of eddy current density increases with the increase of spread angle.When spread angle is 180,there are two additional reverse concentrative areas on both sides of x axis.     

Effects of Bilateral Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation and Medication on Parkinsonian Speech Impairment

This study aimed to assess quantitatively the effect of bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation and medication on hypokinetic parkinsonian dysarthria. Twelve Italian patients (11 males and 1 female) with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (mean age 60.29+/-7.50 years) and bilateral STN implantation were studied. Neurological assessments and acoustic recordings were performed in four clinical conditions combining stimulation and medication to assess the degree of motor disabilities and speech impairment. Acoustic analysis was performed by means of the Multidimensional Voice Program and the Advanced Motor Speech Profile (Kay Elemetrics, Lincoln Park, NJ). None of the evaluated parameters deteriorated after STN deep brain stimulation. STN stimulation significantly improved motor performances and vocal tremor and provided a major stability to glottal vibration. Effect of stimulation on these parameters was superior to that of levodopa. No significant variations were observed in perceptual evaluation and in acoustic parameters related to prosody, articulation, and intensity after either stimulation or medication. The improvement of acoustic parameters related to glottal vibration and voice tremor was not accompanied by a substantial effect on speech intelligibility. STN stimulation was more effective on global motor limb dysfunctions than on dysarthria, but we did not report negative consequences on speech.     

Role of 5-HT1A Receptor in Vilazodone-Mediated Suppression of L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia and Increased Responsiveness to Cortical Input in Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons in an Animal Model of Parkinson’s Disease

L-DOPA therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is limited due to emerging L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. Research has identified abnormal dopamine release from serotonergic (5-HT) terminals contributing to this dyskinesia. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or 5-HT receptor (5-HTr) agonists can regulate 5-HT activity and attenuate dyskinesia, but they often also produce a loss of the antiparkinsonian efficacy of L-DOPA. We investigated vilazodone, a novel multimodal 5-HT agent with SSRI and 5-HTr_1A partial agonist properties, for its potential to reduce dyskinesia without interfering with the prokinetic effects of L-DOPA, and underlying mechanisms. We assessed vilazodone effects on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements, AIMs) and aberrant responsiveness to corticostriatal drive in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) measured with in vivo single-unit extracellular recordings, in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD. Vilazodone (10 mg/kg) suppressed all subtypes (axial, limb, orolingual) of AIMs induced by L-DOPA (5 mg/kg) and the increase in MSN responsiveness to cortical stimulation (shorter spike onset latency). Both the antidyskinetic effects and reversal in MSN excitability by vilazodone were inhibited by the 5-HTr_1A antagonist WAY-100635, demonstrating a critical role for 5-HTr_1A in these vilazodone actions. Our results indicate that vilazodone may serve as an adjunct therapeutic for reducing dyskinesia in patients with PD.     

脑功能激活光诱发机理小世界网络分析研究

研究光诱发和静息两种状态下的脑功能网络的信息传输枢纽、网络聚合能力和信息传输的最小路径的差异性。采用小世界网络理论对脑功能网络进行建模,通过对脑功能网络连接度、簇系数和最小路径进行分析,得出光诱发状态下的信息传输重要枢纽为岛叶、后扣带回功能区;丘脑、海马两处功能网络有较大聚合能力。光诱发过程从额上回经颞中回传输到枕中回。静息状态下的信息传输重要枢纽为楔叶、舌回;中央旁小叶、颞上回脑功能网络有较大聚合能力。静息状态下的左半区最佳信息传输路径为左额上回、左颞中回、右楔叶最后到左枕中回;右脑半区的为右额上回、右前扣带回、左枕下回最后到右枕中回。光诱发状态与静息状态的最佳传输路径有明显的区别。     

二阶级联声光双稳态超浑沌的周期驱动控制

本文提出了对二阶级联声光双稳态超浑沌进行外周期激励,从而实现了对其进行有效控制.     

经颅超声刺激人脑海马的数值仿真研究

颞叶癫痫、阿尔兹海默症等神经系统疾病与大脑海马的异常放电相关。近年兴起的经颅超声刺激治疗脑疾病具有无创、能深入脑组织和可调控海马神经元放电的特点。该文基于128阵元相控阵换能器、人头颅CT数据、水体建立超声经颅刺激海马数值仿真模型,数值仿真优选适应于海马刺激的换能器结构参数,并结合电容模型,探究超声声学参数对海马神经元放电的影响。结果表明曲率半径90 mm、开口半径56 mm、阵元半径2.0 mm、频率0.9 MHz的128阵元相控超声换能器可形成适应于刺激人脑海马大小的焦域;且在超声频率为0.9 MHz时对海马神经元放电有较好的抑制作用;在较小的占空比和较低的空间峰值时间平均声强条件下对神经元放电有较好的抑制作用。