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Epilepsia Nov 2023We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate postoperative seizure and memory outcomes of temporal lobe epilepsy with different hippocampal sclerosis... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate postoperative seizure and memory outcomes of temporal lobe epilepsy with different hippocampal sclerosis (HS) subtypes classified by International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Consensus Guidelines in 2013. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and MOOSE (Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines, we searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from January 1, 2013 to August 6, 2023. Observational studies reporting seizure and memory outcomes among different HS subtypes were included. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to grade the quality of evidence. Seizure freedom and improved outcome (Engel 1 or ILAE class 1-2) ≥1 year after surgery were defined as the primary and secondary seizure outcome. A random-effects meta-analysis by DerSimonian and Laird method was performed to obtain pooled risk ratio (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs). The memory impairment was narratively reviewed because of various evaluation tools. Fifteen cohort studies with 2485 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis of seizure outcome. Six cohorts with detailed information on postoperative memory outcome were included. The pooled RRs of seizure freedom, with moderate to substantial heterogeneity, were .98 (95% CI = .84-1.15) between HS type 2 and type 1, 1.11 (95% CI = .82-1.52) between type 3 and type 1, and .80 (95% CI = .62-1.03) between the no-HS and HS groups. No significant difference of improved outcome was found between different subtypes (p > .05). The quality of evidence was deemed to be low to very low according to GRADE. The long-term seizure outcome (≥5 years after surgery) and memory impairment remained controversial.
Topics: Humans; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Hippocampal Sclerosis; Hippocampus; Sclerosis; Seizures; Epilepsy; Memory Disorders
PubMed: 37611927
DOI: 10.1111/epi.17757 -
Neurosurgical Review Apr 2018The objective of this systematic literature review is to assess the role of retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the evaluation of patients with tumors of the... (Review)
Review
The objective of this systematic literature review is to assess the role of retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the evaluation of patients with tumors of the visual pathway. We performed a PubMed database search according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The search was restricted to articles published in English between 2000 and 2016, with at least 10 human adult participants enrolled. Twenty-seven articles met the eligibility criteria. All studies investigated tumors of the anterior visual pathway. Both time-domain and spectral-domain OCT technologies were used and the role of OCT as diagnostic and/or prognostic tool was studied. Retinal OCT provides structural information about ganglion cell axon integrity and is complementary to visual function examination. OCT is a prognostic factor for post-operative visual outcome.
Topics: Humans; Nerve Compression Syndromes; Occipital Lobe; Optic Chiasm; Optic Nerve Neoplasms; Postoperative Complications; Retina; Retinal Ganglion Cells; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Visual Cortex; Visual Pathways
PubMed: 27465394
DOI: 10.1007/s10143-016-0772-1 -
Cephalalgia : An International Journal... Feb 2023Migraine is a highly prevalent primary headache disorder. Despite a high burden of disease, key disease mechanisms are not entirely understood. Functional magnetic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Migraine is a highly prevalent primary headache disorder. Despite a high burden of disease, key disease mechanisms are not entirely understood. Functional magnetic resonance imaging is an imaging method using the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, which has been increasingly used in migraine research over recent years. This systematic review summarizes recent findings employing functional magnetic resonance imaging for the investigation of migraine.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic search and selection of functional magnetic resonance imaging applications in migraine from April 2014 to December 2021 (PubMed and references of identified articles according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines). Methodological details and main findings were extracted and synthesized.
RESULTS
Out of 224 articles identified, 114 were included after selection. Repeatedly emerging structures of interest included the insula, brainstem, limbic system, hypothalamus, thalamus, and functional networks. Assessment of functional brain changes in response to treatment is emerging, and machine learning has been used to investigate potential functional magnetic resonance imaging-based markers of migraine.
CONCLUSIONS
A wide variety of functional magnetic resonance imaging-based metrics were found altered across the brain for heterogeneous migraine cohorts, partially correlating with clinical parameters and supporting the concept to conceive migraine as a brain state. However, a majority of findings from previous studies have not been replicated, and studies varied considerably regarding image acquisition and analyses techniques. Thus, while functional magnetic resonance imaging appears to have the potential to advance our understanding of migraine pathophysiology, replication of findings in large representative datasets and precise, standardized reporting of clinical data would likely benefit the field and further increase the value of observations.
Topics: Humans; Migraine Disorders; Brain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain Mapping; Hypothalamus
PubMed: 36751858
DOI: 10.1177/03331024221128278 -
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology Jul 2022Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its effector hormone cortisol have been proposed as one possible mechanism linking child maltreatment... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its effector hormone cortisol have been proposed as one possible mechanism linking child maltreatment experiences to health disparities. In this series of meta-analyses, we aimed to quantify the existing evidence on the effect of child maltreatment on various measures of HPA axis activity. The systematic literature search yielded 1,858 records, of which 87 studies (k = 132) were included. Using random-effects models, we found evidence for blunted cortisol stress reactivity in individuals exposed to child maltreatment. In contrast, no overall differences were found in any of the other HPA axis activity measures (including measures of daily activity, cortisol assessed in the context of pharmacological challenges and cumulative measures of cortisol secretion). The impact of several moderators (e.g., sex, psychopathology, study quality), the role of methodological shortcomings of existing studies, as well as potential directions for future research are discussed.
Topics: Child; Child Abuse; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Pituitary-Adrenal System
PubMed: 35202606
DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100987 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jun 2016Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions. Emerging data describe high prevalences of non-motor... (Review)
Review
Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions. Emerging data describe high prevalences of non-motor symptoms, including psychiatric co-morbidity, as part of the phenotype of dystonia. Basal ganglia serotonin and serotonin-dopamine interactions gain attention, as imbalances are known to be involved in extrapyramidal movement and psychiatric disorders. We systematically reviewed the literature for human and animal studies relating to serotonin and its role in dystonia. An association between dystonia and the serotonergic system was reported with decreased levels of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, the main metabolite of serotonin. A relation between dystonia and drugs affecting the serotonergic system was described in 89 cases in 49 papers. Psychiatric co-morbidity was frequently described, but likely underestimated as it was not systematically examined. Currently, there are no good (pharmaco)therapeutic options for most forms of dystonia or associated non-motor symptoms. Further research using selective serotonergic drugs in appropriate models of dystonia is required to establish the role of the serotonergic system in dystonia and to guide us to new therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia; Dystonic Disorders; Humans; Mental Disorders; Serotonin Agents
PubMed: 27073048
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.015 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Sep 2023Patients with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exposed to traumatic reminders show hyperreactivity in brain areas (e.g., amygdala) belonging or related to the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Patients with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exposed to traumatic reminders show hyperreactivity in brain areas (e.g., amygdala) belonging or related to the Innate Alarm System (IAS), allowing the rapid processing of salient stimuli. Evidence that IAS is activated by subliminal trauma-reminders could shed a new light on the factors precipitating and perpetuating PTSD symptomatology. Thus, we systematically reviewed studies investigating neuroimaging correlates of subliminal stimulation in PTSD. Twenty-three studies were selected from the MEDLINE and Scopus® databases for a qualitative synthesis, 5 of which allowed a further meta-analysis of fMRI data. The intensity of IAS responses to subliminal trauma-related reminders ranged from a minimum in healthy controls to a maximum in the PTSD patients with the most severe (e.g., dissociative) symptoms or the least responsiveness to treatment. Comparisons with other disorders (e.g., phobias) revealed contrasting results. Our findings demonstrate the hyperactivation of areas belonging or related to IAS in response to unconscious threats that should be integrated in diagnostic as well as in therapeutic protocols.
Topics: Humans; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Subliminal Stimulation; Brain; Amygdala; Brain Mapping; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37236272
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.05.047 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2023Whether remitted major depressive disorder (rMDD) and MDD present common or distinct neuropathological mechanisms remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Common and distinct patterns of task-related neural activation abnormalities in patients with remitted and current major depressive disorder: A systematic review and coordinate-based meta-analysis.
Whether remitted major depressive disorder (rMDD) and MDD present common or distinct neuropathological mechanisms remains unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of task-related whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping software to compare brain activation between rMDD/MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs). We included 18 rMDD studies (458 patients and 476 HCs) and 120 MDD studies (3746 patients and 3863 HCs). The results showed that MDD and rMDD patients shared increased neural activation in the right temporal pole and right superior temporal gyrus. Several brain regions, including the right middle temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal, prefrontal cortex, left superior frontal gyrus and striatum, differed significantly between MDD and rMDD. Meta-regression analyses revealed that the percentage of females with MDD was positively associated with brain activity in the right lenticular nucleus/putamen. Our results provide valuable insights into the underlying neuropathology of brain dysfunction in MDD, developing more targeted and efficacious treatment and intervention strategies, and more importantly, providing potential neuroimaging targets for the early screening of MDD.
Topics: Female; Humans; Depressive Disorder, Major; Brain; Brain Mapping; Prefrontal Cortex; Temporal Lobe; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37315658
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105284 -
NeuroImage Nov 2021Existing models of emotion processing are based almost exclusively on brain activation data, yet make assumptions about network connectivity. There is a need to... (Review)
Review
Existing models of emotion processing are based almost exclusively on brain activation data, yet make assumptions about network connectivity. There is a need to integrate connectivity findings into these models. We systematically reviewed all studies of functional and effective connectivity employing tasks to investigate negative emotion processing and regulation in healthy participants. Thirty-three studies met inclusion criteria. A quality assessment tool was derived from prominent neuroimaging papers. The evidence supports existing models, with primarily limbic regions for salience and identification, and frontal areas important for emotion regulation. There was mixed support for the assumption that regulatory influences on limbic and sensory areas come predominantly from prefrontal areas. Rather, studies quantifying effective connectivity reveal context-dependent dynamic modulatory relationships between occipital, subcortical, and frontal regions, arguing against purely top-down regulatory theoretical models. Our quality assessment tool found considerable variability in study design and tasks employed. The findings support and extend those of previous syntheses focused on activation studies, and provide evidence for a more nuanced view of connectivity in networks of human emotion processing and regulation.
Topics: Amygdala; Brain Mapping; Emotional Regulation; Emotions; Female; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nerve Net; Neural Pathways; Prefrontal Cortex
PubMed: 34438255
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118486 -
Systematic Reviews Mar 2023Pineal gland calcification is the formation of corpora arenacea predominantly composed of calcium and phosphorus. It plays an important role in regulating the light/dark... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Pineal gland calcification is the formation of corpora arenacea predominantly composed of calcium and phosphorus. It plays an important role in regulating the light/dark circadian changes to synchronize their daily physiological activities like feeding, metabolism, reproduction, and sleep through the secretion of melatonin. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
METHODS
A systematic review was done using published research articles from different electronic databases. Cross-sectional studies were included for systematic review and only studies conducted on the human population were included for quantitative analysis. Published articles were selected by assessing the title and abstract for relevance to the review objectives. Finally, the full text was retrieved for further assessment.
RESULTS
The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was 61.65% [95% CI: 52.81, 70.49], with a heterogeneity of I = 97.7%, P ≤ 0.001. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
CONCLUSION
The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was higher compared with reports from previous studies. Different studies reported pineal gland calcification was most prevalent in the adult population compared with the pediatric age groups. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Child; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Pineal Gland; Prevalence; Calcium; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 36879256
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02205-5 -
Brain Research Bulletin Mar 2018Neuroimaging studies suggest that spinal cord injury (SCI) may lead to significant anatomical alterations in the human sensorimotor system. In particular, voxel-based... (Review)
Review
Neuroimaging studies suggest that spinal cord injury (SCI) may lead to significant anatomical alterations in the human sensorimotor system. In particular, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of cortical volume has revealed a significant gray and white matter atrophy bilaterally in the primary sensory cortex (S1). By contrast, some structural studies failed to detect changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in the primary motor cortex (M1) following SCI, whereas others have reported a substantial decrease of GMV also in M1. In addition to direct degeneration of the sensorimotor cortex, SCI can also lead to atrophy of the non-sensorimotor cortex, such as anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, middle frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area. These findings suggest that SCI can cause remote atrophy of brain gray matter in the salient network. Furthermore, pain-related remodelling may occur in SCI. In fact, structural changes in SCI are also related to the presence and degree of below-level pain. We performed a systematic review of the neuroimaging studies showing morphometric cortical changes and subsequent functional reorganization in humans with SCI. Literature search was conducted using PubMed and Embase. We identified 12 articles matching the inclusion criteria and 195 patients were included in these studies. The wide range of disease duration, rehabilitation training, drug intervention, and different research methodology, especially the identification of region of interest and the statistical approach to correct for multiple comparisons, may have contributed to some inconsistencies between the reviewed studies. Nevertheless, neuroimaging biomarkers can assess the extent of neural damage, elucidate the mechanisms of neural repair, and predict clinical outcome. A better understanding of the structural and functional changes that occur at cortical level following SCI may be useful in tracking potential treatment induced changes and identifying potential therapeutic targets, thus developing evidence-based rehabilitation therapies.
Topics: Animals; Cerebral Cortex; Humans; Neuronal Plasticity; Spinal Cord Injuries
PubMed: 29175055
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.11.013