Digital Commons Network^™

Detection Of Evolving Injury To The Brachial Plexus During Transaxillary Robotic Thyroidectomy., Adam Luginbuhl, Daniel M Schwartz, Anthony K Sestokas, David Cognetti, Edmund Pribitkin

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) of transcranial electric motor evoked potentials (tceMEPs) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) has gained universal acceptance as an efficacious method for detecting emerging positional brachial plexopathy or peripheral nerve compression during spinal and shoulder surgery. This has implications for transaxillary thyroid surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report with literature review.

METHODS: The patient underwent robotic transaxillary thyroid surgery with continuous tceMEP and SSEP monitoring of brachial plexus function. We present detailed IONM data depicting the emergence of positional brachial plexopathy.

RESULTS: Significant amplitude loss of both IONM modalities were identified during an evolving positional plexopathy, which …

Constrictive Pericarditis Treated By Surgery, Alireza A Ghavidel, Maziar Gholampour, Majid Kyavar, Yalda Mirmesdagh, Mohammad-Bagher Tabatabaie

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We reviewed the records of 45 patients (mean age, 46.6 ± 14.9 yr; range, 21–84 yr) with a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis who had undergone pericardiectomy from 1994 through 2006. Preoperatively, 2 of the patients (4.4%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I, 20 (44.4%) in class II, 22 (48.9%) in class III, and 1 (2.2%) in class IV. Pericardial calcification was detected in 20% of plain chest radiographs. Constrictive pericarditis was caused by tuberculosis in 22.2%, chronic renal failure in 8.9%, a history of sternotomy in 4.4%, and malignancy in 4.4%. The cause was idiopathic in …

Hypoplastic Right-Heart Syndrome Presenting As Multiple Miscarriages, Chadi Dib, Philip A Araoz, Norman P Davies, Joseph A Dearani, Naser M Ammash

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Reversible causes of miscarriage are many, but they affect only 1% of women who are trying to conceive. Herein, we describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented for evaluation of repeated miscarriages and was found to have hypoxemia and erythrocytosis. Further evaluation revealed hypoplastic right-heart syndrome with an intracardiac shunt. She underwent hybrid repair with pulmonary valve balloon valvuloplasty, followed by surgery to perform atrial septal defect closure and a Glenn anastomosis. The erythrocytosis and hypoxemia resolved, and she was able to conceive and deliver a healthy baby at term 2 years later.

This is a unique case …

False Scents, False Sense, And False Cents: Why Physicians Should Read Sherlock Holmes, Ira Martin Grais

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Restoration Of Microcirculatory Patency After Myocardial Infarction: Results Of Current Coronary Interventional Strategies And Techniques, Marlos R Fernandes, R David Fish, John Canales, Jonathan Aliota, Guilherme V Silva, Emerson C Perin, Macarthur A Elayda, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to evaluate the restoration of microcirculatory patency after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an unselected cohort of patients at a tertiary center.

We retrospectively evaluated distributions of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG) and the myocardial blush grade (MBG) in all primary PCI procedures performed at our institution during 2008. We defined optimal microvascular perfusion as simultaneous TMPG 3 and MBG 3 at procedure's end.

Ninety-nine patients (mean age, 61.5 ± 12.7 yr; 64 men) underwent primary PCI. Microvascular perfusion was optimal in 69 patients (69.7%) and was associated with lower peaks of …

Nitinol Thermoreactive Clips For Secondary Sternal Closure In Cases Of Noninfective Sternal Dehiscence, Arif Gucu, Faruk Toktas, Cuneyt Eris, Yusuf Ata, Tamer Turk

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Postoperative sternal dehiscence is a potentially catastrophic sequela to median sternotomy that can cause not only chest-wall discomfort and pulmonary dysfunction but infection, both superficial and mediastinal. Nitinol thermoreactive clips use a novel material in the treatment of sternal dehiscence. We sought to determine whether the use of these clips is an effective remedy for noninfective sternal dehiscence.

From January 2008 through December 2011, we retrospectively studied the data on 10 patients whose sternums had been closed with nitinol thermoreactive clips after the development of noninfective sternal dehiscence. Diagnosis was made on the bases of clinical criteria, chest radiography, and …

Long-Term Results Of Aortic Banding For Complex Infrarenal Neck Anatomy And Type I Endoleak After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Zvonimir Krajcer, Kathryn G Dougherty, Igor D Gregoric

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

For many patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm, unsuitable anatomy of the infrarenal aortic neck precludes endovascular aortic aneurysm repair or causes type I endoleak after the procedure. In an attempt to overcome these challenges, we retrospectively examined the usefulness of aortic banding as an adjunctive procedure to endovascular repair in 8 patients who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm with a complex infrarenal aortic neck. The procedures were performed with the patients under general anesthesia and involved making an 8-cm upper-midline laparotomy incision to expose the aneurysmal aorta. Three patients underwent aortic banding before endovascular repair; the other 5 underwent banding …

Decorin Protein Core Affects The Global Gene Expression Profile Of The Tumor Microenvironment In A Triple-Negative Orthotopic Breast Carcinoma Xenograft Model., Simone Buraschi, Thomas Neill, Rick T Owens, Leonardo A Iniguez, George Purkins, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Barry Evans, Liliana Schaefer, Stephen C Peiper, Zi-Xuan Wang, Renato V Iozzo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Decorin, a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan gene family, exists and functions wholly within the tumor microenvironment to suppress tumorigenesis by directly targeting and antagonizing multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the EGFR and Met. This leads to potent and sustained signal attenuation, growth arrest, and angiostasis. We thus sought to evaluate the tumoricidal benefits of systemic decorin on a triple-negative orthotopic breast carcinoma xenograft model. To this end, we employed a novel high-density mixed expression array capable of differentiating and simultaneously measuring gene signatures of both Mus musculus (stromal) and Homo sapiens (epithelial) tissue origins. We found that …

Guided Self-Help Concreteness Training As An Intervention For Major Depression In Primary Care: A Phase Ii Randomized Controlled Trial., E. R. Watkins, R. S. Taylor, R. Byng, C. Baeyens, R. Read, K. Pearson, L. Watson

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: The development of widely accessible, effective psychological interventions for depression is a priority. This randomized trial provides the first controlled data on an innovative cognitive bias modification (CBM) training guided self-help intervention for depression. METHOD: One hundred and twenty-one consecutively recruited participants meeting criteria for current major depression were randomly allocated to treatment as usual (TAU) or to TAU plus concreteness training (CNT) guided self-help or to TAU plus relaxation training (RT) guided self-help. CNT involved repeated practice at mental exercises designed to switch patients from an unhelpful abstract thinking habit to a helpful concrete thinking habit, thereby targeting …

An Attentional Control Task Reduces Intrusive Thoughts About Smoking., Jon May, Jackie Andrade, Kimberley Willoughby, Chris Brown

School of Psychology

INTRODUCTION: Attentional control tasks such as body scanning and following isometric exercise instructions have been shown to reduce smoking cravings, apparently by reducing stress (Ussher, M., Cropley, M., Playle, S., Mohidin, R., & West, R. [2009]. Effect of isometric exercise and body scanning on cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Addiction, 104, 1251-1257. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02605.x). Related work based upon elaborated intrusion theory (Kavanagh, D. J., Andrade, J., & May, J. [2005]. Imaginary relish and exquisite torture: The elaborated intrusion theory of desire. Psychological Review, 112, 446-467. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.112.2.446) has shown that similar tasks can reduce hungry participants' involuntary food-related thoughts (May, J., Andrade, …

An Examination Of An Intervention Program: The Sister Circle, Bobbi Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of an intervention program: The Sister Circle. The program was designed to address the specific needs of at-risk African American Female Adolescents (AAFA's) in a poor, urban high school. The study examined 2 years of field notes, school documents, interviews of student participants, staff and administrators at the high school. The program saw a 92% retention rate in participants and a 90% reduction in discipline referrals. Results of the study gleaned 4 factors as significant: 1. the presence of a caring adult, 2. a sisterhood to connect to 3. respect to give and to receive, …

Spina Bifida Subtypes And Sub-Phenotypes By Maternal Race/Ethnicity In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, Tunu Ramadhani, Cynthia A Moore

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spina bifida refers to a collection of neural tube defects, including myelomeningocele, meningocele, and myelocele (SB(M) ), as well as lipomyelomeningocele and lipomeningocele (SB(L) ). Maternal race/ethnicity has been associated with an increased risk for spina bifida among offspring. to better understand this relationship, we evaluated different spina bifida subtypes (SB(M) vs. SB(L) ) and sub-phenotypes (anatomic level or presence of additional malformations) by maternal race/ethnicity using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. This study is a large, multisite, population-based study of nonsyndromic birth defects. Prevalence estimates were obtained using data from spina bifida cases (live births, fetal …

Rice Consumption Contributes To Arsenic Exposure In Us Women, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Joann F. Gruber, Tracy Punshon, Vicki Sayarath, A. Jay Gandolfi, Emily R. Baker, Brian P. Jackson, Carol L. Folt, Margaret R. Karagas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Emerging data indicate that rice consumption may lead to potentially harmful arsenic exposure. However, few human data are available, and virtually none exist for vulnerable periods such as pregnancy. Here we document a positive association between rice consumption and urinary arsenic excretion, a biomarker of recent arsenic exposure, in 229 pregnant women. At a 6-mo prenatal visit, we collected a urine sample and 3-d dietary record for water, fish/seafood, and rice. We also tested women's home tap water for arsenic, which we combined with tap water consumption to estimate arsenic exposure through water. Women who reported rice intake (n …

Juvenile Hormone Regulates Vitellogenin Gene Expression Through Insulin-Like Peptide Signaling Pathway In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Zhentao Sheng, Jingjing Xu, Hua Bai, Fang Zhu, Subba R. Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Our recent studies identified juvenile hormone (JH) and nutrition as the two key signals that regulate vitellogenin (Vg) gene expression in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Juvenile hormone regulation of Vg synthesis has been known for a long time in several insects, but the mechanism of JH action is not known. Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of action of these two signals in regulation of Vg gene expression. Injection of bovine insulin or FOXO double-stranded RNA into the previtellogenic, starved, or JH-deficient female adults increased Vg mRNA and protein levels, thereby implicating the pivotal role for …

Effects Of Prenatal Food And Micronutrient Supplementation On Child Growth From Birth To 54 Months Of Age: A Randomized Trial In Bangladesh, Ashraful Islam Khan, Iqbal Kabir, Eva-Charlotte Ekström, Kajsa Åsling-Monemi, Dewan Shamsul Alam, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Md Yunus, Shams Arifeen, Lars-Åke Persson

Faculty Publications

Background: There is a lack of information on the optimal timing of food supplementation to malnourished pregnant women and possible combined effects of food and multiple micronutrient supplementations (MMS) on their offspring's growth. We evaluated the effects of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on postnatal child growth. The hypothesis was that prenatal MMS and early invitation to food supplementation would increase physical growth in the offspring during 0-54 months and a combination of these interventions would further improve these outcomes.

Methods: In the large, randomized MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab), Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were enrolled …

Changes In Spirituality Partly Explain Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction., Jeffrey M Greeson, Daniel M Webber, Moria J Smoski, Jeffrey G Brantley, Andrew G Ekblad, Edward C Suarez, Ruth Quillian Wolever

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a secular behavioral medicine program that has roots in meditative spiritual practices. Thus, spirituality may partly explain Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction outcomes. Participants (N = 279; M (SD) age = 45(12); 75% women) completed an online survey before and after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that, following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the relationship between enhanced mindfulness and improved health-related quality of life is mediated by increased daily spiritual experiences. Changes in both spirituality and mindfulness were significantly related to improvement in mental health. Although the initial mediation hypothesis …

Factors Affecting Growth In Infants With Single Ventricle Physiology: A Report From The Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial., Richard V. Williams, Victor Zak, Chitra Ravishankar, Karen Altmann, Jeffrey Anderson, Andrew M. Atz, Carolyn Dunbar-Masterson, Nancy Ghanayem, Linda Lambert, Karen Lurito, Barbara Medoff-Cooper, Renee Margossian, Victoria L. Pemberton, Jennifer Russell, Mario Stylianou, Daphne Hsu, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: To describe growth patterns in infants with single ventricle physiology and determine factors influencing growth.

STUDY DESIGN: Data from 230 subjects enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Enalapril Trial were used to assess factors influencing change in weight-for-age z-score (z) from study enrollment (0.7 ± 0.4 months) to pre-superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC; 5.1 ± 1.8 months, period 1) and pre-SCPC to final study visit (14.1 ± 0.9 months, period 2). Predictor variables included patient characteristics, feeding regimen, clinical center, and medical factors during neonatal (period 1) and SCPC hospitalizations (period 2). Univariate regression analysis was performed, …

A Brief Overview Of Adolescent Developmental Problems In Hong Kong, Daniel T. L. Shek, Hing Keung Ma, Rachel C. F. Sun

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Several adolescent developmental problems in Hong Kong are briefly reviewed in this paper. First, rising adolescent substance abuse trends are described. Second, Internet use problems and Internet addiction among young people are examined. Third, worrying trends in adolescent sexuality are identified. Fourth, phenomena on bullying among young people are reviewed. Finally, phenomena related to adolescent materialistic orientation are focused upon. With reference to these adolescent developmental problems, possible solutions are briefly discussed particularly with reference to the ecological perspective. It is argued that the related scientific literature provides useful pointers for designing the curriculum in the extension phase of the …

Percutaneous Implantation Of The Edwards Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve For Conduit Failure In The Pulmonary Position: Early Phase 1 Results From An International Multicenter Clinical Trial., Damien Kenny, Ziyad M. Hijazi, Saibal Kar, John Rhodes, Michael Mullen, Raj Makkar, Girish S. Shirali, Mark Fogel, John Fahey, Mary G. Heitschmidt, Christopher Cain

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve (Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Irvine, California) in the pulmonary position in patients with moderate to severe pulmonary regurgitation with or without stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement is evolving, but to date, experience has been limited to the Melody valve (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota).

METHODS: Eligible patients with dysfunctional right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits were screened if body weight was ≥35 kg and the in situ conduit diameter was ≥16 mm and ≤24 mm. Standardized implantation and follow-up protocols were used.

RESULTS: …

Substance Use Behavior Among Early-Adolescent Asian American Girls: The Impact Of Psychological And Family Factors, Lin Fang, Kevin Barnes-Ceeney, Steven Schinke

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Confronting developmental tasks and challenges associated with bridging two different cultures, Asian American adolescent girls face increasing risks for substance use. Identifying risk and protective factors in this population is essential, particularly when those factors can inform preventive programs. Guided by family interaction theory, the present cross-sectional study explored the associations of psychological and familial factors with use of alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs among early-adolescent Asian American girls. Between August 2007 and March 2008, 135 pairs of Asian American girls (mean age 13.21 years, SD = 0.90) and their mothers (mean age 39.86 years, SD = 6.99) were …

An Automated Internet Application To Help Patients With Bipolar Disorder Track Social Rhythm Stabilization., Daniel Z Lieberman, Susan Swayze, Frederick K Goodwin

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

This column describes a pilot study of a fully automated, Internet-based program that provides a key element of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, a form of psychotherapy shown to be effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder when combined with mood-stabilizing medication. Participants (N=64) recorded the time they completed activities of daily living and their mood at the time of each entry. After 90 days they demonstrated a 31% increase in social rhythm stability and a small, though statistically significant, decrease in symptoms of abnormal mood. Internet-based programs can enhance access to a best practice in the management of bipolar …

Margaret Mitchell's Lost Letter To A Kansas Horse Buggy Doctor., Jane F. Knapp, Robert Schremmer

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Childhood Obesity And Blood Pressure: Back To The Future?, Bonita Falkner, Samuel Gidding

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

The prevalence of childhood hypertension is increasing.^{1, 2} Studies that apply the 95^th percentile definition and repeat measurements on three separate visits, report a pediatric hypertension prevalence of approximately 3.5%^{3, 4}, and among obese children and adolescents the prevalence of both hypertension and prehypertension is even greater. The recently documented increase in hypertension among the young is due largely to the childhood obesity epidemic and possibly other secular changes in lifestyles. These publications and others confirm that hypertension is a prevalent child health condition, especially among overweight and obese children. A consistent positive association between body …

Differential Il-21 Signaling In Apcs Leads To Disparate Th17 Differentiation In Diabetes-Susceptible Nod And Diabetes-Resistant Nod.Idd3 Mice., Sue M. Liu, David H. Lee, Jenna M. Sullivan, Denise Chung, Anneli Jäger, Bennett O V. Shum, Nora E. Sarvetnick, Ana C. Anderson, Vijay K. Kuchroo

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that shows familial aggregation in humans and likely has genetic determinants. Disease linkage studies have revealed many susceptibility loci for T1D in mice and humans. The mouse T1D susceptibility locus insulin-dependent diabetes susceptibility 3 (Idd3), which has a homologous genetic interval in humans, encodes cytokine genes Il2 and Il21 and regulates diabetes and other autoimmune diseases; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this regulation are still being elucidated. Here we show that T cells from NOD mice produce more Il21 and less Il2 and exhibit enhanced Th17 cell generation compared with …

Saddle Pulmonary Embolism: Is It As Bad As It Looks? A Community Hospital Experience., Alejandro Sardi, Jill Gluskin, Adam Guttentag, Morris N Kotler, Leonard E Braitman, Michael Lippmann

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Saddle pulmonary embolism represents a large clot and a risk for sudden hemodynamic collapse. However, the clinical presentation and outcomes vary widely. On the basis of the findings of right heart dysfunction on echocardiograms, computed tomography angiography, or cardiac enzyme elevation, some argue for the use of thrombolytics or catheter thrombectomy even for hemodynamically stable patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes and management of patients with saddle pulmonary embolism, including radiographic appearance (estimate of clot burden) and echocardiographic features.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: This study is a retrospective evaluation of all patients with computed tomography angiography positive …

Non-Geometric Echocardiographic Indices Of Ventricular Function In Patients With A Fontan Circulation., Jonathan Rhodes, Renee Margossian, Lynn A. Sleeper, Piers Barker, Timothy J. Bradley, Minmin Lu, Mark Fogel, Matthew A. Harris, Wyman W. Lai, Andrew J. Powell, Michael D. Puchalski, Girish S. Shirali, Steven D. Colan, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Complex anatomy and limited windows complicate echocardiographic assessments of ventricular function in Fontan patients. For the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Cross-Sectional Study, data were acquired from which mean ventricular pressure change during isovolumetric contraction (dP/dt(ic)), Tei index, and maximal systolic annular velocity (S') could be measured. The purpose of this study was to compare these nongeometric indices of ventricular function to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measurements of ventricular ejection fraction (EF).

METHODS: Echocardiographic and CMR studies were performed prospectively using standardized protocols; measurements were completed by core laboratories. Data from both modalities were available from 137 patients.

RESULTS: A …

Characterization Of Street Food Consumption In Palermo: Possible Effects On Health, Silvio Buscemi, Annamaria Barile, Vincenza Maniaci, John A. Batsis

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Street Food (SF) consists of out-of-home food consumption and has old, historical roots with complex social-economic and cultural implications. Despite the emergence of modern fast food, traditional SF persists worldwide, but the relationship of SF consumption with overall health, well-being, and obesity is unknown.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. The study was performed in Palermo, the largest town of Sicily, Italy. Two groups were identified: consumers of SF (n = 687) and conventional restaurant food (RES) consumers (n = 315). Study subjects answered a questionnaire concerning their health conditions, nutritional preferences, frequency of consumption of SF and …

A 2-Step Approach To Myeloablative Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation: A Phase 1/2 Trial Performed With Optimized T-Cell Dosing., Dolores Gross, Matthew Carabasi, Joanne Filicko-O'Hara, Margaret Kasner, John L Wagner, Beth Colombe, Patricia Cornett Farley, William O'Hara, Phyllis Flomenberg, Maria Werner-Wasik, Janet Brunner, Bijoyesh Mookerjee, Terry Hyslop, Mark Weiss, Neal Flomenberg

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Studies of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have identified threshold doses of T cells below which severe GVHD is usually absent. However, little is known regarding optimal T-cell dosing as it relates to engraftment, immune reconstitution, and relapse. To begin to address this question, we developed a 2-step myeloablative approach to haploidentical HSCT in which 27 patients conditioned with total body irradiation (TBI) were given a fixed dose of donor T cells (HSCT step 1), followed by cyclophosphamide (CY) for T-cell tolerization. A CD34-selected HSC product (HSCT step 2) was infused after CY. A dose of 2 × 10(8)/kg …

Reversal Of Glial And Neurovascular Markers Of Unhealthy Brain Aging By Exercise In Middle-Aged Female Mice, Caitlin S. Latimer, James L. Searcy, Michael T. Bridges, Lawrence D. Brewer, Jelena Popović, Eric M. Blalock, Philip W. Landfield, Olivier Thibault, Nada M. Porter

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Healthy brain aging and cognitive function are promoted by exercise. The benefits of exercise are attributed to several mechanisms, many which highlight its neuroprotective role via actions that enhance neurogenesis, neuronal morphology and/or neurotrophin release. However, the brain is also composed of glial and vascular elements, and comparatively less is known regarding the effects of exercise on these components in the aging brain. Here, we show that aerobic exercise at mid-age decreased markers of unhealthy brain aging including astrocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of brain aging. Middle-aged female mice were assigned to a sedentary group or provided a running wheel for …

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Myocardial Feature Tracking Detects Quantitative Wall Motion During Dobutamine Stress., Andreas Schuster, Shelby Kutty, Asif Padiyath, Victoria Parish, Paul Gribben, David A. Danford, Marcus R. Makowski, Boris Bigalke, Philipp Beerbaum, Eike Nagel

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

BACKGROUND: Dobutamine stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DS-CMR) is an established tool to assess hibernating myocardium and ischemia. Analysis is typically based on visual assessment with considerable operator dependency. CMR myocardial feature tracking (CMR-FT) is a recently introduced technique for tissue voxel motion tracking on standard steady-state free precession (SSFP) images to derive circumferential and radial myocardial mechanics.We sought to determine the feasibility and reproducibility of CMR-FT for quantitative wall motion assessment during intermediate dose DS-CMR.

METHODS: 10 healthy subjects were studied at 1.5 Tesla. Myocardial strain parameters were derived from SSFP cine images using dedicated CMR-FT software (Diogenes MRI prototype; …