Biomedical subjects

B Maraviglia

Publications and source records attributed to B Maraviglia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Diffusion tensor imaging to study anisotropy in a particular porous system: the trabecular bone network.

During the last decade, considerable effort has been invested into the development of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) mainly used to investigate cerebral morphology. The aim of this paper is to review and to discuss our recent results about high magnetic field DTI application to study spongy bone tissue. Due to its peculiar properties, spongy bone represents a particular porous system sample. Strategies to perform DTI on porous systems and issues linked to DTI outcome interpretation are presented on the basis of our results concerning trabecular bone network characterization.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Perfusion- and BOLD-based fMRI in the study of a human pathological model for task-related flow reductions.

In the present work, an arteriovenous malformation was taken as a pathological model for studying task-related flow decreases during a motor task. Combined Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD)-perfusion experiments were applied in order to evaluate the relative sensitivity of these techniques to task-related reductions in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Results shows that, by matching the sensitivity of the methods (which exhibit a different contrast-to-noise ratio) in the primary motor cortex, the spatial extent of the regions of decreased perfusion signal is larger than those of the BOLD signal reduction. The above finding suggests that perfusion imaging, that already represents a gold standard method in the detection of vascular phenomena, may estimate task-related flow decreases in a functional time-series better than BOLD.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

New openings for porous systems research from intermolecular double-quantum NMR.

It has been recently recognized that residual intermolecular double-quantum coherences (iDQcs) provide a novel contrast mechanism to study heterogeneity in liquid systems. This is of much interest in the field of the physics of matter and biomedicine. Nowadays, literature concerning the behaviour of the iDQc signal originated by highly heterogeneous systems such as fluids in porous media is scarce. In this paper, we report and discuss our principal results about iDQc signal behaviour in confined liquid systems (trabecular bone, travertine, porous standard systems) and also some new results obtained on doped water in glass capillary pipes.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2003

Issues concerning the construction of a metabolic model for neuronal activation.

The metabolic events underlying neuronal activity still remain the object of intense debate, in spite of the considerable amount of information provided from different experimental techniques. Indeed, several attempts at linking the cellular metabolic phenomena with the macroscopic physiological changes have not yet attained foolproof conclusions. The difficulties in drawing definitive conclusions are due primarily to the heterogeneity of the experimental procedures used in different laboratories, and also given the impossibility of extrapolating the findings obtained under stationary conditions (prolonged stimulation) to dynamic and transient phenomena. Recently, lactate has received much attention, following its proposal by Pellerin and Magistretti (1994; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:10625-10629), instead of glucose, as the main substrate for neurons during activity. Several challenging aspects suggest the return to a more conventional view of neuronal metabolism, in which neurons are able to metabolize ambient glucose directly as their major substrate, also during activation.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Intermolecular double quantum coherences (iDQc) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) imaging of the human brain at 1.5 T.

To study the sensitivity of intermolecular double quantum coherences (iDQc) imaging contrast to brain microstructure and brain anisotropy, we investigated the iDQC contrast between differently structured areas of the brain according to the strength and the direction of the applied correlation gradient. Thus diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) maps have been obtained. This procedure, which consists of analyzing both iDQc and DWI images at different gradient strength and gradient direction, could be a promising tool for clinical brain investigations performed with higher than 1.5 T magnetic fields.

Anisotropy↗

PubMed2003

Real-time MR artifacts filtering during continuous EEG/fMRI acquisition.

The purpose of this study was the development of a real-time filtering procedure of MRI artifacts in order to monitor the EEG activity during continuous EEG/fMRI acquisition. The development of a combined EEG and fMRI technique has increased in the past few years. Preliminary "spike-triggered" applications have been possible because in this method, EEG knowledge was only necessary to identify a trigger signal to start a delayed fMRI acquisition. In this way, the two methods were used together but in an interleaved manner. In real simultaneous applications, like event-related fMRI study, artifacts induced by MRI events on EEG traces represent a substantial obstacle for a right analysis. Up until now, the methods proposed to solve this problem are mainly based on procedures to remove post-processing artifacts without the possibility to control electrophysiological behavior of the patient during fMRI scan. Moreover, these methods are not characterized by a strong "prior knowledge" of the artifact, which is an imperative condition to avoid any loss of information on the physiological signals recovered after filtering. In this work, we present a new method to perform simultaneous EEG/fMRI study with real-time artifacts filtering characterized by a procedure based on a preliminary analytical study of EPI sequence parameters-related EEG-artifact shapes. Standard EEG equipment was modified in order to work properly during ultra-fast MRI acquisitions. Changes included: high-performance acquisition device; electrodes/cap/wires/cables materials and geometric design; shielding box for EEG signal receiver; optical fiber link; and software. The effects of the RF pulse and time-varying magnetic fields were minimized by using a correct head cap wires-locked environment montage and then removed during EEG/fMRI acquisition with a subtraction algorithm that takes in account the most significant EPI sequence parameters. The on-line method also allows a further post-processing utilization.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Cerebellar metabolite alterations detected in vivo by proton MR spectroscopy.

The aim of our work was to evaluate the feasibility of in vivo single-voxel quantitative proton MR spectroscopy in order to identify possible alterations in the main metabolite concentrations due to some metabolic dysfunctions in the cerebellum of patients suffering from a particular form of migraine called "with aura." Measurements of metabolite levels in the cerebellum disclosed reduced choline values (normalized both to N-acetyl-aspartate and creatine) in the patient group with respect to the age-matched control group. Our interest in this pathology is motivated by the fact that there are no available specific biochemical markers for migraine characterization, and the current diagnostic only takes advantage of the medical history and the clinical examination.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

BOLD signal sign and transient vessels volume variation.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the relation between BOLD signal sign and transient vessels volume variation induced by apnea. This stimulus consisting of breath holding after inspiration is able to induce a light slowing down in venous blood flow like in a sort of Valsalva maneuver. We observed diffuse negative BOLD responding areas at cortical level and a stronger negative response in correspondence of the main sinuses. These phenomena seem to be unrelated to a specific neural activity, appearing to be expressions of a mechanical variation in the hemodynamics. Our study suggests that particular care must be considered in the interpretation of fMRI findings, especially when patients with vascular-related cerebral diseases are involved.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The physiology and metabolism of neuronal activation: in vivo studies by NMR and other methods.

In this article, a review is made of the current knowledge concerning the physiology and metabolism of neuronal activity, as provided by the application of NMR approaches in vivo. The evidence furnished by other functional spectroscopic and imaging techniques, such as PET and optical methods, are also discussed. In spite of considerable amounts of studies presented in the literature, several controversies concerning the mechanisms underlying brain function still remain, mainly due to the difficult assessment of the single vascular and metabolic dynamics which generally influence the functional signals. In this framework, methodological and technical improvements are required to provide new and reliable experimental elements, which can support or eventually modify the current models of activation.

Brain↗

PubMed2003

The aerobic brain: lactate decrease at the onset of neural activity.

The metabolic events of neuronal energetics during functional activity are still partially unexplained. In particular, lactate (and not glucose) was recently proposed as the main substrate for neurons during activity. By means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, lactate was reported to increase during the first minutes of prolonged stimulation, but the studies reported thus far suffered from low temporal resolution. In the present study we used a time-resolved proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy strategy in order to analyse the evolution of lactate during the early seconds following a brief visual stimulation (event-related design). A significant decrease in lactate concentration was observed 5 s after the stimulation, while a recovering of the baseline was observed at 12 s.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

NMR applications to low porosity carbonate stones.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate NMR applications to porous materials widely employed in artistic and historical monuments and largely studied in the Cultural Heritage conservation field. Carrara marble, Candoglia marble and travertine samples were studied and data from relaxation times measurements were compared. Very interesting results from treated samples are reported and explained under the structure related spin lattice relaxation time point of view. Images of Carrara marble aged sample (XIX century), coming from the Florence Cathedral obtained for short absorption time of water by capillary rise and for relatively small thickness slices together show the fluid's spatial distribution within the stone. Comparative images showing untreated sample with the treated ones were obtained suggesting very useful applications for the determination of treatment effectiveness.

Carbonates↗

PubMed2002

Multiple spin echoes in heterogeneous systems: physical origins of the observed dips.

Dipolar interactions in liquids have recently offered a new challenge to investigate porous media by exploiting intermolecular quantum coherences, which are obtained through a simple two-pulse sequence (90 degrees -tau-120 degrees ). This sequence, in the presence of an external gradient (G), refocuses a train of echoes at multiple integer values of time tau. The first and second echo amplitudes are acquired for heterogeneous systems such as porous media at different time values (tau). In our first experiments on bovine bone samples we have observed unpredicted dips on the second echo time behavior. We argue that a strict relation occurs between the average pore dimensions and the dips time position through the correlation distance d=pi/(gamma G tau) (defined as half a cycle of the magnetization helix, which originates in the presence of an external gradient). Although the experimental results have revealed an exceptional connection between the porous structure and the correlation distance, no physical explanation was so far provided. In this paper we propose a possible physical cause of the observed phenomenon. In addition we report an accurate analysis of new experiments performed on glass beads phantoms, which confirms our conclusions.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗

PubMed2002

Multiple spin echoes for the evaluation of trabecular bone quality.

We report a simple and efficient MR method for the evaluation of trabecular bone quality. This technique is based on detection and imaging of Multiple Spin-Echoes (MSE), a manifestation of the dipolar field generated by residual intermolecular dipolar couplings in liquids. In the particular implementation we have used, originally proposed by Bowtell [J. Magn. Reson. 100 (1992) 1; J. Magn. Reson. 88 (1990) 643; Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 (1996) 4971], multiple spin echoes (MSE) are refocused in a two-pulse experiment in the presence of a correlation linear magnetic field gradient G(c). This gradient generates a magnetisation helix and results in the spatial modulation of the sample magnetisation. In heterogeneous systems, the amplitude of the MSE signal depends on sample heterogeneity over a distance d=pi/(gammaG(c)tau) which is half a cycle of the magnetisation helix, thus providing a novel contrast mechanism that can be tuned to a specific length scale. We have exploited this mechanism to study young bovine trabecular bone samples ex-vivo. We show that MSE images present a different contrast from conventional MR images, and that, by varying the experimental parameters, the image contrast can be related to specific trabecular pore sizes. The potential of this technique for the early diagnosis of osteoporotic diseases is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

In vivo multiple spin echoes imaging of trabecular bone on a clinical 1.5 T MR scanner.

In vivo multiple spin echoes (MSE) images of bone marrow in trabecular bone were obtained for the first time on a clinical 1.5 T scanner. Despite of a reduced sensitivity of the MSE trabecular bone images with respect to the cerebral matter ones, it is possible to observe some features in the MSE trabecular bone images that may be useful in the diagnosis of osteopenic states. Two different CRAZED-type MSE imaging sequences based on spin-echo and EPI imaging modalities were applied in phantom and in vivo. Preliminary experimental results indicate that EPI imaging readout seems to conceal the MSE contrast correlated with pore dimension in porous media. However it is still possible to detect anisotropy effects related to the bone structure in MSE-EPI images. Some strategies are suggested to optimize the quality of MSE trabecular bone images.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Characterization of trabecular bone by dipolar demagnetizing field MRI.

A multiple spin-echo (MSE) sequence has been applied for the first time to study trabecular bone ex vivo. The second echo generated by the demagnetizing field presents discrete drops in signal intensity for certain values of the pitch of the magnetization helix created by the correlation gradient. These dips may reflect characteristic pore sizes in the trabecular bone specimens. This hypothesis is supported by similar experiments performed on a phantom with uniform pore size distribution. Trabecular bone images weighted in the MSE contrast mechanism are reported.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

[Rationale and limits of echo planar magnetic resonance imaging].

INTRODUCTION: The use of Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) techniques has extensively increased in the last few years. The technical improvements in new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems satisfy the instrumental requirements for these complex high-speed methods. The latest commercial systems are provided with standard EPI sequences. The increased data acquisition speed which characterizes EPI opens new and interesting perspectives, although the resolution is lower than the one typically achieved with conventional imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The description of the data sampling process in terms of the k-space is a powerful tool for planning or understanding complex sequence diagrams like EPI. The basic concepts of the method are reported and discussed, pointing out the most noteworthy feature of the k-space, i.e., its Fourier inverse yield to the image. A generic pulse sequence has been considered to explain the sampling of k-space trajectories. Examples of ultrafast imaging techniques are subsequently considered and discussed. CONCLUSIONS: EPI improves the resolution time of MRI, which is an intrinsically slow imaging procedure. Images can be obtained in few tenth of a second so that MRI suits the short temporal range of many interesting physiological processes. Recently the main goal of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has been the study of brain activity related to local changes in brain hemodynamics. These changes cause MR signal intensity variations. In the last years, several brain activity studies have been performed by means of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) which involves the administration of radioactive substances; fMRI has the advantage that it is a noninvasive technique, although peripheral nerve stimulation effects should be considered.

Humans↗

PubMed1998

13C imaging by double resonance scalar-coupling editing.

The two-dimensional FT Imaging of 13C-glucose obtained with twin spin-echo double resonance sequence is presented. The images have been obtained by a doubly tuned surface coil on samples containing water and 13C-enriched glucose in water. It is shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that the whole editing capability of the twin spin-echo double resonance imaging sequence is also preserved in the presence of the radiofrequency field inhomogeneity produced by the surface coil. As in an efficient selective irradiation method, the enhancement in the signal-to-noise ratio with respect to the direct 13C detection, depends on the number of protons J-coupled to 13C.

Carbon Isotopes↗

PubMed1998

T1rho space dependence in rigid polymers by effective radio frequency gradient.

An extension of the solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging based on magic angle in the rotating frame (MARF) line narrowing approach is presented. The modified magic angle in the rotating frame imaging sequence is able to yield T1rho maps of large band polymers with remarkable contrast sensitivity and without contrast parameter alteration referable to the narrowing procedure. This last feature is examined closely in order to outline the actual effectiveness of the method. Further experimental details, especially regarding probe coil design, recently improved, are discussed and some new results are presented.

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted↗