PURPOSE: To investigate the locations of the cerebral cortex activated by visually stimulated sexual arousal, and to discriminate the gender differences between the cortical activation patterns in response to sexual stimuli. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two male and the twenty-one female volunteers from right-handed medical students were enrolled in this study. The electroencephalography (EEGs) included the segments recorded during resting, watching a music-video, intermission and watching a pornographic video. The low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) images of cross-spectral analysis were obtained from the segments using the LORETA-KEY software. RESULTS: The beta 1, 2 and 3 activities of males showed the point of maximal current densities in both the uncus and parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe, the anterior cingulate of the right limbic lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus of the right frontal lobe, the superior parietal lobule of the right parietal lobe, and the middle occipital gyrus of both occipital lobes. The delta, theta, alpha and beta 1 activities of females showed the point of maximal current densities in the postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule of the left parietal lobe, the middle frontal gyrus of the left frontal lobe, the middle occipital gyrus of the left occipital lobe, the left cuneus, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes and the left parahippocampal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: There was a difference in the visually stimulated sexual arousal-associated with the cerebral neuroanatomical areas between men and women, as estimated using the LORETA software. These areas; therefore, were thought to play important roles in the sexual arousal of males and females in response to audiovisual sexual stimulation.
Arousal* ; Brain* ; Cerebral Cortex ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnets* ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Parahippocampal Gyrus ; Parietal Lobe ; Photic Stimulation ; Rabeprazole ; Students, Medical ; Temporal Lobe ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: Low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) is a kind of functional imaging technique and it is also an up-to-date technique for conducting electroencephalography (EEG) analysis. We tried to investigate the locations on the cerebral cortex that are activated by visually stimulated sexual arousal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three male volunteers (age range: 24.7+/-1.7 years) among all the right-handed medical students at our university were enrolled in this study. The EEGs included the segments recorded during resting, watching a music-video, intermission and watching a porno-video. The LORETA images of the cross-spectral analysis were obtained with using segments of LORETA-KEY (KEY Institute for Brain-Mind Research, Switzerland) software. RESULTS: In the statistical nonparametric maps (SnPM) of each spectrum and the delta, theta and alpha waves did not show the increased current density. The beta 1, 2 and 3 activity showed the point of maximal current densities in the anterior parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe and the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the superior temporal gyrus of the right temporal lobe, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus of the left frontal lobe, the middle occipital gyrus of the right occipital lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes and the superior frontal gyrus of the right frontal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual arousal by visual stimulation may activate the anterior parahippocampal gyrus of the left limbic lobe, the superior temporal gyrus of both temporal lobes, the precuneus of the right parietal lobe, the medial frontal gyrus of the left frontal gyrus, and the middle occipital gyrus of the right occipital lobe.
Arousal* ; Brain* ; Cerebral Cortex ; Electroencephalography ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnets* ; Male ; Occipital Lobe ; Parahippocampal Gyrus ; Parietal Lobe ; Photic Stimulation ; Students, Medical ; Temporal Lobe ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: To identify, using functional MR imaging, distinct cerebral centers and to evaluate the neural mechanism associated with implicit and explicit retrieval of words during conceptual processing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven healthy volunteers aged 21-25 (mean, 22) years underwent BOLD-based fMR imaging using a 1.5T Signa Horizon Echospeed MR system. To activate the cerebral cortices, a series of tasks was performed as follows: the encoding of two-syllable words, and implicit and explicit retrieval of previously learned words during conceptual processing. The activation paradigm consisted of a cycle of alternating periods of 30 seconds of stimulation and 30 seconds of rest. Stimulation was accomplished by encoding eight twosyllable words and the retrieval of previously presented words, while the control condition was a white screen with a small fixed cross. During the tasks we acquired ten slices (6 mm slice thickness, 1 mm gap) parallel to the AC-PC line, and the resulting functional activation maps were reconstructed using a statistical parametric mapping program (SPM 99). RESULTS: A comparison of activation ratios (percentages), based on the number of volunteers, showed that activation of Rhs-35, PoCiG-23 and ICiG-26, 30 was associated with explicit retrieval only; other brain areas were activated during the performance of both implicit and explicit retrieval tasks. Activation ratios were higher for explicit tasks than for implicit; in the cingulate gyrus and temporal lobe they were 30% and 10% greater, respectively. During explicit retrieval, a distinct brain activation index (percentage) was seen in the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobe and cingulate gyrus, and PrCeG-4, Pr/PoCeG-43 in the frontal lobe. During implicit retrieval, on the other hand, activity was greater in the frontal lobe, including the areas of SCA-25, SFG/MFG-10, IFG-44, 45, OrbG-11, 47, SFG-6, 8, and MFG-9, 46. Overall, activation was lateralized mainly in the left hemisphere during both implicit and explicit retrieval tasks. For explicit retrieval, the lateralization index was more than twice as high as for implicit retrieval. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that there is neuro-anatomical dissociation between implicit and explicit retrieval of words during conceptual processing, suggesting, on the basis of cognitive neuroscience, that the performance of implicit and explicit memory-related tasks involves different mechanisms.
Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Frontal Lobe ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hand ; Healthy Volunteers ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Memory* ; Neurosciences ; Occipital Lobe ; Rabeprazole ; Temporal Lobe ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare cortical amyloid deposition using 18F-florbetaben and positron emission tomography (PET) in healthy controls and subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We investigated 25 patients : 10 age-matched healthy controls, 10 patients with aMCI and 5 with AD. All participants underwent PET after intravenous injection of 300 MBq of 18F-florbetaben. The 90 min post-injection brain PET data were analysed using statistical parametric mapping. RESULTS: When compared to healthy controls, amyloid deposition was significantly higher in frontal lobe medial frontal gyrus, limbic lobe posterior cingulate, parietal lobe precuneus, sub-loba insula, temporal lobe superior temporal gyrus, parietal lobe inferior parietal lobule, temporal lobe middle temporal gyrus, parietal lobe supramarginal gyrus, occipital lobe middle temporal gyrus of patient group (family wise error correction p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate 18F-florbetaben to be an efficacious β-amyloid-targeted tracer. Subjects with aMCI, AD could be easily differentiated from healthy controls by assessment of the PET data.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyloid* ; Brain ; Frontal Lobe ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Limbic Lobe ; Mild Cognitive Impairment* ; Occipital Lobe ; Parietal Lobe ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Temporal Lobe

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of functional MR imaging (fMRI) for localization of the cerebral motor and sensory cortices and the language center in patients with complex partial seizure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 47 fMRIs were obtained in 14 patients (M:F=9:5; age 15 -50 years; 13 right handed and 1 ambidextrous) with complex partial seizure (6 temporal lobe epilepsy, 6 frontal lobe epilepsy, 1 occipitotemporal lobe epilepsy, 1 hemispheric epilepsy). Conventional MR imaging revealed no abnormality in four patients, localized cerebral atrophy in one, hippocampal sclerosis in four, and benign neoplasm in the remaining five. fMRI was performed on a 1.5 T MR scanner (GE Signa Horizon) using gradient-echo single-shot EPI. Nineteen fMRIs were obtained in eight patients who performed the language task, 16 fMRIs in ten who performed the motor task and 12 fMRIs in ten who performed the somatosensory task. The activation task consisted of three language tasks (silent picture naming, word generation from a character, categorical word generation), motor tasks (opposition of thumb and index finger for hand/dorsiflexion or extension for foot), and sensory tasks (passive tactile stimulation of hand or foot using a toothbrush). The data were analyzed using z-score (p<0.05), clustering, and cross-correlation analysis based upon homemade software, IDL 5.1. The success rate for obtaining meaningful fMRI was evaluated and activated regions were assessed on the basis of each fMRI obtained during language, motor, and omatosensory tasks. fMRI findings were compared with those of the Wada test (n = 7) for language lateralization and with invasive cortical mapping (n = 3) for the localization of eloquent cerebral cortex, especially around the central sulcus. RESULTS: The overall success rate of fMRI was 79 % (37/47); success rates of fMRI with language, sensory, and motor tasks were 89 % (17/19), 83 % (10/12), and 63% (10/16), respectively. Areas activated during language tasks (n=17) included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (16/17), anterior cingulate gyrus (16/17), posterior parietal area (15/17), Wernicke's area (10/17), and Broca's area (8/17). Regions activated by motor and somatosensory tasks (n=20) included the central sulcus (16/20), prefrontal cortex (15/20), posterior parietal cortex (9/20), supplementary motor area (6/20), and temporal cortex (3/20). The results of fMRI were concordant with the Wada test in six of seven subjects (86%) for language lateralization of left hemispheric dominance and with invasive cortical mapping in two of three patients (67%) for localization of the motor and sensory cortices. CONCLUSION: fMRI was successful in approximately three-quarters of patients with complex partial seizure, but at present appears to be an inadequate alternative to current invasive studies. Further clinical investigation is needed.
Atrophy ; Cerebral Cortex ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Fingers ; Foot ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hand ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Rabeprazole ; Sclerosis ; Seizures* ; Thumb

It is well known that the status epilepticus induced by the administration of pilocarpine to lithium-pretreated rats is a role model to study for the cholinergic system in epileptogenesis and the pathogenesis of status epilepticus. Although the researches for the expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene in seizure models have been studied, the exact role of the c-fos expression is still uncertain. To evaluate the characteristics of lithium-pilocarpine seizure model, we designed this study by following three steps; (1) the analysis of clinical manifestations by video, and electroencephalogram through implanted cortical electrodes during the course of status epilepticus induced by intraperitoneal administration of lithium chloride (5 mEq/kg) followed by pilocarpine(50 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, (2) Fos expression and the time course of Fos appearance by the immunocytochemistry, (3) Neuropathologic change by cresyl violet stain. The presentation of clinical manifestations were cholinergic symptoms and signs, stereotyped behaviour, motor seizures, and status epilepticus in order. Electroencephalographic findings showed five patterns : (I) discrete seizure with interictal slowing; (ii) merging seizures with waxing and waning ictal discharges; (iii) continuous ictal discharges; (iv) continuous ictal discharges with flat periods; and (v) periodic epileptiform discharges on a flat background. The neuroanatomical sites of Fos expression were the taenia recta, anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, septum, accumbens, caudate-putamen, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, thalamus, and cerebral neocortex. The Fos immunostaining appeared first in the taenia tecta, anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle, and piriform cortex at 1 hour after pilocarpine injection, and was maximal in the most areas of cerebral cortex and limbic area between 4 and S hours. The thalamus and the caudate-putamen became stained after 4 hours. In the hippocampal formation, firstly, the Fos was stained maximally in the dentate gyrus at 3 hours followed by in the CA1, CA2, and CA3 regions. The Fos was disappeared in the dentate gyrus and CA2 region of hippocampus within 18 hours, but became stained sustainly in the CA3 and CA1 regions of hippocampus at 24 hours. Llght microscopic findings revealed widespread brain damage. The neuropathological changes were found within the anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, thalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdaloid complex, lateral septum, neocortex and substantia nigra. There were only swollen and edematous change of neurons at 1 hour, but severely shrunken and darkened neuronal degeneration and neuronal loss at 72 hours. The neuronal degeneration and loss in hippocampal formation appeared severe in the CA1 and hilum, moderate in CA2, and mild in CA3 and dentate gyrus. In conclusion, it was suggested that cholinergic system (muscarinic receptor) played an important role in the induction of the seizure because Fos was expressed in the brain areas containing muscarinc receptor and the lithium-pilocarpine seizure was a good model to study for the status epilepticus.
Amygdala ; Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography* ; Entorhinal Cortex ; Genes, fos ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lithium Chloride ; Neocortex ; Neurons ; Olfactory Pathways ; Pilocarpine ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures* ; Status Epilepticus ; Substantia Nigra ; Taenia ; Thalamus ; Viola

OBJECTIVE: To investigate association between lesion location on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed after an infarction and the duration of dysphagia in middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. METHODS: A videofluoroscopic swallowing study was performed for 59 patients with dysphagia who were diagnosed as cerebral infarction of the MCA territory confirmed by brain MRI. Lesions were divided into 11 regions of interest: primary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, parieto-occipital cortex, insular cortex, posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), thalamus, basal ganglia (caudate nucleus), and basal ganglia (putamen). Recovery time was defined as the period from the first day of L-tube feeding to the day that rice porridge with thickening agent was prescribed. Recovery time and brain lesion patterns were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean recovery time of all patients was 26.71±16.39 days. The mean recovery time was 36.65±15.83 days in patients with PLIC lesions and 32.6±17.27 days in patients with caudate nucleus lesions. Only these two groups showed longer recovery time than the average recovery time for all patients. One-way analysis of variance for recovery time showed significant differences between patients with and without lesions in PLIC and caudate (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Injury to both PLIC and caudate nucleus is associated with longer recovery time from dysphagia.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Caudate Nucleus ; Cerebral Cortex ; Cerebral Infarction ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Extremities ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Internal Capsule ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Motor Cortex ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Thalamus

Nitric oxide (NO) involvement has been demonstrated in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, particularly in hippocampal long-term potentiation, a mechanism that underlies certain forms of learning and memory. Further, NO has been shown to regulate various neurotransmitters which play an important role in learning and memory. Several findings suggest that NO production may be decreased in the aged rat. Changes in the nNOS-containing neurons with aging were demonstrated by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. NOS-immunoreactive cells in aged rats were present in all cortical areas and the hippocampus, and the pattern of distribution was similar to that of the control group. The number of NOS-immunoreactive cells in the cerebral cortex was significantly decreased in the aged rats, but the extent of changes was variable in each area, and ranged from mild decrease (<30%) to severe decrease (>50%). Severely decreased areas were the cingulate cortex, parietal cortex area 1, temporal cortex area 1, 2, 3, medial part of occipital cortex area 2, monocular and binocular part of occipital cortex area 1, entorhinal cortex, hippocampus proper, dentate gyrus and subiculum. Moderately decreased areas (30~50%) were frontal cortex area 1, 2, 3, parietal cortex area 2, forelimb, hindlimb, lateral part of occipital cortex area 2. Slightly decreased area was insular cortex. Morphologically, the number of dendritic branches seemed to be decreased in aged group and the length of dendrites of NOS-IR neurons showed a tendency to shorten. These results indicate the involvement of neuronal system containing NOS in the aging brain, and provide the first morphological evidence for the loss of NOS neurons in the cerebral cortex of the aged rats by immunocytochemistry. Further multidisciplinary investigations involving normal aging and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease are needed to clarify the importance of nitric oxide changes in the cerebral cortex with aging.
Aging ; Alzheimer Disease ; Animals ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Dendrites ; Dentate Gyrus ; Entorhinal Cortex ; Forelimb ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hindlimb ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Learning ; Long-Term Potentiation ; Memory ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nitric Oxide ; Plastics ; Rabeprazole ; Rats* ; Telescopes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the supratentorial area associated with poststroke dysphagia, we assessed the diffusion tensor images (DTI) in subacute stroke patients with supratentorial lesions. METHODS: We included 31 patients with a first episode of infarction in the middle cerebral artery territory. Each subject underwent brain DTI as well as a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and patients divided were into the dysphagia and non-dysphagia groups. Clinical dysphagia scale (CDS) scores were compared between the two groups. The corticospinal tract volume (TV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated for 11 regions of interest in the supratentorial area—primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, parieto-occipital cortex, insular cortex, posterior limb of the internal capsule, thalamus, and basal ganglia (putamen and caudate nucleus). DTI parameters were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Among the 31 subjects, 17 were diagnosed with dysphagia by VFSS. Mean TVs were similar across the two groups. Significant inter-group differences were observed in two DTI values: the FA value in the contra-lesional primary motor cortex and the ADC value in the bilateral posterior limbs of the internal capsule (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The FA value in the primary motor cortex on the contra-lesional side and the ADC value in the bilateral PLIC can be associated with dysphagia in middle cerebral artery stroke.
Anisotropy ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Diffusion ; Extremities ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Internal Capsule ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Motor Cortex ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Stroke ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVE: Structural changes of brain areas have been reported in depressive disorder and suicidal behavior (SB), in which TPH1 also has been known as a promising candidate gene. We investigated gray matter volume (GMV) differences, TPH1 rs1800532 and rs1799913 polymorphisms previously found to be associated with depressive disorder and SB, and the relationship between the two markers. METHODS: Thirteen depressive disorder patients with suicidal attempts (SA) and twenty healthy controls were included. We examined GMV differences using a voxel-based morphometry and regions of interest analysis. Direct sequencing was used for genotyping. RESULTS: The patients showed significant GMV reduction in left cerebral region including middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex; in right middle temporal gyrus; in left cerebellar tonsil; and in right cerebral region including precentral gyrus and postcentral gyrus (corrected p < 0.005). The right precentral and postcentral gyri GMV values of AA and CA genotypes patients were significantly decreased compared to those of CC genotype subjects (corrected p=0.040). CONCLUSION: These findings show the possibility that both GMV reductions and TPH1 rs1800532/rs1799913 A allele may be involved in the pathogenesis of depressive disorder patients with SA.
Alleles ; Brain ; Depressive Disorder* ; Frontal Lobe ; Genotype ; Gray Matter* ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Humans ; Palatine Tonsil ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Somatosensory Cortex ; Temporal Lobe