Objective To measure and evaluate slice sensitivity profile(SSP)and the full width at half-maximum(FWHM)for a 64-slice spiral CT system.Methods Using the same CT technique and body mode as those used for clinical CT,delta phantom was scanned with Somatom Sensation 64-slice spiral CT.SSPs and FWHM were measured both with reconstruction slice width of 0.6 mm at pitch = 0.50,0.75,1.00,1.25,1.50 and with reconstruction slice width of 0.6,1.0,1.5 mm at pitch = 1 respectively.Results For normal slice width of 0.6 mm,the measured FWHM,i.e.effective slice width,is 0.67,0.67,0.66,0.69,0.69 mm at different pitch.All the measured FWHM deviate less than 0.1mm from the nominal slice width.The measured SSPs are symmetrical,bell-shaped curves without far-reaching tails,and show only slight variations as a function of the spiral pitch.When reconstruction slice width increase,relative SSP become wider.Conclusions The variation of pitch hardly has effect all on SSP,effective slice width,and z-direction spatial resolution for Sensation 64-slice spiral CT system,which is helpful to optimize CT scanning protocol.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum adiponectin levels and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Methods From January 2018 to December 2018, consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the Departments of Neurology, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Dongguan Changping Hospital, and Jiangsu Provincial Second Chinese Medicine Hospital were enrolled. Serum adiponectin concentration was detected by radioimmunoassay. The cognitive function assessment was performed 1 month after the onset of stroke using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The total score of MoCA <22 was defined as PSCI. Univariate analysis was used to compare the baseline data between groups, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between serum adiponectin levels and PSCI. Results A total of 257 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled, with age 66.5 ± 9.9 years, 139 (54.1% ) males, and 91 (35.4% ) with PSCI. Age (68.2 ± 8.1 years vs. 65.6 ± 10.8 years; t=2.007, P=0.046 ), homocysteine (16.0 ± 6.2 μmol/L vs. 14.5 ± 4.5 μmol/L; t= 2.208, P= 0.028 ), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( 7.0 [3.3-9.9] mg/L vs. 4.7 [2.2-9.6] mg/L; Z=2.346, P=0.019 ) as well as the proportion of hypertension (64.8% vs. 50.6% ; χ2 =4.824, P=0.028), diabetes (33.0% vs. 21.1% ; χ2 =4.392, P=0.036), leuko-araiosis (47.2% vs. 32.5% ; χ2 =5.422, P=0.020) and diffusion weighting imaging-Alberta Stroke Project early CT score 0-7 (59.3% vs. 41.4% ; χ2 =6.942, P=0.008) in the PSCI group was significantly higher than that of the non-PSCI group, while the adiponectin level was significantly lower than that of the non-PS-CI group (5.4 [3.5-8.4] mg/L vs. 7.0 [5.3-9.3] mg/L; Z=3.624, P=0.001 ). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the confounding factors, the lower serum adiponectin level was an independent risk factors for PSCI (the 1st quartile group vs. the 4th quartile group: odds ratio 2.152, 95% confidence interval 1.119-5.039; P=0.047). Conclusions Low serum adiponectin level might be an independent risk factor for PSCI in patients with ischemic stroke.