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Biomedical subjects

M Backens

Publications and source records attributed to M Backens.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cognitive changes after carotid artery stenting.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to test changes in cognitive performance after carotid artery stenting (CAS). METHOD: Ten patients were neuropsychologically tested at least 24 h before and 48 h after CAS. To diminish thromboembolic events, we used a proximal protection device. The following neuropsychological tests were selected: The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), symbol digit test and subtests of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) battery (verbal fluency, constructional practice, word list memory and delayed recall). Affective state was determined by the Beck Depression Score (BDS). RESULTS: No patient suffered from depression (BDS <1) or dementia (MMSE 29.9+/-1.5). Nine of the ten patients (P=0.12) showed increased speed in the Number Connection Test (NCT) (corresponding to trail making test). Most patients showed better or similar results concerning delayed recall (P=0.31). No change was observed in the symbol digit test, word list memory, verbal fluency or constructional practice. Better results concerning NCT and delayed recall after carotid stenting might be due to improved brain perfusion. CONCLUSION: After CAS, cognitive and memory performance seem to improve. Further studies with different time intervals and more refined testing, as well as perfusion-weighted imaging, are needed.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[Spinal infections].

Regardless of the compartment involved, imaging of spinal infections and other spinal inflammatory diseases must be performed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allows early detection of changes in disk space or vertebral bodies. Associated paraspinal and epidural masses are depicted. However, in spinal cord inflammation MRI has a very limited specificity and cannot usually differentiate between the wide array of possible causes of intramedullary lesions. This article covers a spectrum of inflammatory lesions of the spinal cord.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Imaging of spinal tumors].

Spinal tumors are often categorized into extradural, intradural extramedullary, or intramedullary. Although this classification represents somewhat of an overgeneralization as a lesion may reside in two compartments, it still helps to characterize spinal tumors. In the intradural, extramedullary space, primary tumors, such as neurofibroma and meningioma, are relatively common. Secondary tumors or leptomeningeal enhancement also occur. In the intramedullary space, primary tumors are far more common than secondary tumors or metastases.

Contrast Media↗
PubMed2002

Time course of the apparent diffusion coefficient after cerebral infarction.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitative apparent diffusion changes in the center of infarction by measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and to investigate the influence of ischemia on the contralateral hemisphere. By diffusion echo-planar imaging (EPI) 52 patients showing cerebral infarction were studied within 5 h to >12 months after onset of clinical symptoms. Using three diffusion gradient strengths (b1=30 s/mm(2); b2=300 s/mm(2), b3=1100 s/mm(2)) ADC maps were generated. After onset of ischemia, ADC in the center of infarction was lower than in the contralateral regions of human brain. At first ADC declined for approximately 28 h to a minimum of approximately 150x10(-8) cm(2)/s. Then the ADC reincreased and reached a "pseudonormalization" after approximately 5 days. Chronic infarctions did show much higher ADC values (2000x10(-8) cm(2)/s) than unaffected areas. Neither localization nor size of infarctions showed a significant influence on this time course. In the center of infarction diffusion is isotropic. Even brain regions of the contralateral hemisphere are influenced by cerebral ischemia. In these regions ADC is higher than for physiological conditions. The ADC also declines especially for the first 2-3 days after onset of symptoms, also followed by reincrease. The ADC calculation enables determination of the onset of infarction more exactly than is possible using only diffusion-weighted imaging. Diffusion in the center of infarction is isotropic; hence, orientation of the diffusion gradients has no significant influence on sensitivity of measurements. The calculation of the ADC ratio based on data derived from the center of infarction and the contralateral hemisphere seems to be critical because the ADC in the unaffected contralateral hemisphere also changes.

Brain↗
PubMed1995

[Proton spin tomography of the orbit in post-traumatic motility disorders].

AIM: To analyse the value of MRI for the assessment of posttraumatic disturbances of eye motility. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analysed retrospectively the results of 38 MR examinations of the orbit in 31 patients with posttraumatic motility impairment with preserved visus. 18 patients underwent MRI preoperatively. From this group 5 patients were additionally examined postoperatively. Another 5 patients who had not been examined prior to surgery were controlled postoperatively. Hence, a total of 10 patients with persisting disturbances was examined postoperatively. 8 patients who underwent MRI were not treated by surgery because of only minor disturbances. In all patients conventional radiography of the orbit was performed prior to MRI. Additional CT imaging was carried out in 12 patients. RESULTS: In 18 patients examined preoperatively we found displacement of orbital fat tissue, displacement and entrapment of orbital muscles, swelling of muscles and oedema in retrobulbar fat tissue. 10 patients from the postoperative group exhibited remaining prolapsed fat tissue, oedema in fat tissue and/or swelling of muscles. 8 patients had only small soft tissue changes which did not require surgery. CONCLUSION: Since it can image soft tissue precisely, MRI provides the decisive information in the assessment of motility impairment of the eye. In case of isolated orbital fracture with motility impairment, CT is not absolutely necessary for surgical therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Image fusion of MRI and immunoscintigraphy with MAb-170 in ovarian tumors].

In recent years multimodality imaging achieved growing importance. It is mostly performed by means of quite expensive software and hardware solutions. In the present pilot study a simple and low-cost procedure was developed to achieve image fusion in the pelvis. The image data of immunoscintigraphy (SPECT) and MRI were transferred to a personal computer and combined by standard software for image manipulation. The results in eleven patients with space-occupying lesions in the pelvis showed that adequate anatometabolic slices could be achieved. The results show a tendency to increased specificity and precision of multimodality imaging in comparison with SPECT and MRI alone. In conclusion, the low-cost solution, as developed by us, is feasible in clinical practice. Its results are reliable in clinical decision making.

Adult↗