NEUR535 - Neuroimaging Flashcards

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1
Q

Learning Outcomes
* Identify the neuroimaging procedures that are used in Clinical
neuroscience
* Understand the mechanisms by which different neuroimaging
devices acquire their images
* Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each
neuroimaging device
* Understand the use of neuroimaging in behavioral neuroscience
research

A
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2
Q

What are the key general uses for neuroimaging?

A
  • Disease Differentation
  • Diagnosis
  • Monitoring disease progression
  • Monitor treatment outcomes
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3
Q

How is neuroimaging utilised in research?

A
  • Highlighting the neuroanatomical an functional activity changes in the brain for psychological conditions

– Understanding pathophysiology of disease conditions in research

  • Investigate treatament and therapy intervention effectiveness
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4
Q

6 key Forms of neuroimaging for cerebral changes in neurphsiology and neurpsychology research…?

A

– Electroencephalography (EEG)
– Computed Axial Tomography Scan (CT scan)
– Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
– Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
– Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
– Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
(SPECT)

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5
Q

What is electroencephalography EEG used for in neuroscience?

A

Investigate brain electrical activity and cerebral changes

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6
Q

What is the mechanism of EEG ?

A
  • Electrodes attached to scalp
  • Measures cortical voltage fluctuations from ionic current flows within the neurons
  • Collective neurons in an area
  • Used less than 40 minutes at a time
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7
Q

What are 7 key conditions why an EEG is utilised?

A
  • Sleep studies
  • Epilepsy
  • Coma
  • Encephalopathies
  • Tumours
  • Stroke
  • Brain death diagnosis
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8
Q

What are the EEG advantages and disadvantages?

A

Advantage:
- electrical localisation & strength
- Risk free
- Painless
- Cheap
- Precise time recordings

Disadvantage:
- Poor resolution
- Doesn’t record interior brain activity

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9
Q

What does CT scan stand for?

A

Computed axial tomography scan

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10
Q

How does a CT scan work?

A
  • Utilize a series of x-rays applied from different directions
  • uses a set of algebraic calculations to
    estimate how much x-ray is absorbed by an
    organ.
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11
Q

What kind of images do CT scans produce e.g. 3D, 2D, 4D?

A

2D

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12
Q

How are CT scans displayed?

A

Cross-sectional images or slices

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13
Q

What creates a whiter material on a CT scan?

A

Harder material will appear whiter in a CT scan e.g. bones

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14
Q

What are CT scans generally used to investigate?

A
  • blood clots
  • Intracranial bleeding
  • Strokes
  • Bone/vascular irregularities
  • Brain tumours/cysts
  • Tissue damage/swelling
  • CNS trauma
  • Ventricles e.g. hydrocephalus
  • Herniated discs
  • Epilepsies
  • Encephalitis
  • Spinal canal stenosis
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15
Q

How are CT scans used in neuroscience research?

A

Neurophysiological and neurophysological factors:

  • Mental health disorders
  • Issues post trauma
  • Cognitive impairements
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16
Q

What are CT scan advantages?

A
  • non-invasive/painless
  • Quick (20 mins - 1hr)
  • Images immediate
  • Differentiating neurological disorders with similar characteristics
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17
Q

What are CT scan disadvantages?

A
  • Expensive

Individuals who are:
- Obese or claustriphia
- Pregnancy
- Anxious/restless
- Contrast dye can have allergic reactions and unwanted side effects

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18
Q

What does MRI stand for?

A

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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19
Q

What combination does an MRI use to create 2D or 3D images?

A

magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves

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20
Q

What mechanism does an MRI use to generate images?

A

temporary realignment of water molecules as a result of
the high magnetic field created around the body.

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21
Q

What is EEG amplitude measured in?

A

microvolts

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22
Q

What are the 4 main EEG wavelengths?

A
  • Gamma
  • Beta
  • Alpha
  • Theta
23
Q

Can an MRI differentiate between bone, soft tissues, and fluid filled spaces?

A

Yes - based on water content

24
Q

WHat are key conditions an MRI is referred for

A

Diagnosis and differentiation of CNS:

  • Tumours
  • Structural abnormalities
  • Eyes
  • Inflammation
  • Infection
  • Vascular irregularities
  • Neuro-degenerative disorders
25
Q

How are MRIs utilised in neuroscience research?

A
  • Diagnostic marker for mental health
  • Measuring effects of interventions
  • Investigating strcutural abnormalities and functional changes
  • Investigating treatment outcomes or resistance
  • ## Personality changes
26
Q

What are the advantages of an MRI?

A
  • Safe
  • High quality images
  • High anatomical detail surface/subsurface structures
  • Detects changes overtime due to directional capacity/precision
27
Q

What are MRI disadvantages?

A
  • More expensive
  • Patients: medical devices e.g. pacemaker/metalics unable
  • Obese/claustrophic
  • Contrast dye side effects
28
Q

What is the key mechanisms behind fMRI scans?

A
  • Blood magnetic properties for blood flow to particular areas
  • Change in magnetization between oxygen-rich/poor blood (active parts)
  • Presents graphically by colour-coding to show strength of activation
  • Entire brain and specific regions are identified
29
Q

Why would you refer for an fMRI scan?

A
  • Precise determination of brain regions
  • Critical functions involving thought, speech, movement, sensation
  • Brain tumour growth/function monitoring
  • surgical planning
  • radiation therapy
  • Other surgical brain treatments
  • Investigating psychological conditions
  • Measure changes in treatments
30
Q

What are the advantages of fMRI?

A
  • Images of the brain every second
  • Excellent precision
  • High resolution
  • Can depict brain activity with a region occuring simultaneously or sequentially
31
Q

What are the disadvantages of fMRI?

A
  • Longer procedure times
  • Client must be still
  • fMRI is expensive
  • Confounded by other thought factors during the procedure causing other parts of the brain to become active
  • Unable to identify brain receptors activated by neurotransmitters, drugs and potential treatment compounds
32
Q

What does PET scan stand for?

A

Positron Emission Tomography

33
Q

HOw does a PET scan predominantly work?

A
  • Measures emissions from radioactively labelled chamicals that have been injected into the blood stream
  • Uses the data to produce 2 or 3 dimensional images of the distribution of the chemicals throughout the brain
34
Q

What do PET scans detect

A

radioactivity of Gamma rays as the compounds accumulate in different regions of the brain

35
Q

What conditions would you generally choose for a PET scan?

A
  • Highlight tumours and diseased tissue
  • Where you need to determine blood flow of the brain
  • Measure cellular and/or tissue metabolism
  • Seizure disorders
  • Memory disorders
  • Brain changes post injury or drug abuse
  • Differentiation of malignant and benign tumours
  • Follow up from CT or MRI
  • Measure treatment effectiveness
  • Cortical changes for neuroassociated diseases
36
Q

What are the advantages of PET scans?

A
  • Allows different compounts to show blood flow
  • Reviews brain oxygen consumption and glucose metabolism
  • Essential for identifying strokes, gliomas, meningiomas, lymphomas, brain metastasis
  • Specific for target therapy e.g. peptide receptor radionuclide therapy
  • Superior resolution
  • Hgih speed
37
Q

What are the disadvantages of PET

A
  • Limited to monitoring short tasks
  • Radioactive exposure
  • Expensive
38
Q

What does SPECT stand for?

A

Single photon emission computd tomography (SPECT)

39
Q

Is a SPECT scan using radioactive tracers?

A

yes

40
Q

What is the most similar brain scan to SPECT?

A

PET scan

41
Q

What does the SPECT scan test?

A

blood flow to issues to evaluate brain function

42
Q

What type of imaging is a SPECT scan?

A

nuclear

43
Q

What dimensional images does a SPECT construct?

A

2D & 3D

44
Q

Which scan uses more gamma radiation; PET or SPECT?

A

PET:SPECT 2:1

45
Q

Does a SPECT use radioavtive isotopes?

A

Yes

46
Q

How is the radioactive isotope in PET and SPECT delivered

A

IV

47
Q

What is the major difference upon use between SPECT and PET scans?

A
  • SPECT can determine longer lasting brain functions
48
Q

What is the general use of a SPECT scan?

A
  • Follow-up for MRI to diagnose tumours, infections, degenerative spinal disease, stress fractures
49
Q

SPECT in neuroscience research

A
50
Q

What are the advantages of SPECT?

A
  • Tracers of SPECT are longer lasting than those of PET
  • Cheaper than PET
  • Some scanners are linked with CT scans for CT and SPECT in one image session
51
Q

What are the disadvantages of SPECT?

A
  • More limited than PET
  • Poor resolution to PET
  • Longer time frames
52
Q
A
53
Q
A