http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/contents_list.asp?issue=202608 zh-cn An RSS feed for Chinese Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.002 ObjectiveTo construct a cerebral blood flow (CBF) functional network based on arterial spin labeling (ASL) and to investigate alterations in network topological properties in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and their associations with cognitive function. Materials and MethodsA total of 52 patients with PFO and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were prospectively enrolled. CBF was quantified using ASL. The cerebral cortex was parcellated into 200 regions of interest according to the Schaefer atlas. The probability distribution of CBF in each region was estimated using kernel density estimation, and Jensen-Shannon divergence (JSD) was applied to quantify distributional similarity and construct the CBF functional network. Global and nodal topological properties, including global efficiency, clustering coefficient, degree centrality, and nodal efficiency, were calculated. Between-group differences were assessed using independent-samples t-tests. Partial correlation analyses controlling for age, sex, and years of education were further performed to investigate the relationships between abnormal network topological properties and cognitive function. Specifically, we examined correlations with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, as well as with PFO anatomical parameters and right-to-left shunt (RLS) grades. Results(1) Global properties: Compared with healthy controls, patients with PFO showed a statistically significant difference in global efficiency at the uncorrected level (P < 0.05), but the difference was not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. (2) Nodal properties: Compared with the HC group, patients with PFO exhibited significant nodal topological alterations across multiple functional networks. In the default mode network (DMN), the degree centrality (Dc) and nodal efficiency (Ne) of the left precuneus were significantly decreased, while the Ne and nodal local efficiency (NLe) of the left dorsal prefrontal cortex were reduced. The left posterior cingulate cortex showed decreased Dc and Ne, with increased nodal clustering coefficient (NCp) and NLe. In the right posterior cingulate cortex, betweenness centrality (Bc), Dc, and Ne were decreased, while nodal shortest path length (NLp) was increased. In the fronto-parietal control network (FPN), the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed decreased Bc, Dc, and Ne, whereas NCp and NLe were increased. In the somatomotor network (SMN), the left somatomotor area showed increased Bc, Dc, and Ne, along with decreased NLp. The right somatomotor area demonstrated increased Bc, Dc, and Ne, whereas the right secondary somatosensory cortex showed decreased Bc, Dc, and Ne. In the ventral attention network (VAN), the right inferior parietal lobule exhibited decreased Ne, accompanied by increased NLe and NLp (FDR corrected P < 0.05). (3) Correlation analysis: In the right posterior cingulate cortex, Bc and Dc were positively correlated with MoCA scores, while Ne and Dc were positively correlated with MMSE scores. In the left precuneus, Ne was positively correlated with MoCA scores. In the left posterior cingulate cortex, Dc, NCp, and NLe were positively correlated with MoCA scores, while Ne, Dc, NCp, and NLe were positively correlated with MMSE scores (FDR corrected P < 0.05). ConclusionsPatients with PFO exhibit significant topological reorganization at the nodal level of the CBF network, primarily involving key functional networks such as the default mode network, fronto-parietal control network, and somatomotor network, and these alterations are correlated with cognitive scores. These findings may reveal potential neural mechanisms underlying PFO-related cognitive changes, provide preliminary insights into the relationship between nodal-level network topological changes and cognitive function, and offer an additional neuroimaging perspective for the assessment of cognitive function in patients with PFO. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.003 ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of effective connectivity in youth with subthreshold depression (SD) and reveal its early neuropathological mechanism based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and spectral dynamic causal modeling (spDCM). Materials and MethodsFifty-two participants with SD (SD group) and 51 healthy controls (HC group) aged 15-24 years were enrolled. After preprocessing all rs-fMRI data, we selected the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) as regions of interest. Effective connectivity (EC) differences were analyzed using spDCM and parametric empirical Bayes (PEB). Correlation analyses were performed between interregional effective connectivity values and clinical scale scores in the SD group. ResultsIn both groups, bilateral DLPFC exerted inhibitory connectivity toward mPFC and PCC (EC range: -0.435 to -0.200, Pp > 0.95). The mPFC exhibited excitatory connectivity to rDLPFC (EC = 0.075, Pp > 0.95), and bidirectional excitatory connectivity was observed between lDLPFC and rDLPFC (EC range: 0.206 to 0.256, Pp > 0.95). Compared with the HC group, the SD group exhibited decreased inhibitory effective connectivity from rDLPFC to mPFC (EC = 0.118, Pp > 0.95). No significant correlations were observed between interregional connectivity strengths in the SD group and scores of the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) as well as the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) (r range: -0.215 to 0.254, all P > 0.05). ConclusionsYouth with SD exhibit reduced inhibitory effective connectivity from rDLPFC to mPFC, suggesting that reduced inhibitory control of mPFC by rDLPFC is a concomitant neuroimaging feature of early SD, which can be used as an imaging reference to reflect brain functional alterations in SD. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.004 ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effect of Zhu^,s scalp acupuncture on the functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus (CST) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technology, clarify its associated brain functional network changes and verify the clinical efficacy. Materials and MethodsA total of 85 CST patients meeting the inclusion criteria from March 2025 to October 2025 were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group (Zhu^,s scalp acupuncture treatment, 43 cases) and a control group (oral administration of Ginkgo Biloba tablets and mecobalamin, 42 cases) using a random number table method. Additionally, 30 healthy volunteers were included as a healthy control group, which underwent only a single baseline rs-fMRI scan. Patients in both treatment groups received intervention for (60 ± 2) days and underwent rs-fMRI scans before and after treatment. Simultaneously, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were assessed. Sliding window analysis, hidden Markov models, and graph theory analysis were employed to extract functional connectivity parameters of core DMN nodes [posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), angular gyrus (ANG), etc.) and graph theory metrics (global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficient). Dynamic changes in DMN functional connectivity before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between imaging indicators and clinical scale scores was analyzed. ResultsBefore treatment, the functional connectivity strengths between PCC and ANG, as well as between mPFC and PCC in the DMN of patients in both groups were higher than those of healthy people (t = 5.342, P < 0.001; t = 6.115, P < 0.001), and were positively correlated with THI scores (r = 0.583, 0.612, P < 0.01). After treatment, the functional connectivity strengths of PCC-right ANG and mPFC-PCC in the experimental group were lower than those before treatment (t = 8.756, P < 0.001; t = 9.234, P < 0.001), and the global efficiency, local efficiency and clustering coefficient of DMN were improved (t = 7.562, 7.236, 6.982, P < 0.001); the improvement amplitude of the above imaging indicators in the experimental group was better than that in the control group (t = 3.878, 3.652, 3.423, P < 0.05). In terms of clinical efficacy, the total effective rate of the experimental group (86.05%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (64.29%) (χ² = 6.327, P = 0.012). Correlation analysis showed that the change in PCC-right ANG functional connectivity strength was positively correlated with the change in THI score (r = 0.623, P < 0.001). ConclusionsZhu^,s scalp acupuncture can improve clinical symptoms by down-regulating the abnormally enhanced functional connectivity in the DMN of CST patients and optimizing the network topological properties. Its mechanism may be related to regulating DMN functional connectivity and network topological properties, which provides imaging evidence for the precise treatment of CST. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.005 ObjectiveTo explore the clinical value of the peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) parameter in reflecting white matter damage and disease severity in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Materials and MethodsA total of 32 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS), 31 patients with nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE-NL), and 40 healthy controls (HC) were included. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data of the brain were collected to calculate whole-brain white matter PSMD values. Differences among the three groups were compared, and the correlations between PSMD and disease duration, the National Hospital Seizure Severity Scale (NHS₃), as well as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were analyzed. ResultsThe overall distribution of PSMD values differed significantly among the three groups (H = 17.950, P < 0.001). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that the overall PSMD level in the TLE-HS group was higher than that in the HC group (P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between the TLE-NL group and the HC group, or between the TLE-HS group and the TLE-NL group. In the TLE-HS group, PSMD values were positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.416, P = 0.018) and NHS₃ scores (r = 0.542, P = 0.001), and negatively correlated with MoCA scores (r = -0.428, P = 0.015). In the TLE-NL group, PSMD values were positively correlated with disease duration (r = 0.423, P = 0.018) and NHS₃ scores (r = 0.328, P = 0.072), but the latter correlation did not reach statistical significance. PSMD values in the TLE-NL group were negatively correlated with MoCA scores (r = -0.488, P = 0.005). ConclusionsPSMD was higher in TLE-HS patients than in the HC group and was associated with disease duration, seizure severity, and cognitive impairment. In TLE-NL patients, PSMD was associated with disease duration and cognitive function, but its association with seizure severity did not reach statistical significance. PSMD may serve as a potential imaging biomarker for white matter damage and disease progression in TLE. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.006 ObjectiveUsing three-dimensional arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) technology to investigate cerebral blood flow perfusion characteristics and their correlation with mechanical ventilation duration in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Materials and MethodsA total of 122 preterm infants who were hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2024 to September 2024 and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in the Department of Radiology were prospectively and consecutively enrolled as study subjects. According to the diagnostic criteria for BPD, the patients were divided into a BPD group (n = 61) and a control group (n = 61). All subjects underwent conventional cranial MRI sequences and ASL sequence scanning at a corrected gestational age of 35 to 39 weeks. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) values were quantitatively measured in regions of interest, including the bilateral frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices and white matter, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Clinical data and CBF values were compared between the two groups. The effect of sex on CBF in the BPD group was analyzed, and partial correlation and subgroup-stratified analyses were performed within the BPD group to explore the correlation between CBF in the brain regions showing significant intergroup differences and the duration of mechanical ventilation. ResultsThe duration of mechanical ventilation, invasive ventilation, and non-invasive ventilation in the BPD group was longer than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the CBF values in the bilateral frontal cortex, bilateral parietal cortex, bilateral temporal cortex, bilateral occipital cortex, right frontal white matter, left parietal white matter, bilateral temporal white matter, right occipital white matter, bilateral basal ganglia and bilateral thalamus of the BPD group increased (P < 0.05). Gender had no significant effect on CBF levels in various brain regions of preterm infants with BPD (P > 0.05). In the overall BPD group (corrected gestational age 35~38 weeks), there was no significant correlation between CBF in the brain regions showing significant intergroup differences and the duration of mechanical ventilation (P > 0.05); stratified analysis showed that in the subgroup with a corrected gestational age of 37 to 38 weeks, CBF in the left parietal white matter (r = 0.421, P = 0.040) and right occipital white matter (r = 0.476, P = 0.019) was significantly positively correlated with the duration of mechanical ventilation. Conclusions3D-ASL can reveal CBF perfusion abnormalities in preterm infants with BPD. In preterm infants with BPD at corrected gestational age of 37 to 38 weeks, there is a positive correlation between left parietal white matter and right occipital white matter CBF and mechanical ventilation duration. Clinical attention should be paid to the blood flow changes in the aforementioned brain regions of children undergoing long-term mechanical ventilation, optimizing respiratory support strategies, and strengthening neurodevelopmental follow-up. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.007 ObjectiveTo explore the predictive value of combining diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS), fractional anisotropy (FA) and standard MRI quantitative parameters for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status in adult-type diffuse high-grade gliomas. Materials and MethodsA total of 106 patients with adult-type diffuse high-grade gliomas who underwent standard MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examinations and were definitively diagnosed by postoperative histopathological examination were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. The clinical, imaging and pathological data of all patients were collected. Standard MRI quantitative parameters were obtained by layer-by-layer delineation of the entire tumor using 3D-Slicer software. DSI studio software was applied to calculate FA and mean diffusivity (MD) in the tumor and peritumoral edema regions, as well as the ALPS index on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of the tumor. Clinical data, standard MRI quantitative parameters, DTI metrics and ALPS index were compared between IDH wild-type and IDH-mutant groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for indicators with statistically significant intergroup differences. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the optimal diagnostic parameters for predicting IDH mutation status. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate diagnostic efficiency. ResultsTumor FA, tumor MD, ipsilateral ALPS index, contralateral ALPS index, tumor parenchymal volume, peritumoral edema volume, tumor-to-edema volume ratio and age were significantly different between the IDH wild-type and IDH-mutant groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age, tumor parenchymal volume, peritumoral edema volume, tumor FA and ipsilateral ALPS index were independent predictors of IDH mutation status. DeLong test indicated that the ipsilateral ALPS index and tumor FA exerted distinct incremental predictive values based on corresponding baseline models. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the combined model incorporating age, standard MRI quantitative parameters, DTI metrics and ALPS index achieved the optimal predictive performance for IDH mutation status in adult-type diffuse high-grade gliomas. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.952, with a sensitivity of 89.0%, specificity of 97.0% and accuracy of 93.4%. After 1000 bootstrap internal validation, the corrected 95% confidence interval (CI) of AUC was 0.879 to 0.995. The area under the precision-recall curve (PR-AUC) was 0.933, and the Brier score was 0.062, suggesting favorable model calibration. ConclusionsDTI-ALPS combined with FA and standard MRI quantitative parameters shows good efficacy in predicting IDH mutation in adult-type diffuse high-grade gliomas. Ipsilateral ALPS index and tumor FA yield extra diagnostic value and can serve as imaging evidence for preoperative assessment and individualized treatment. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.008 ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive value of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) parameters derived from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Materials and MethodsA total of 73 patients with DCM treated at Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical University from May 2023 to July 2025 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical data, echocardiographic parameters, and CMR-derived parameters including cardiac functional parameters, EAT thickness, epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) percentage (LEG%) were collected. All patients received guideline-directed medical therapy and were followed up by echocardiography for 12 months. Patients were divided into the LVRR and non-LVRR groups according to the occurrence of LVRR. Baseline clinical and CMR data were compared between the two groups. Variables with statistically significant differences in univariate analysis (P < 0.05), except for normalized EATV and LGE extent LGE%, were entered into stepwise logistic regression to construct the baseline model (Model 1). Normalized EATV and LGE% were then separately added to Model 1 to construct Model 2 and Model 3, respectively. Finally, both normalized EATV and LGE% were added to construct the combined model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated for each model, and predictive performance was compared using the DeLong test. Spearman correlation analysis and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationship between EAT indices and LGE%. ResultsAt baseline, the LVRR group had a higher proportion of women and a higher body mass index, whereas left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVi), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), right ventricular free wall (RVFW) thickness, EATV, normalized EATV, and LGE% were all significantly lower than those in the non-LVRR group (all P < 0.05). After adjustment for potential confounders, stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis identified female sex (P = 0.019), normalized EATV (P = 0.010), and LGE% (P = 0.023) as independent predictors of LVRR. The AUCs of Model 1, Model 2, Model 3, and the combined model for predicting LVRR were 0.765, 0.857, 0.856, and 0.891, respectively. DeLong test showed that Model 2 (P = 0.028), Model 3 (P = 0.043), and the combined model (P = 0.018) all demonstrated significantly better predictive performance than Model 1, whereas no significant differences were observed among Model 2, Model 3, and the combined model (all P > 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that EATV and normalized EATV were significantly positively correlated with LGE% (r = 0.613 and 0.624, respectively; both P < 0.001). Mediation analysis demonstrated that LGE% partially mediated the association between normalized EATV and LVRR, with a mediation proportion of 39.10% (P = 0.030). ConclusionsNormalized EATV is an independent predictor for LVRR in patients with DCM, and its effect is partially mediated by promoting myocardial fibrosis. Quantitative EAT parameters and LGE% obtained from one-stop CMR imaging may serve as objective imaging markers for treatment response and prognostic stratification in patients with DCM. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.009 ObjectiveTo establish a prediction model for axillary pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in breast cancer patients with initially positive axillary lymph nodes, by integrating multimodal MRI features of the breast, axillary lymph nodes and peritumoral region before and after treatment, as well as clinicopathological indicators, and to evaluate its predictive performance. Materials and MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on patients with breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to August 2025. MR imaging data and clinicopathological information before and after NAT were collected. Patients were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 8:2. Logistic regression was used to screen independent predictors of axillary pCR and construct a nomogram. The model performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA), and bootstrap resampling (1000 times) was performed for internal validation to evaluate model stability. ResultsA total of 197 patients were included, with an axillary pCR rate of 58.38%. Positive HER-2 status, disappearance of peritumoral edema after NAT, and non-enhancement of residual lesions were identified as independent predictive factors (P < 0.05). The model achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.895 (95% CI: 0.839 to 0.943) in the training set and 0.895 (95% CI: 0.773 to 0.984) in the validation set. The bootstrap-corrected optimism-corrected AUC was 0.893 (95% CI: 0.846 to 0.944). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated good model fitting, and DCA showed significant net clinical benefit within a threshold probability range of 12% to 90%. ConclusionsThe model established in this study can effectively predict axillary pCR after NAT in breast cancer patients with initially positive axillary lymph nodes, with favorable discrimination and calibration. It can provide evidence for individualized surgical decision-making for the axilla, reduce unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), and improve patient prognosis. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.010 ObjectiveTo explore the value of amide proton transfer weight (APTw) imaging in the differential diagnosis of prostatitis, prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 133 patients with prostate diseases who underwent 3.0 T MRI scanning and were confirmed by pathology, including 41 cases of BPH, 23 cases of prostatitis and 69 cases of PCa. APTw values of all lesions were measured by two observers. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the consistency of APTw values measured by two observers. The age and prostate specific antigen [including total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and free prostate specific antigen (fPSA)] of all patients were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was used to screen possible independent risk factors of PCa. Firstly, the differences of parameters between benign and malignant groups were compared, and then the comparisons among PCa, BPH and prostatitis were made. T-test was used to compare the differences between benign and malignant lesions, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences of quantitative parameters among the three groups. The measurement data conforming to the skewed distribution are expressed by the median (interquartile interval), and the differences between different groups are compared by Mann-Whitney rank sum test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of different parameters in different groups. DeLong test was used to compare the diagnostic efficiency of each parameter and joint parameters. ResultsThe APTw values measured by the two observers are in good agreement (ICC > 0.75). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age and tPSA were possible independent risk factors for screening PCa (P < 0.05). Compared with benign prostate diseases (prostatitis and BPH), the age, tPSA and APTw values of PCa group were all higher than those of benign prostate diseases group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with PCa, BPH and prostatitis, PCa group was older than BPH group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference among other groups. tPSA in PCa group was higher than that in prostatitis group and BPH group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference in tPSA between prostatitis group and BPH group (P > 0.05). The APTw value in PCa group was higher than that in prostatitis group and BPH group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference between prostatitis group and BPH group (P > 0.05). The clinical indicators (age, tPSA), APTw value and the area under ROC curve (AUC) of APTw combined with clinical indicators in differentiating benign and malignant prostate lesions were 0.754, 0.755 and 0.838, respectively, and the diagnostic efficiency of clinical indicators and APTw value combined with clinical indicators was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The AUC of tPSA, APTw and APTw combined with tPSA in differentiating PCa from prostatitis were 0.680, 0.739 and 0.783, respectively, and there was no significant difference in diagnostic efficiency (P > 0.05). ConclusionsAPT value has a good clinical application prospect in differentiating benign and malignant prostate diseases. Combined with clinical indicators, it can improve the diagnostic efficiency, and can well distinguish PCa from prostatitis and BPH. In addition, APTw value combined with tPSA value can improve the diagnosis of PCa and prostatitis to a certain extent, providing new ideas for clinical diagnosis and subsequent treatment methods. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.011 ObjectiveTo evaluate the consistency of cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements between enhanced arterial spin labeling (eASL) and three-dimensional arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) in different brain regions. Materials and MethodsThirty healthy volunteers (11 males, 19 females; mean age ± SD: 23 ± 7 years) were recruited between March 2024 and March 2025. All participants underwent both eASL (TR 9584 ms, with multiple post-labeling delays of 1.000, 1.361, 1.739, 2.141, 2.577, 3.067, and 3.658 s) and 3D-ASL (TR 4308 ms,PLD: 1.025 s, 2.025 s) scanning on a 3.0 T MR scanner. After head motion correction, spatial registration, and other preprocessing steps, a kinetic model was applied to the multi-delay eASL data to generate quantitative CBF maps. CBF values from 54 anatomical subregions, including cerebral lobes, deep nuclei, deep perforating artery territories, cerebellum, and others, were extracted and compared between the two techniques. The relative difference indices (normalized to the ipsilateral cerebrum and cerebellum, respectively) were also calculated. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 27.0. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of data distribution, and Levene^,s test was used to assess homogeneity of variances. Paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed accordingly. All statistical results were corrected using FDR. Bland-Altman analysis was used to evaluate the agreement between the two techniques, and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. ResultsAmong the 54 brain regions, paired t-tests were performed on 48 regions, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed on the remaining 6 regions. Significant differences in CBF values were observed in 48.15% (26/54) of brain regions (P < 0.05). eASL yielded significantly higher CBF values in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum compared to 3D-ASL. Conversely, in some deep nuclei, eASL yielded lower CBF values than 3D-ASL. Analysis of arterial transit time (ATT) revealed a clear stratification: cortical and cerebellar regions had longer ATTs (1.30 to 1.45 s), whereas deep nuclei and deep perforating territories had shorter ATTs (1.05 to 1.20 s). Bland-Altman analysis indicated a mean CBF difference of 3.57 mL/(100 g·min) across all regions, with an ICC(A,1) of 0.63, indicating moderate agreement but notable inter-individual variability. ConclusionsThere are significant region-dependent differences in cerebral blood flow perfusion measurements between eASL and 3D-ASL. The ATT of intracerebral arteries exhibits a typical regional layered distribution. In clinical quantitative assessment of cerebral perfusion, attention should be paid to the regional measurement differences between the two ASL sequences, and scanning protocols should be optimized to improve the accuracy of cerebral hemodynamic evaluation. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.012 ^,s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an insidious onset and a progressive course, characterized by persistent cognitive decline and region-specific pathologies. Early identification of AD and elucidation of its underlying biological mechanisms remain key challenges in both clinical and basic research. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a rapidly evolving non-invasive imaging technique that applies low-frequency mechanical waves to brain tissue and acquires quantitative parameters reflecting tissue stiffness and viscoelasticity using MRI. It offers a novel approach to investigating the evolution of the brain^,s mechanical microenvironment during AD progression and shows promise in assisting early diagnosis and disease monitoring. This review systematically summarizes the current applications of MRE in AD research, covering early detection, disease progression tracking, and the association between brain mechanical property changes and pathological processes. It also identifies limitations in sample size and technical standardization, and proposes future directions toward protocol harmonization and multicenter longitudinal validation. This review aims to provide clinicians and AD researchers with a systematic reference from technical principles to clinical applications. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.013 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.014 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.015 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.016 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.017 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.018 ^, prognosis and quality of life. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and treatment response assessment of BMs are of great significance for clinical management. Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging, as a branch of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technology, can noninvasively detect intratumoral protein concentration and changes in the metabolic microenvironment, and has shown some potential in studies related to the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system tumors in recent years. However, current studies on APT imaging in BMs still have several limitations, including relatively small sample sizes, inconsistent scanning parameters and post-processing workflows, differences in APT quantitative metrics and region-of-interest selection, and scattered evidence regarding pathology-related assessment and post-treatment efficacy assessment, and there is a relative lack of systematic reviews specifically focused on BMs. Accordingly, this article reviews the application progress of APT imaging in the differential diagnosis, pathology-related assessment, and post-treatment efficacy assessment of BMs, and discusses its clinical value and future development directions. This review aims to summarize the key evidence and existing challenges of APT imaging in the evaluation of BMs, demonstrate its potential value in improving diagnostic accuracy and post-treatment monitoring of BMs, and provide a reference for future study design and clinical translation. ]]> Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.019 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.020 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.021 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.022 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.023 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.024 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.025 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.026 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://med-sci.cn/cgzcx/en/en_articlexml.asp?doi=10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.08.027 Thu,20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT