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    Abstract:
    The striatum is the input component of the basal ganglia from the cerebral cortex. It includes the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. Thus, the striatum is an important component in limbic frontal-subcortical circuitry and is believed to be relevant both for reward-guided behaviors and for the expression of psychosis. The dorsal striatum is composed of the caudate and putamen, both of which are further subdivided into pre- and post-commissural components. The ventral striatum (VS) is primarily composed of the nucleus accumbens. The striatum can be functionally divided into three broad regions: 1) a limbic; 2) a cognitive and 3) a sensor-motor region. The approximate corresponding anatomic subregions for these 3 functional regions are: 1) the VS; 2) the pre/post-commissural caudate and the pre-commissural putamen and 3) the post-commissural putamen. We believe assessing these subregions, separately, in disorders with limbic and cognitive impairment such as schizophrenia may yield more informative group differences in comparison with normal controls than prior parcellation strategies of the striatum such as assessing the caudate and putamen. The manual parcellation of the striatum into these subregions is currently defined using certain landmark points and geometric rules. Since identification of these areas is important to clinical research, a reliable and fast parcellation technique is required. Currently, only full manual parcellation using editing software is available; however, this technique is extremely time intensive. Previous work has shown successful application of heuristic rules into a semi-automatic platform1. We present here a semi-automatic algorithm which implements the rules currently used for manual parcellation of the striatum, but requires minimal user input and significantly reduces the time required for parcellation.
    Keywords:
    Putamen
    Ventral striatum
    Caudate nucleus
    The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the usability of the susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in (1) assessment of iron deposition to enhance our ability to detect PD in the early phase and (2) in estimation of the degree of PD.SWI scans were carried out in 54 patients with PD (18 patients with the Hoehn-Yahr scale < 1.5 and 36 patients with the Hoehn-Yahr stage > 1.5) and 40 control individuals. The phase values of the substantia nigra, red nucleus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus were measured on the corrected phase image.Compared with control individuals, patients with both the early and intermediate/ advanced stages of PD had significantly different phase values in the substantia nigra, red nucleus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus (all p < 0.05). The phase values of the substantia nigra and globus pallidus inversely correlated with the Hoehn-Yahr scale (respectively, r = -0.845, p < 0.05, and r = -0.868, p < 0.05). Weaker correlations were found between the phase values of red nucleus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and Hoehn-Yahr scale (red nucleus r = -0.543, caudate nucleus r = -0.620, p < 0.05, putamen r = -0.537).A semi-quantitative assessment of the iron content of the substantia nigra and globus pallidus with the help of SWI may be useful for early diagnosis of PD and evaluation of the degree of this disease.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Red nucleus
    5-HT4 receptor
    Citations (34)
    Considerable interest has been shown of late in the occurrence of iron in the brain and its relation to certain nervous diseases. The existence of the iron can be demonstrated by placing a section of brain in concentrated ammonium hydrosulphide solution. After a few seconds the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra become a greenish-grey colour. Later, the red nucleus, the corpus dentatus cerebelli, the putamen and caudate nucleus also darken.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Red nucleus
    Citations (2)
    Objective To observe the changes of brain iron in deep gray nucleus(including substantia nigra,red nucleus,globus pallidus,putamen,caudate nucleus)with susceptibility weighted imaging(SWI)in healthy people.Methods A total of 171 healthy adults(86 males and 85 females)were selected to perform SWI examination.All of volunteers were divided into five age groups in term of ten years:20-29(n=31),30-39(n=33),40-49(n=35),50-59(n=40)and 60-69(n=32).The signal values of substantia nigra,red nucleus,globus pallidus,putamen,caudate nucleus on SWI were quantificationally measured.The relationship between SWI signal values of deep brain gray nucleus and age was analyzed.Results In the 20-39 years old group,SWI signal values of substantia nigra,globus pallidus,red nucleus,caudate nucleus,putamen had statistical differences(P0.001).The SWI signal values changed in the smooth in caudate nucleus and globus pallidus during the period of 20-39 years old,and increased rapidly after 40 years old in all brain gray nucleus(especially red nucleus and putamen).Obvious correlations between age and SWI signal values were shown in substantia nigra(r=-0.759),red nucleus(r=-0.875),putamen(r=-0.880)and caudate nucleus(r=-0.524),while weakly correlation was displayed in globus pallidus(r=-0.211).Conclusion SWI provides a new method to detect brain iron and quantificationally measure the anatomical localization and age-related iron concentration changes.
    Putamen
    Red nucleus
    Caudate nucleus
    5-HT4 receptor
    Susceptibility Weighted Imaging
    Subthalamic Nucleus
    Citations (0)
    It is well known that patients with Wilson's disease (WD) suffer copper metabolism disorder. However, recent studies point to an additional iron metabolism disorder in WD patients. The purpose of our study was to examine susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) manifestations of WD in the brains of WD patients.A total of 33 patients with WD and 18 normal controls underwent conventional MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and SWI. The phase values were measured on SWI-filtered phase images of the bilateral head of the caudate nuclei, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus. Student's t-tests were used to compare the phase values between WD groups and normal controls.The mean phase values for the bilateral head of the caudate nuclei, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001), and bilateral putamen was most strongly affected.There is paramagnetic mineralization deposition in brain gray nuclei of WD patients and SWI is an effective method to evaluate these structures.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Susceptibility Weighted Imaging
    Red nucleus
    Wilson's disease
    5-HT4 receptor
    Objective To compare the volume of the basal ganglia in patients with Tourette syndrome(T S) and the normal volunteers and to explore the underlying anatomical basis of TS.Methods Thirty-one cases of TS (TS subjects),31 gender and age-matched subjects (the control subjects) were examined on a 3.0 T MRI system.The volume of the caudate nucleus,globus pallidus,putamen of the two sides and the brain volume were measured with volume analysis software,and the data were normalized according to the individual brain volume.Statistical analysis was performed using t test to compare between the TS subjects and the controls.Results The volume of the both sides of the caudate nucleus,putamen and globus pallidus of TS subjects were (4.11 ±0.12) and (3.76 ±0.11),(2.28 ±0.12)and(2.35 ±0.28),(4.98 ±0.20) and (4.89 ±0.31)cm3,while they were (4.88 ±0.19) and (4.30 ±0.12),(2.28 ±0.12)and (2.35 ± 0.28),(4.98 ± 0.20) and (4.89 ± 0.31) cm3 in the controls,respectively.There were significant differences in the bilateral caudate nucleus and globus pallidus between the TS subjects and control subjects (t =2.97,1.74,3.72,3.93,P < 0.05),but there were no significant differences of the volume in the bilateral putamen between the TS and control subjects(t =0.47,1.31,P >0.05).The volume was not significantly different between the left and right caudate nucleus in the TS subjects (t =1.81,P >0.05),but the left volume of the caudate nucleus was bigger in the control subjects compared with the right volume,however,there was significant difference between the bilateral caudate nucleus in the control subjects (t =2.34,P < 0.05).There were no differences of volume between the bilateral globus pallidus and putamen in both the TS and control subjects (t =1.12,1.44,1.68,0.38,P > 0.05).Conclusion The abnormal volume of caudate nucleus,putamen,and the globus pallidus may be involved in the pathogenesis of TS. Key words: Tourette's symdrome;  Magnetic resonance imaging
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) images obtained using Xe-CT have a much higher spatial resolution than SPECT or PET images. The regional CBF (rCBF) of deep brain regions, the basal ganglia and thalamus, was able to be measured using Xe-CT in 6 subjects. Average rCBF was 87.1 +/- 20.7 ml/100 g/min in the caudate nucleus, 83.5 +/- 15.8 ml/100 g/min in the putamen, 50.0 +/- 8.7 ml/100 g/min in the globus pallidus and 88.9 +/- 12.4 ml/100 g/min in the thalamus. The average rCBF value of the globus pallidus was lower than the values of the caudate nucleus, putamen and thalamus. These observations may be explained by reduced cellularity of the globus pallidus in comparison to the other regions. SPECT and PET are not able to clearly demonstrate the globus pallidus on CBF images. However, precise rCBF values can be measured in the globus pallidus using Xe-CT.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Citations (4)

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

    The age effect on the diffusion pattern in the basal ganglia differs from that in the white matter. The main purpose of our study was to provide further insight into the change of water diffusion in the basal ganglia during human brain aging by using the eigenvalues of DTI.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS:

    We examined 71 healthy subjects (mean age, 41.8 ± 14.5 years; age range, 20–79 years). The values of MD, FA, and the eigenvalues λ1 and λ2323 = [λ2 + λ3] / 2) were determined in regions of the head of the caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus, and in some regions of white matter. The age-dependence of these measurements was tested for statistical significance by using the Pearson correlation analysis.

    RESULTS:

    A significant reduction of MD with aging was found in the head of caudate nucleus (r = −0.319, P = .007) and putamen (r = −0.410, P < .001), and an increase in FA with aging was found in the putamen (r = 0.535, P < .001). Eigenvalue λ23 showed a significant age-related decrease in the putamen (r = −0.451, P < .001) and the head of the caudate nucleus (r = −0.312, P = .008), but no significant changes of λ23 were found in the globus pallidus. The results for eigenvalue λ1 in the head of caudate nucleus (r = −0.299, P = .011) were close to statistical significance.

    CONCLUSIONS:

    The eigenvalues provide more insights into the different diffusion patterns in the basal ganglia during human brain aging.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Subthalamic Nucleus
    Citations (48)
    Background and purpose Advancing age is associated with declines in motor function; understanding age-related changes in the basal ganglia, therefore, is imperative for comprehension of such functional changes. The purpose of this study was to examine the age, sex, and hemispheric differences in volume of the caudate nucleus, the putamen, and the globus pallidus. Methods In a sample of 148 healthy right-handed adults (18-77 years old) with no evidence of age-related motor disorders, we estimated the volume of the head of the caudate nucleus, the putamen, and the globus pallidus from MR images. Results The analyses revealed bilateral age-related shrinkage of the head of the caudate nucleus and the putamen in both sexes. In men, the age-related shrinkage of the caudate was stronger on the left, whereas, in women, the opposite trend was evident. In both sexes, age-related shrinkage of the right putamen was greater than of its left counterpart. The mild bilateral age-related shrinkage of the globus pallidus was observed only in men. In both sexes, we observed significant rightward asymmetry in the putamen, significant leftward asymmetry in the caudate, and no asymmetry in the globus pallidus. Conclusions Bilateral age-related shrinkage of the neostriatum is found in healthy adults. The shrinkage of the globus pallidus is less pronounced and may be restricted to men only.
    Putamen
    Caudate nucleus
    Citations (178)