Brain and Behavior

Post-stroke depression (PSD) represents one of the most prevalent psychiatric complications after stroke, affecting up to one-third of survivors, and it can substantially influence both the extent of functional impairments and the recovery trajectory. A reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in this population has been commonly demonstrated, underscoring the need to clarify their intercorrelation and shared neuroanatomical underpinnings. To address this a c...

IntroductionThe balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neural processes is a fundamental principle of brain function, and its disruption has been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). In vivo assessment of E/I balance has traditionally relied on electrophysiological measures, and despite the abundance of fMRI data on MS, no fMRI-based technique has so far been presented to measure E/I balance in MS. MethodsRecently, a novel MRI-based method has been introduced t...

BackgroundCarotid artery stenosis is a common cause of ischemic stroke, and carotid artery stenting is an important treatment for carotid artery stenosis. However, current carotid stents face issues such as cumbersome operation procedures and frequent difficulties in retrieving embolic protection devices which can lead to complications. ObjectivesThis study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel carotid artery stent system which integrates balloon, stent and embolic protection device retr...

ObjectiveTo identify patient characteristics and medication factors associated with perceived comfort with migraine treatments and control of migraine symptoms. BackgroundPatient perceptions of migraine treatment influence adherence and outcomes, yet little is known about their underlying drivers. Our study objective was to identify clinical features of migraine associated with comfort and perceived control of symptoms, and medication classes associated with higher patient comfort and efficacy....

Structured AbstractO_ST_ABSObjectiveC_ST_ABSWe represent primary headaches of the ICHD3 in matrix form and show that this representation allows for automated diagnosis as well as additional insights into headache classification. MethodsEach diagnosis in the ICHD3 is defined by a list of characteristics; combinations of characteristics form phenotypes. Multiple phenotypes may fit a given diagnosis. We first translated all characteristics for primary headache diagnoses in the ICHD3 into true/fals...

BACKGROUNDSteno-occlusive diseases of the internal carotid artery (ICA) or middle cerebral artery (MCA) can lead to hemodynamic impairment, yet conventional imaging often fails to reflect metabolic dysfunction. Integrated positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) allows simultaneous assessment of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and glucose metabolism. This study compared baseline perfusion and metabolic characteristics between patients receiving medical therapy or extracran...

Cognitive decline is common after cancer, but little is known regarding the etiology of this adverse effect, especially in terms of molecular mechanisms. This prospective study obtained brain imaging and cognitive testing from 50 newly diagnosed women with primary breast cancer prior to any cancer treatment and 53 female controls. Participants completed up to 7 assessments for a total time span of 9.7 +/- 0.92 years. Imaging transcriptomics was used to measure the expression of genes in the brai...

IntroductionVestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign tumor of the vestibulocochlear nerve, often causing hearing loss, balance disturbances, and psychosocial challenges. While surgical resection is standard, the long-term biopsychosocial impact of surgery is poorly understood. Research questionWhat are the physical, psychological, and social challenges experienced by patients up to five years after VS surgery? Material and MethodsA qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured video call...

BackgroundMiddle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as an adjunct or alternative strategy for the management of chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). Although accumulating studies suggest potential benefit, uncertainty remains regarding its safety profile, recurrence-prevention effect, and the reliability of adverse event reporting. This systematic review and meta-analysis re-evaluate contemporary evidence, incorporating new randomized trials and large observational cohorts. MethodsTh...

Cervical nerve blocks require high precision due to the proximity of critical structures, such as the spinal cord and the vertebral and carotid arteries. Training opportunities are limited by the risks associated with fluoroscopy-guided procedures, ethical constraints of cadaveric models, and the high cost of commercial simulators. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers an accessible and customizable alternative for procedural training. A cervical spine simulator was constructed from a multislic...

PurposeEndovascular therapy is preferred over open surgery due to its minimally invasive nature, faster recovery, and lower perioperative risk; however, fluoroscopy guided procedures are limited by radiation exposure, high equipment costs, and reliance on highly skilled operators. This study aims to develop and evaluate a lightweight, portable robotic system for autonomous guidewire navigation to improve safety, accessibility, and operator independence. MethodsA compact 400 g robotic device was...

BackgroundPropofol exposure can produce heterogenous neural responses, from the expected suppression to transient paradoxical excitation. EEG measures of signal complexity and entropy have emerged as reliable markers of consciousness, but different types of complexity and entropy measures are often conflated. We used Type I and II complexity measures on the Complexity-Entropy Causal Plane (CECP) to characterize divergent neural trajectories during propofol-induced loss of consciousness. We hypot...

ImportancePrognosticating functional independence after an acute stroke is critical for anticipatory guidance and rehabilitation planning. Here we demonstrate that poor brain health at the time of incident stroke is linked to worse functional outcomes for women compared to men. ObjectiveTo determine if brain health at time of stroke presentation has a differential effect on functional outcomes between men and women. DesignRetrospective cross-sectional study. SettingAnalysis conducted in 2025 ...

IntroductionMechanism-of-action studies on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing have so far focused mainly on the presumed active component of bilateral stimulation (BLS). In this pilot study, a further potential working mechanism was examined for the first time, involving stimulation-induced changes in emotional valence. MethodsTwenty-five patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and 25 healthy controls between 19 and 64 years of age underwent a simulated intervention based on comp...

BackgroundLarge middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarctions can result in life-threatening cerebral edema. Quantitative brain atrophy may improve risk stratification for severe edema. We examined whether quantitative brain atrophy is associated with severe midline shift after large ischemic stroke and whether incorporating atrophy improves prediction beyond established clinical and radiographic predictors. MethodsThis was a retrospective observational cohort study of patients with [≥][1/2] MCA ...

BackgroundSarcopenia is associated with mortality and morbidity following acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the diagnosis requires specialized equipment or time-consuming assessments. Computed tomography (CT) measures of temporal muscle volume (TMV) and density (TMD) can be opportunistically measured from existing scans and automated using deep learning (DL). This study sought to demonstrate the incremental prognostic value of DL-derived TMV and TMD from CT scans on mortality and length of stay (...

IntroductionThe ischaemic penumbra is the principal therapeutic target in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS). Although perfusion imaging enables identification of salvageable tissue, its availability is limited and iodinated contrast exposure carries risk. Validated blood-based biomarkers could serve as scalable surrogates for imaging-defined penumbra. ObjectiveWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between blood-based biomarkers reported in the literature and th...

BackgroundStenosis and dolichoectasia of cranial arteries likely reflect distinct mechanisms. Their contributions to lacunar stroke and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) remain contentious. We investigated associations of large artery stenosis (LAS) and arterial widening with stroke subtype, cSVD markers, incident infarcts, and clinical outcomes. MethodsWe prospectively recruited patients with lacunar or mild non-lacunar stroke, with demographic, stroke-related, cognitive, functional, and MR...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly sports- and recreational activity related mild TBI (mTBI), is common in young adults and can be followed by persistent attentional and executive complaints. This study investigated chronic ([≥]6 months post-injury) structural brain alterations in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) and their associations with self-reported inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, with a focus on sex-differentiated patterns. Structural brain properties in gr...

BackgroundFatigue is prevalent and debilitating across neurological disorders yet remains under recognised in routine care. We characterised and compared fatigue across five long term neurological conditions using a common assessment, and developed a brief, history-based model to estimate fatigue severity. MethodsAdults with epilepsy, Huntingtons disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinsons disease (PD), or motor neurone disease (MND) completed an online cross-sectional survey (n=652). The...