Zhang Ming

Bio: Zhang Ming is an academic researcher from Xi'an Jiaotong University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Magnetic resonance imaging & Anterior cingulate cortex. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 8 publications receiving 80 citations.

Spinal extradural meningeal cysts: an MRI evaluation of a case series and literature review

Abstract: Study DesignCase series and literature review.ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of extradural spinal meningeal cysts (SMCs) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and discuss their classifications and etiology, as well as exploring the choice of treatment.Summary of Background DataSpinal extradur

A pharmaco-fMRI study on pain networks induced by electrical stimulation after sumatriptan injection.

Abstract: Sumatriptan, a drug widely used to alleviate migraine headaches, has several somatosensory adverse effects, including tactile allodynia. To understand whether sumatriptan affects sensory and affective circuitries simultaneously, we investigated the responses of 12 healthy volunteers to electrical stimuli after infusion with either sumatriptan or saline. Using a double-blind crossover study design, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activation in different areas during electrical stimulation. The visual analog scale (VAS) and short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were used to rate stimulation-evoked sensations and affections after drug administration. VAS rating, SF-MPQ, and block fMRI were all performed in each subject during sumatriptan and saline injection. Echo-planar imaging sequences were used to determine the whole-brain blood oxygenation level-dependent signal of the entire brain. Our results showed that sumatriptan predominantly activated regions in the medial pain system and smaller regions in the lateral pain system. These regions included the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII), anterior insular cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, medial thalamus, cerebellar supravermis, dentate nucleus, and the majority of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In contrast, activation following saline administration was observed primarily in the lateral pain system, including the primary sensory cortex, lateral SII, posterior insular cortex, anterior ACC, and lateral thalamus. Importantly, we found that VAS ratings and MPQ scores were increased after sumatriptan infusion, but not after saline administration. Our fMRI, VAS, and SF-MPQ findings suggest that sumatriptan plays a significant role in the affective dimension of pain and a minor role related to sensory discrimination.

Spinal cystic schwannoma: an MRI evaluation

Abstract: Spinal cystic schwannomas are a very rare entity and have been reported in only a few case reports in literature; its diagnosis and management has remained a challenge. This study reviewed the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 12 patients (7 men and 5 women; aged 37 - 67 years; mean age: 52.75 years) with pathologically proven cystic schwannoma of the spine and discussed their differential diagnosis. All patients underwent surgery at our institutions between June 2000 and April 2012. MRI showed well-delineated intradural and extramedullary lesion of iso- to low signal intensity on T1 weighted images, high signal intensity on T2 weighted images, and rim enhancement on contrast-enhanced images. A precise understanding of the MRI features of spinal schwannomas, especially the typical characteristic of enhancement, may help clinicians in their pre-operative diagnoses and surgical planning.

Case Report: Littoral cell angioma of spleen

Abstract: Littoral cell angioma is a rare primary vascular neoplasm of the spleen, composed of littoral cells that line the splenic sinuses of the red pulp It was thought to be a benign, incidental lesion However, many recent reports have described it to be a malignant lesion with congenital and immunological associations The definitive diagnosis can only be made after histology and immunohistochemistry studies

ASSA13-03-32 The Alterations of Heart Function and Cardiac Mitochondria in Selenium Deficiency Rats

Abstract: Objective To study the dynamic changes of heart function and cardiac mitochondria in selenium deficiency rats. Methods Forty-eight rats were randomised into normal control group (n = 24) and selenium deficiency model group (n = 24). When rats were fed for 10 weeks, 20 weeks, 30 weeks and 40 weeks respectively, selenium levels in the rat blood were determined using fluorescence method, and heart function was measured by carotid artery intubation. At the corresponding time points, the alterations of cardiac mitochondria were observed under electron microscopy, and the mitochondrial stereological parameters including surface density (Sv), volume density (Vv) and specific surface (Rsv, surface-to-volume ratio) were further studied. The cardiac mitochondria were extracted from the rats at the corresponding time points for assessing the enzyme activities of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX). Results (1) Compared with the corresponding control group, the blood selenium levels, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise (+dp/dtmax) in the model group were all decreased ( P as the time of selenium deficiency prolonged ( P , and remarkable increase in Vv in the selenium deficiency rat hearts compared with the corresponding control group ( P mitochondrial stereological parameters and the enzyme activities in the model group were more notable with the time extension of low selenium ( P Sv, Rsv, SDH and COX, and negative correlation with Vv ( P Conclusions Selenium deficiency leads to the damage of mitochondrial structure and function in rats, resulting in heart failure.

The anterior cingulate cortex and pain processing

Abstract: The neural network that contributes to the suffering which accompanies persistent pain states involves a number of brain regions. Of primary interest is the contribution of the cingulate cortex in processing the affective component of pain. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent data obtained using novel behavioral paradigms in animals based on measuring escape and/or avoidance of a noxious stimulus. These paradigms have successfully been used to study the nature of the neuroanatomical and neurochemical contributions of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to higher order pain processing in rodents.

The Insula A “Hub of Activity” in Migraine

Abstract: The insula, a “cortical hub” buried within the lateral sulcus, is involved in a number of processes including goal-directed cognition, conscious awareness, autonomic regulation, interoception, and somatosensation. While some of these processes are well known in the clinical presentation of migraine (i.e., autonomic and somatosensory alterations), other more complex behaviors in migraine, such as conscious awareness and error detection, are less well described. Since the insula processes and relays afferent inputs from brain areas involved in these functions to areas involved in higher cortical function such as frontal, temporal, and parietal regions, it may be implicated as a brain region that translates the signals of altered internal milieu in migraine, along with other chronic pain conditions, through the insula into complex behaviors. Here we review how the insula function and structure is altered in migraine. As a brain region of a number of brain functions, it may serve as a model to study new poten...

Altered brain structure and function associated with sensory and affective components of classic trigeminal neuralgia.

Abstract: Classic trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) is a chronic neuropathic pain state characterized by intense, piercing spasms of the orofacial region, and may be attributable to abnormal pain processing in the central nervous system Our study investigated neuronal alterations using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), diffuse tensor imaging (DTI), and resting-state functional connectivity in 38 patients with CTN and 38 matched healthy controls For voxel-based morphometry analyses, patients with CTN displayed gray matter volume (GMV) reductions in the anterior-cingulate cortex (ACC) and mid-cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), primary motor cortex (M1), premotor area, and several regions in the temporal lobe For DTI analysis, patients compared with controls had increased mean diffusivity (MD) and decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the corpus callosum and the bilateral corona radiata, and increased mean diffusivity with no fractional anisotropy changes across the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, the internal and external capsule, the thalamus and brainstem Additionally, patients with CTN had enhanced functional connectivity between the right insula/S2 and ACC, medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Furthermore, gray matter volume of left inferior temporal gyrus negatively correlated with current pain intensity and disease duration in patients, and connectivity of the right insula/S2-ACC was negatively correlated with pain intensity, depression, and anxiety ratings This study provides multiple lines of evidence supporting aberrant structural and functional patterns that are observed in patients with CTN, which may help us better understand the pathophysiology of CTN and facilitate the development of new therapies for this disease