In this study we use simulated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to determine the capabilities and limitations of GICA under conditions of spatial, temporal, and amplitude variability. Simulations, generated with the SimTB toolbox, address questions that commonly arise in GICA studies, such as: (1) How well can individual subject activations be estimated and when will spatial variability preclude estimation? (2) Why does component splitting occur and how is it affected by model order? (3) How should we analyze component features to maximize sensitivity to intersubject differences? Overall, our results indicate

an excellent capability of GICA to capture between-subject differences and Proteases inhibitor we make a number of recommendations regarding analytic Selleckchem SB-715992 choices for application to functional imaging data. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Objectives: Scleroderma heart disease is a major risk of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Mechanisms

underlying myocardial damage are still unclear. We performed an extensive study of SSc patients with recent-onset symptoms for heart disease and examined the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy.\n\nMethods: A cohort of 181 SSc patients was enrolled. Of these, 7 patients newly developed clinical symptoms of heart disease (heart failure, chest pain, and palpitation); all of them showed mild but persistent increase in cardiac enzymes. These patients beta-catenin mutation underwent Hotter ECG, 2D-echocardiography, perfusional

scintigraphy, delayed-enhancement-cardiac magnetic resonance (DE-CMR), coronary angiography, and endomyocardial biopsy. Patients were treated for at least 12 months and followed-up for 5 years.\n\nResults: Ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs) were found in 4 patients, wall motion abnormalities in 3, pericardial effusion in 6, and DE in CMR in 6 with T2-hyperintensity in 2. In all patients, histology showed upregulation of endothelium adhesion molecules and infiltration of activated T lymphocytes, with (acute/active myocarditis in 6) or without (chronic/borderline myocarditis in 1) myocyte necrosis. Parvovirus B19 genome was detected in 3. None showed occlusion of coronary arteries or microvessels. Compared with SSc controls, these patients more often had early disease, skeletal myositis, c-ANCA/anti-PR3 positivity, VEBs, pericardial effusion, and systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction. Immunosuppressive therapy improved symptoms and led to cardiac enzyme negativization; however, 2 patients died of sudden death during follow-up.\n\nConclusions: Myocarditis is a common finding in SSc patients with recent-onset cardiac involvement. Its early detection allowed to timely start an immunosuppressive treatment, preventing cardiac damage progression in most cases. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.