Nasser Kashou is an associate professor of biomedical engineering and medical imaging. He has dedicated his career to brain imaging research, education and technology.
SIGNIFICANCE:
Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy... more SIGNIFICANCE: Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy in the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). These results show the changes in brain activation following therapy through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in brain activation following office-based vergence-accommodative therapy versus placebo therapy for CI using the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal from fMRI.
METHODS: Adults (n = 7, aged 18 to 30 years) with symptomatic CI were randomized to 12 weeks of vergence-accommodative therapy (n = 4) or placebo therapy (n = 3). Vergence eye movements were performed during baseline and outcome fMRI scans.
RESULTS: Before therapy, activation (z score ≥ 2.3) was observed in the occipital lobe and areas of the brain devoted to attention, with the largest areas of activation found in the occipital lobe. After vergence-accommodative therapy, activation in the occipital lobe decreased in spatial extent but increased in the level of activation in the posterior, inferior portion of the occipital lobe. A new area of activation appeared in the regions of the lingual gyrus, which was not seen after placebo therapy. A significant decrease in activation was also observed in areas of the brain devoted to attention after vergence-accommodative therapy and to a lesser extent after placebo therapy.
CONCLUSIONS: Observed activation pre-therapy consistent with top-down processing suggests that convergence requires conscious effort in symptomatic CI. Decreased activation in these areas after vergence-accommodative therapy was associated with improvements in clinical signs such as fusional vergence after vergence-accommodative therapy. The increase in blood oxygen level-dependent response in the occipital areas following vergence-accommodative therapy suggests that disparity processing for both depth and vergence may be enhanced following vergence-accommodative therapy.
Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillan... more Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This impacts cognitive performance by acting as a stressor, potentially interfering with the analysts' decision-making process. We investigated the effects of different noise stimuli on analysts' performance and workload in anomaly detection by simulating a noisy work environment. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as behavioral measures, which include eye tracking, reaction time, and accuracy rate. We hypothesized that noisy environments would have a negative effect on the participant in terms of anomaly detection performance due to the increase in workload, which would be reflected by an increase in PFC activity. We found that HbO for some of the channels analyzed were significantly different across noise types ([Formula: see text]). Our results also indicated that HbO activation for short-intermittent noise stimuli was greater in the PFC compared to long-intermittent noises. These approaches using fNIRS in conjunction with an understanding of the impact on human analysts in anomaly detection could potentially lead to better performance by optimizing work environments.
The usefulness of qualitative or quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in earl... more The usefulness of qualitative or quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in early detection of brain structural changes and prediction of adverse outcomes in neonatal illnesses warrants further investigation. Our aim was to correlate certain brain injuries and the brain volume of feeding-related cortical and subcortical regions with feeding method at discharge among preterm dysphagic infants. Using a retrospective observational study design, we examined MRI data among 43 (22 male; born at 31.5 ± 0.8 week gestation) infants who went home on oral feeding or gastrostomy feeding (G-tube). MRI scans were segmented, and volumes of brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, basal ganglia, thalamus, and vermis were quantified, and correlations were made with discharge feeding outcomes. Chi-squared tests were used to evaluate MRI findings vs. feeding outcomes. ANCOVA was performed on the regression model to measure the association of maturity and brain volume between groups. Out of 43 infants, 44% were oral-fed and 56% were G-tube fed at hospital discharge (but not at time of the study). There was no relationship between qualitative brain lesions and feeding outcomes. Volumetric analysis revealed that cerebellum was greater (p < 0.05) in G-tube fed infants, whereas cerebrum volume was greater (p < 0.05) in oral-fed infants. Other brain regions did not show volumetric differences between groups. This study concludes that neither qualitative nor quantitative volumetric MRI findings correlate with feeding outcomes. Understanding the complexity of swallowing and feeding difficulties in infants warrants a comprehensive and in-depth functional neurological assessment.
Palmar and plantar grasp are the foremost primitive neonatal reflexes and functions. Persistence ... more Palmar and plantar grasp are the foremost primitive neonatal reflexes and functions. Persistence of these reflexes in infancy is a sign of evolving cerebral palsy. Our aims were to establish measurement feasibility in a clinical setting and to characterize changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbD) concentration in the bilateral frontoparietal cortex in unsedated neonates at the crib-side using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We hypothesized that bilateral concentration changes will occur upon somatic central and peripheral somatic stimulation. Thirteen preterm neonates (five males) underwent time 1, and six (two males) returned for time 2 (mean [Formula: see text] and 47.0 weeks, respectively). Signals from a total of 162 somatic stimuli responses were measured. Response amplitude, duration, and latency were log-transformed and compared between palmar, plantar, and oromotor stimuli using linear mixed models, adjusted for cap, electroencephalogram abnormality, time (1 versus 2), and Sarnat score, if necessary. The oromotor stimulus resulted in a 50% greater response than the palmar or plantar stimuli for HbO left and right hemisphere duration ([Formula: see text]). There were no other statistically significant differences between stimuli for any other outcome ([Formula: see text]). Utilizing fNIRS in conjunction with occupational and physical therapy maneuvers is efficacious to study modifiable and restorative neurophysiological mechanisms.
Despite promising advantages such as low cost and portability of functional near-infrared spectro... more Despite promising advantages such as low cost and portability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), it has yet to be widely implemented outside of basic research. Specifically, fNIRS has yet to be proven as a standalone tool within a clinical setting. The objective of this study was to assess hemodynamic concentration changes at the primary and premotor motor cortices as a result of simple whole-hand grasping and sequential finger-opposition (tapping) tasks. These tasks were repeated over 3 days in a randomized manner. Ten healthy young adults ([Formula: see text]) participated in the study. Quantitatively, no statistically significant differences were discovered between the levels of activation for the two motor tasks ([Formula: see text]). Overall, the signals were consistent across all 3 days. The findings show that both finger-opposition and hand grasping can be used interchangeably in fNIRS for assessment of motor function which would be useful in further advancing techniques for clinical implementation.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy has yet to be implemented as a stand-alone technique within... more Functional near-infrared spectroscopy has yet to be implemented as a stand-alone technique within an ophthalmology clinical setting, despite its promising advantages. The present study aims to further investigate reliability of visual cortical signals. This was achieved by: (1)Â assessing the effects of optode placements using the 10-20 International System of Electrode Placement consisting of 28 channels, (2)Â determining effects of stimulus size on response, and (3)Â evaluating response variability as a result of cap placement across three sessions. Ten participants with mean age [Formula: see text] years (five male) and varying types of hair color and thickness were recruited. Visual stimuli of black-and-white checkerboards, reversing at a frequency of 7.5Â Hz were presented. Visual angles of individual checker squares included 1Â deg, 2Â deg, 5Â deg, 9Â deg, and 18Â deg. The number of channels that showed response was analyzed for each participant, stimulus size, and session. 1-deg stimulus showed the greatest activation. One of three data collection sessions for each participant gave different results ([Formula: see text]). Hair color and thickness each had an effect upon the overall HbO ([Formula: see text]), while only color had a significant effect for HbD ([Formula: see text]). A reliable level of robustness and consistency is still required for clinical implementation and assessment of visual dysfunction.
Modifying experimental conditions of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) result in different outcomes and... more Modifying experimental conditions of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) result in different outcomes and may not optimally translate into clinical testing. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of subject instruction on the anatomical correlates of OKN. The instructions were to voluntarily look or stare at the same moving grating with fixed contrast and spatial and temporal frequencies. Look and stare OKN were generated under identical stimulus "ON" conditions (vertical sine wave grating of 1.14 c/deg drifting right to left at 11.4 c/s with binocular viewing). FMRI was undertaken utilizing a 3.0 T GE system and the BOLD technique. Subjects included 6 normal adults ranging in age from 18 to 54 years with normal visual acuity (20/20 or better) and normal stereoacuity (40 s of arc or better). The results reveal that look OKN generated significantly more cortical FMRI activation than stare OKN. Look OKN areas included the culmen, parahippocampal, lingual, middle temporal gyri, inferior and superior parietal lobules and precuneus, all of which were unilaterally activated in the left hemisphere. The middle occipital gyrus was unilaterally activated in the right hemisphere while the cuneus was bilaterally activated. These results show that the activation sites for OKN studies are dependent on subject instruction which influence the type of OKN generated.
Preliminary results of a longitudinal study aimed at understanding the neurocognitive correlates ... more Preliminary results of a longitudinal study aimed at understanding the neurocognitive correlates of learning in a visual object recognition task are reported. The experimental task used real-world novel stimuli, whereas the control task used real-world familiar stimuli. Participants practiced the tasks over 10 weeks and reached a high level of accuracy. Brain imaging data was acquired in weeks 2, 6, and 10 and eye-tracking data was acquired in the other seven weeks. Quantitative and qualitative changes in brain activity were observed over the course of learning and skill acquisition. Generally, in the experimental task, brain activity increased at week 6 and decreased at week 10, whereas in the control task, brain activity decreased at week 6 and further decreased at week 10 compared to week 2. New clusters of brain activity emerged at week 6 in the experimental task. Eye-fixation and pupil-dilation data showed that fast learners tend to inspect the stimuli more thoroughly even after a response was given. These results are used to inform the development of computational cognitive models of visual object recognition tasks.
Advanced Brain Neuroimaging Topics in Health and Disease - Methods and Applications, 2014
ABSTRACT The brain is the most complex computational device we know, consisting of highly interac... more ABSTRACT The brain is the most complex computational device we know, consisting of highly interacting and redundant networks of areas, supporting specific brain functions. The rules by which these areas organize themselves to perform specific computations have only now started to be uncovered. Advances in non-invasive neuroimaging technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the functional anatomy of cortical circuits in health and disease states, which is the focus of this book. The first section of this book focuses on methodological issues, such as combining functional MRI technology with other brain imaging modalities. The second section examines the application of brain neuroimaging to understand cognitive, visual, auditory, motor and decision-making networks, as well as neurological diseases. The use of non-invasive neuroimaging technologies will continue to stimulate an exponential growth in understanding basic brain processes, largely as a result of sustained advances in neuroimaging methods and applications.
Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome (INS) is one of the leading causes of significant vision loss in chi... more Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome (INS) is one of the leading causes of significant vision loss in children and affects about 1 in 1000 to 6000 births. In the present study, we are the first to investigate the structural pathways of patients and controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Specifically, three female INS patients from the same family were scanned, two sisters and a mother. Six regions of interest (ROIs) were created manually to analyze the number of tracks. Additionally, three ROI masks were analyzed using TBSS (Tract-Based Spatial Statistics). The number of fiber tracks was reduced in INS subjects, compared to normal subjects, by 15.9%, 13.9%, 9.2%, 18.6%, 5.3%, and 2.5% for the pons, cerebellum (right and left), brainstem, cerebrum, and thalamus. Furthermore, TBSS results indicated that the fractional anisotropy (FA) values for the patients were lower in the superior ventral aspects of the pons of the brainstem than in those of the controls. We have identified some br...
Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2009
Accurate estimation of the radiation distribution in the adult human head requires realistic head... more Accurate estimation of the radiation distribution in the adult human head requires realistic head models generated from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with true optical properties of each layer of the head. In this study, a complex three-dimensional structural data obtained by MRI are introduced in a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code, with varying optical properties and arbitrary boundary condition, to calculate the spatial sensitivity profile of photon in head, so-called banana-shaped. It is therefore a better model to incorporate the contribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) when modeling the head. The spatial sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy measurement to regions in the brain, as well as the effect of optical fiber arrangement on the regions of measurement are investigated. It is shown that the detected signal in brain imaging measurements is greatly affected by the heterogeneity of the head tissue and its scattering properties.
Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2007
The purpose of this study was to design a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor head to contin... more The purpose of this study was to design a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor head to continuously monitor visual cortex activation. Visual cortex activation regions as a result of eye movements were localized using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). Once the region was determined we placed the NIRS sensor head on that region and emulated the same task perfomed in the FMRI experiment. The eye movement chosen for our current validation study was saccades. One subject was instructed to move their eyes in a saccadic fashion for 30 seconds then fixate for 30 seconds. We were able to see changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglin using the NIRS design. These preliminary results suggest that NIRS can be used as a monitoring tool, guided by FMRI in patients who may have visual disorders.
Interpolation has become a default operation in image processing and medical imaging and is one o... more Interpolation has become a default operation in image processing and medical imaging and is one of the important factors in the success of an intensity-based registration method. Interpolation is needed if the fractional unit of motion is not matched and located on the high resolution (HR) grid. The purpose of this work is to present a systematic evaluation of eight standard interpolation techniques (trilinear, nearest neighbor, cubic Lagrangian, quintic Lagrangian, hepatic Lagrangian, windowed Sinc, B-spline 3rd order, and B-spline 4th order) and to compare the effect of cost functions (least squares (LS), normalized mutual information (NMI), normalized cross correlation (NCC), and correlation ratio (CR)) for optimized automatic image registration (OAIR) on 3D spoiled gradient recalled (SPGR) magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain acquired using a 3T GE MR scanner. Subsampling was performed in the axial, sagittal, and coronal directions to emulate three low resolution datasets. Afterwards, the low resolution datasets were upsampled using different interpolation methods, and they were then compared to the high resolution data. The mean squared error, peak signal to noise, joint entropy, and cost functions were computed for quantitative assessment of the method. Magnetic resonance image scans and joint histogram were used for qualitative assessment of the method.
SIGNIFICANCE:
Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy... more SIGNIFICANCE: Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy in the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). These results show the changes in brain activation following therapy through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in brain activation following office-based vergence-accommodative therapy versus placebo therapy for CI using the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal from fMRI.
METHODS: Adults (n = 7, aged 18 to 30 years) with symptomatic CI were randomized to 12 weeks of vergence-accommodative therapy (n = 4) or placebo therapy (n = 3). Vergence eye movements were performed during baseline and outcome fMRI scans.
RESULTS: Before therapy, activation (z score ≥ 2.3) was observed in the occipital lobe and areas of the brain devoted to attention, with the largest areas of activation found in the occipital lobe. After vergence-accommodative therapy, activation in the occipital lobe decreased in spatial extent but increased in the level of activation in the posterior, inferior portion of the occipital lobe. A new area of activation appeared in the regions of the lingual gyrus, which was not seen after placebo therapy. A significant decrease in activation was also observed in areas of the brain devoted to attention after vergence-accommodative therapy and to a lesser extent after placebo therapy.
CONCLUSIONS: Observed activation pre-therapy consistent with top-down processing suggests that convergence requires conscious effort in symptomatic CI. Decreased activation in these areas after vergence-accommodative therapy was associated with improvements in clinical signs such as fusional vergence after vergence-accommodative therapy. The increase in blood oxygen level-dependent response in the occipital areas following vergence-accommodative therapy suggests that disparity processing for both depth and vergence may be enhanced following vergence-accommodative therapy.
Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillan... more Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This impacts cognitive performance by acting as a stressor, potentially interfering with the analysts' decision-making process. We investigated the effects of different noise stimuli on analysts' performance and workload in anomaly detection by simulating a noisy work environment. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as behavioral measures, which include eye tracking, reaction time, and accuracy rate. We hypothesized that noisy environments would have a negative effect on the participant in terms of anomaly detection performance due to the increase in workload, which would be reflected by an increase in PFC activity. We found that HbO for some of the channels analyzed were significantly different across noise types ([Formula: see text]). Our results also indicated that HbO activation for short-intermittent noise stimuli was greater in the PFC compared to long-intermittent noises. These approaches using fNIRS in conjunction with an understanding of the impact on human analysts in anomaly detection could potentially lead to better performance by optimizing work environments.
The usefulness of qualitative or quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in earl... more The usefulness of qualitative or quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in early detection of brain structural changes and prediction of adverse outcomes in neonatal illnesses warrants further investigation. Our aim was to correlate certain brain injuries and the brain volume of feeding-related cortical and subcortical regions with feeding method at discharge among preterm dysphagic infants. Using a retrospective observational study design, we examined MRI data among 43 (22 male; born at 31.5 ± 0.8 week gestation) infants who went home on oral feeding or gastrostomy feeding (G-tube). MRI scans were segmented, and volumes of brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, basal ganglia, thalamus, and vermis were quantified, and correlations were made with discharge feeding outcomes. Chi-squared tests were used to evaluate MRI findings vs. feeding outcomes. ANCOVA was performed on the regression model to measure the association of maturity and brain volume between groups. Out of 43 infants, 44% were oral-fed and 56% were G-tube fed at hospital discharge (but not at time of the study). There was no relationship between qualitative brain lesions and feeding outcomes. Volumetric analysis revealed that cerebellum was greater (p < 0.05) in G-tube fed infants, whereas cerebrum volume was greater (p < 0.05) in oral-fed infants. Other brain regions did not show volumetric differences between groups. This study concludes that neither qualitative nor quantitative volumetric MRI findings correlate with feeding outcomes. Understanding the complexity of swallowing and feeding difficulties in infants warrants a comprehensive and in-depth functional neurological assessment.
Palmar and plantar grasp are the foremost primitive neonatal reflexes and functions. Persistence ... more Palmar and plantar grasp are the foremost primitive neonatal reflexes and functions. Persistence of these reflexes in infancy is a sign of evolving cerebral palsy. Our aims were to establish measurement feasibility in a clinical setting and to characterize changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbD) concentration in the bilateral frontoparietal cortex in unsedated neonates at the crib-side using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We hypothesized that bilateral concentration changes will occur upon somatic central and peripheral somatic stimulation. Thirteen preterm neonates (five males) underwent time 1, and six (two males) returned for time 2 (mean [Formula: see text] and 47.0 weeks, respectively). Signals from a total of 162 somatic stimuli responses were measured. Response amplitude, duration, and latency were log-transformed and compared between palmar, plantar, and oromotor stimuli using linear mixed models, adjusted for cap, electroencephalogram abnormality, time (1 versus 2), and Sarnat score, if necessary. The oromotor stimulus resulted in a 50% greater response than the palmar or plantar stimuli for HbO left and right hemisphere duration ([Formula: see text]). There were no other statistically significant differences between stimuli for any other outcome ([Formula: see text]). Utilizing fNIRS in conjunction with occupational and physical therapy maneuvers is efficacious to study modifiable and restorative neurophysiological mechanisms.
Despite promising advantages such as low cost and portability of functional near-infrared spectro... more Despite promising advantages such as low cost and portability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), it has yet to be widely implemented outside of basic research. Specifically, fNIRS has yet to be proven as a standalone tool within a clinical setting. The objective of this study was to assess hemodynamic concentration changes at the primary and premotor motor cortices as a result of simple whole-hand grasping and sequential finger-opposition (tapping) tasks. These tasks were repeated over 3 days in a randomized manner. Ten healthy young adults ([Formula: see text]) participated in the study. Quantitatively, no statistically significant differences were discovered between the levels of activation for the two motor tasks ([Formula: see text]). Overall, the signals were consistent across all 3 days. The findings show that both finger-opposition and hand grasping can be used interchangeably in fNIRS for assessment of motor function which would be useful in further advancing techniques for clinical implementation.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy has yet to be implemented as a stand-alone technique within... more Functional near-infrared spectroscopy has yet to be implemented as a stand-alone technique within an ophthalmology clinical setting, despite its promising advantages. The present study aims to further investigate reliability of visual cortical signals. This was achieved by: (1)Â assessing the effects of optode placements using the 10-20 International System of Electrode Placement consisting of 28 channels, (2)Â determining effects of stimulus size on response, and (3)Â evaluating response variability as a result of cap placement across three sessions. Ten participants with mean age [Formula: see text] years (five male) and varying types of hair color and thickness were recruited. Visual stimuli of black-and-white checkerboards, reversing at a frequency of 7.5Â Hz were presented. Visual angles of individual checker squares included 1Â deg, 2Â deg, 5Â deg, 9Â deg, and 18Â deg. The number of channels that showed response was analyzed for each participant, stimulus size, and session. 1-deg stimulus showed the greatest activation. One of three data collection sessions for each participant gave different results ([Formula: see text]). Hair color and thickness each had an effect upon the overall HbO ([Formula: see text]), while only color had a significant effect for HbD ([Formula: see text]). A reliable level of robustness and consistency is still required for clinical implementation and assessment of visual dysfunction.
Modifying experimental conditions of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) result in different outcomes and... more Modifying experimental conditions of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) result in different outcomes and may not optimally translate into clinical testing. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of subject instruction on the anatomical correlates of OKN. The instructions were to voluntarily look or stare at the same moving grating with fixed contrast and spatial and temporal frequencies. Look and stare OKN were generated under identical stimulus "ON" conditions (vertical sine wave grating of 1.14 c/deg drifting right to left at 11.4 c/s with binocular viewing). FMRI was undertaken utilizing a 3.0 T GE system and the BOLD technique. Subjects included 6 normal adults ranging in age from 18 to 54 years with normal visual acuity (20/20 or better) and normal stereoacuity (40 s of arc or better). The results reveal that look OKN generated significantly more cortical FMRI activation than stare OKN. Look OKN areas included the culmen, parahippocampal, lingual, middle temporal gyri, inferior and superior parietal lobules and precuneus, all of which were unilaterally activated in the left hemisphere. The middle occipital gyrus was unilaterally activated in the right hemisphere while the cuneus was bilaterally activated. These results show that the activation sites for OKN studies are dependent on subject instruction which influence the type of OKN generated.
Preliminary results of a longitudinal study aimed at understanding the neurocognitive correlates ... more Preliminary results of a longitudinal study aimed at understanding the neurocognitive correlates of learning in a visual object recognition task are reported. The experimental task used real-world novel stimuli, whereas the control task used real-world familiar stimuli. Participants practiced the tasks over 10 weeks and reached a high level of accuracy. Brain imaging data was acquired in weeks 2, 6, and 10 and eye-tracking data was acquired in the other seven weeks. Quantitative and qualitative changes in brain activity were observed over the course of learning and skill acquisition. Generally, in the experimental task, brain activity increased at week 6 and decreased at week 10, whereas in the control task, brain activity decreased at week 6 and further decreased at week 10 compared to week 2. New clusters of brain activity emerged at week 6 in the experimental task. Eye-fixation and pupil-dilation data showed that fast learners tend to inspect the stimuli more thoroughly even after a response was given. These results are used to inform the development of computational cognitive models of visual object recognition tasks.
Advanced Brain Neuroimaging Topics in Health and Disease - Methods and Applications, 2014
ABSTRACT The brain is the most complex computational device we know, consisting of highly interac... more ABSTRACT The brain is the most complex computational device we know, consisting of highly interacting and redundant networks of areas, supporting specific brain functions. The rules by which these areas organize themselves to perform specific computations have only now started to be uncovered. Advances in non-invasive neuroimaging technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the functional anatomy of cortical circuits in health and disease states, which is the focus of this book. The first section of this book focuses on methodological issues, such as combining functional MRI technology with other brain imaging modalities. The second section examines the application of brain neuroimaging to understand cognitive, visual, auditory, motor and decision-making networks, as well as neurological diseases. The use of non-invasive neuroimaging technologies will continue to stimulate an exponential growth in understanding basic brain processes, largely as a result of sustained advances in neuroimaging methods and applications.
Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome (INS) is one of the leading causes of significant vision loss in chi... more Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome (INS) is one of the leading causes of significant vision loss in children and affects about 1 in 1000 to 6000 births. In the present study, we are the first to investigate the structural pathways of patients and controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Specifically, three female INS patients from the same family were scanned, two sisters and a mother. Six regions of interest (ROIs) were created manually to analyze the number of tracks. Additionally, three ROI masks were analyzed using TBSS (Tract-Based Spatial Statistics). The number of fiber tracks was reduced in INS subjects, compared to normal subjects, by 15.9%, 13.9%, 9.2%, 18.6%, 5.3%, and 2.5% for the pons, cerebellum (right and left), brainstem, cerebrum, and thalamus. Furthermore, TBSS results indicated that the fractional anisotropy (FA) values for the patients were lower in the superior ventral aspects of the pons of the brainstem than in those of the controls. We have identified some br...
Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2009
Accurate estimation of the radiation distribution in the adult human head requires realistic head... more Accurate estimation of the radiation distribution in the adult human head requires realistic head models generated from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with true optical properties of each layer of the head. In this study, a complex three-dimensional structural data obtained by MRI are introduced in a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code, with varying optical properties and arbitrary boundary condition, to calculate the spatial sensitivity profile of photon in head, so-called banana-shaped. It is therefore a better model to incorporate the contribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) when modeling the head. The spatial sensitivity of near-infrared spectroscopy measurement to regions in the brain, as well as the effect of optical fiber arrangement on the regions of measurement are investigated. It is shown that the detected signal in brain imaging measurements is greatly affected by the heterogeneity of the head tissue and its scattering properties.
Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference, 2007
The purpose of this study was to design a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor head to contin... more The purpose of this study was to design a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensor head to continuously monitor visual cortex activation. Visual cortex activation regions as a result of eye movements were localized using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). Once the region was determined we placed the NIRS sensor head on that region and emulated the same task perfomed in the FMRI experiment. The eye movement chosen for our current validation study was saccades. One subject was instructed to move their eyes in a saccadic fashion for 30 seconds then fixate for 30 seconds. We were able to see changes in oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglin using the NIRS design. These preliminary results suggest that NIRS can be used as a monitoring tool, guided by FMRI in patients who may have visual disorders.
Interpolation has become a default operation in image processing and medical imaging and is one o... more Interpolation has become a default operation in image processing and medical imaging and is one of the important factors in the success of an intensity-based registration method. Interpolation is needed if the fractional unit of motion is not matched and located on the high resolution (HR) grid. The purpose of this work is to present a systematic evaluation of eight standard interpolation techniques (trilinear, nearest neighbor, cubic Lagrangian, quintic Lagrangian, hepatic Lagrangian, windowed Sinc, B-spline 3rd order, and B-spline 4th order) and to compare the effect of cost functions (least squares (LS), normalized mutual information (NMI), normalized cross correlation (NCC), and correlation ratio (CR)) for optimized automatic image registration (OAIR) on 3D spoiled gradient recalled (SPGR) magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain acquired using a 3T GE MR scanner. Subsampling was performed in the axial, sagittal, and coronal directions to emulate three low resolution datasets. Afterwards, the low resolution datasets were upsampled using different interpolation methods, and they were then compared to the high resolution data. The mean squared error, peak signal to noise, joint entropy, and cost functions were computed for quantitative assessment of the method. Magnetic resonance image scans and joint histogram were used for qualitative assessment of the method.
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Papers by Nasser Kashou
Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy in the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). These results show the changes in brain activation following therapy through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in brain activation following office-based vergence-accommodative therapy versus placebo therapy for CI using the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal from fMRI.
METHODS:
Adults (n = 7, aged 18 to 30 years) with symptomatic CI were randomized to 12 weeks of vergence-accommodative therapy (n = 4) or placebo therapy (n = 3). Vergence eye movements were performed during baseline and outcome fMRI scans.
RESULTS:
Before therapy, activation (z score ≥ 2.3) was observed in the occipital lobe and areas of the brain devoted to attention, with the largest areas of activation found in the occipital lobe. After vergence-accommodative therapy, activation in the occipital lobe decreased in spatial extent but increased in the level of activation in the posterior, inferior portion of the occipital lobe. A new area of activation appeared in the regions of the lingual gyrus, which was not seen after placebo therapy. A significant decrease in activation was also observed in areas of the brain devoted to attention after vergence-accommodative therapy and to a lesser extent after placebo therapy.
CONCLUSIONS:
Observed activation pre-therapy consistent with top-down processing suggests that convergence requires conscious effort in symptomatic CI. Decreased activation in these areas after vergence-accommodative therapy was associated with improvements in clinical signs such as fusional vergence after vergence-accommodative therapy. The increase in blood oxygen level-dependent response in the occipital areas following vergence-accommodative therapy suggests that disparity processing for both depth and vergence may be enhanced following vergence-accommodative therapy.
Prior studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of vergence-accommodative therapy in the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). These results show the changes in brain activation following therapy through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in brain activation following office-based vergence-accommodative therapy versus placebo therapy for CI using the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal from fMRI.
METHODS:
Adults (n = 7, aged 18 to 30 years) with symptomatic CI were randomized to 12 weeks of vergence-accommodative therapy (n = 4) or placebo therapy (n = 3). Vergence eye movements were performed during baseline and outcome fMRI scans.
RESULTS:
Before therapy, activation (z score ≥ 2.3) was observed in the occipital lobe and areas of the brain devoted to attention, with the largest areas of activation found in the occipital lobe. After vergence-accommodative therapy, activation in the occipital lobe decreased in spatial extent but increased in the level of activation in the posterior, inferior portion of the occipital lobe. A new area of activation appeared in the regions of the lingual gyrus, which was not seen after placebo therapy. A significant decrease in activation was also observed in areas of the brain devoted to attention after vergence-accommodative therapy and to a lesser extent after placebo therapy.
CONCLUSIONS:
Observed activation pre-therapy consistent with top-down processing suggests that convergence requires conscious effort in symptomatic CI. Decreased activation in these areas after vergence-accommodative therapy was associated with improvements in clinical signs such as fusional vergence after vergence-accommodative therapy. The increase in blood oxygen level-dependent response in the occipital areas following vergence-accommodative therapy suggests that disparity processing for both depth and vergence may be enhanced following vergence-accommodative therapy.