Faculty Profiles - TAOKA Toshiaki

Characteristic Mill findings of upper limb muscle involvement in myotonic dystrophy type 1 Reviewed

K. Sugie, M. Sugie, T. Taoka, Y. Tonomura, A. Kumazawa, T. Izumi, S. Ueno, K. Kichikawa

NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS Vol. 25 page： S272 - S272 2015.10

Utility of High-b-Value Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluating Reversible Medial Longitudinal Fasciculus Syndrome Caused by Acute Brainstem Ischemia Reviewed International journal

Yusuke Miki, Masayuki Fujioka, Toshiaki Taoka, Hiroaki Tanaka, Shiro Chitoku, Takeshi Matsuyama, Shigeko Tanaka

JOURNAL OF STROKE & CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES Vol. 24 ( 6 ) page： E157 - E159 2015.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Background: Medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) syndrome refers to a gaze disorder characterized by impaired adduction on the ipsilateral side to the injured MLF, with dissociated nystagmus of the contralateral abducting eye. The most common cause of the MLF syndrome is ischemic stroke. However, acute ischemic change in the MLF may be undetectable even on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) partly because of its small size and specific brainstem location. Case Report: Herein, we present the first reported case of MLF syndrome in which, compared with the standard-b-value DWI, a higher b-value DWI revealed more clearly a small infarction in the dorsal pons in the acute stage. Conclusions: We suggest that high-b-value DWI can be a useful diagnostic method for patients with MLF syndrome caused by possible brainstem ischemia and thus supportive for deciding the optimal treatment for such patients.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.03.002

"Cerebellar peduncle quarter notes" formed by the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles: comparison with a diffusion tensor study of spinocerebellar degeneration Reviewed

Characteristic MRI Findings of upper Limb Muscle Involvement in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Reviewed

Sugie K, Sugie M, Taoka T, Tonomura Y, Kumazawa A, Izumi T, Kichikawa K, Ueno S.

PLoS One. Vol. 10 ( 4 ) page： e0125051 2015.4

Tomoko Ochi, Toshiaki Taoka, Toshiteru Miyasaka, Takeshi Wada, Masahiko Sakamoto, Saeka Hori, Kimihiko Kichikawa

JAPANESE JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY Vol. 33 ( 4 ) page： 210 - 215 2015.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：SPRINGER

To investigate morphological changes of the superior and middle cerebellar peduncles (SCP, MCP) in spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) by observing "cerebellar peduncle quarter notes".
We examined 21 patients with SCD, including nine patients with multiple system atrophy cerebellar type (MSA-C), and 24 controls. We measured SCP angle and performed diffusion tensor analysis to quantify the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the MCP. We quantified the relationship between SCP angle and the ADC and FA of the MCP, and compared these variables between MSA-C patients and controls.
There was statistically significant negative correlation between SCP angle and FA of the MCP, and a positive correlation between SCP angle and the ADC of the MCP. Mean SCP angle was larger among MSA-C patients than among normal controls.
SCP angle tended to be larger among patients with severe degeneration of the MCP. The SCP angle, quantified by observing "cerebellar peduncle quarter notes", may be a simple index for evaluation of degeneration of the MCP.

DOI： 10.1007/s11604-015-0409-2

Comparison between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on the risk of stroke recurrence and longitudinal progression of white matter lesions and silent brain infarcts on MRI (CEREBRAL study): rationale, design, and methodology Reviewed

Shigeru Yamano, Manabu Horii, Takeshi Takami, Mio Sakuma, Takeshi Morimoto, Sadanori Okada, Toshiaki Taoka, Kimihiko Kichikawa, Hiroyuki Sasamura, Hiroshi Itoh, Yoshiko Furuya, Satoshi Ueno, Tomoaki Imamura, Seigo Sugiyama, Hisao Ogawa, Yoshihiko Saito

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE Vol. 10 ( 3 ) page： 452 - 456 2015.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：WILEY-BLACKWELL

ObjectivesPatients with a history of ischemic stroke are known to develop new ischemic stroke. While asymptomatic, the presence and progression of silent brain infarcts and white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging are associated with an increased risk of future strokes. Both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers are recommended for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke, but there are no direct comparisons of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors versus angiotensin II receptor blockers regarding their cerebroprotective effects, including their effect on asymptomatic cerebral lesions detected by magnetic resonance imaging.
MethodsElderly (65 years or older) patients with essential hypertension who underwent cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and were found to have any cerebral ischemic lesions, such as cerebral infarction, silent brain infarct, or white matter lesion, were enrolled in this CEREBRAL study. Patients who agreed to participate were enrolled in the randomized controlled trial portion. Patients who did not agree to participate in the randomized controlled trial were enrolled in the cohort study portion. After two-years of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blockers treatment, follow-up magnetic resonance imaging examination will be performed. The primary end-point is the composite of (1) occurrence of a fatal or nonfatal cerebrovascular event or (2) progression of cerebrovascular lesions as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging, including white matter lesions or silent brain infarcts. After enrollment, cognitive function was evaluated, if possible, using the Mini-Mental State Examination.
ConclusionsOur study will clarify whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers are more effective for preventing primary and recurrence of ischemic stroke, including the progression of asymptomatic cerebral lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, in elderly hypertensive patients.

DOI： 10.1111/ijs.12085

特集解剖学的構造を念頭においた中枢神経疾患の画像診断脳梁の病変

宮坂俊輝, 田岡俊昭

画像診断 Vol. 35 ( 5 ) page： 517 - 527 2015.3

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technique to Evaluate Tumor-Brain Adhesion in Meningioma: Brain-Surface Motion Imaging Reviewed International journal

Shuichi Yamada, Toshiaki Taoka, Ichiro Nakagawa, Fumihiko Nishimura, Yasushi Motoyama, Young S. Park, Hiroyuki Nakase, Kimihiko Kichikawa

WORLD NEUROSURGERY Vol. 83 ( 1 ) page： 102 - 107 2015.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effectiveness of a newly developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, brain surface motion imaging (BSMI), in the preoperative evaluation of tumor-brain adhesion in meningioma surgery.
METHODS: Cine phase-contrast MRI was used to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsations and heart rates at 2 different time points to create a subtraction image in meningioma patients who underwent BSMI. With no tumor-brain adhesion, a gap was observed in the tumor-brain movements, resulting in an outline of the tumor in BSMI. If adhesion was evident, no outline was observed. Cases were evaluated as exact if the presence or absence of edema in T2-weighted MRI, BSMI findings, and intraoperative findings all matched; as effected when only BSMI findings and intraoperative images matched; and as false when BSMI findings and intraoperative findings did not match.
RESULTS: BSMI judged 27 patients as adhesion (+) and 33 as adhesion (-), whereas surgical findings evaluated 22 as adhesion (+) and 38 as adhesion (-). The sensitivity and specificity were both high, at 95.5% and 84.2%, respectively. Forty-one of 60 patients were evaluated as exact, 12 as effected, and 7 as false. World Health Organization tumor grade assessment of effected subjects included 16.7% in grade 1 and 36.4% in grade 2.
CONCLUSIONS: BSMI was shown to be effective in evaluating adhesion between the meningioma and the brain, allowing safe and effective removal planning to be carried out preoperatively.

DOI： 10.1016/j.wneu.2013.02.015

Characteristic MRI Findings of upper Limb Muscle Involvement in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1

Kazuma Sugie, Miho Sugie, Toshio Taoka, Yasuyo Tonomura, Aya Kumazawa, Tesseki Izumi, Kimihiko Kichikawa, Satoshi Ueno

PLOS ONE Vol. 10 ( 4 ) page： e0125051 2015

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

The objective of our study was to evaluate the relation between muscle MRI findings and upper limb weakness with grip myotonia in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Seventeen patients with DM1 were evaluated by manual muscle strength testing and muscle MRI of the upper limbs. Many DM1 patients presenting with decreased grasping power frequently showed high intensity signals in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles on T1-weighted imaging. Patients presenting with upper limb weakness frequently also showed high intensity signals in the flexor pollicis longus, abductor pollicis longus, and extensor pollicis muscles. Disturbances of the distal muscles of the upper limbs were predominant in all DM1 patients. Some DM1 patients with a prolonged disease duration showed involvement of not only distal muscles but also proximal muscles in the upper limbs. Muscle involvement of the upper limbs on MRI strongly correlated positively with the disease duration or the numbers of CTG repeats. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a detailed description of the distribution and severity of affected muscles of the upper limbs on MRI in patients with DM1. We conclude that muscle MRI findings are very useful for identifying affected muscles and predicting the risk of muscle weakness in the upper limbs of DM1 patients.

DOI： 10.1371/journal.pone.0125051

Enterprise stentを用いた脳動脈瘤コイル塞栓術後フォローアップ 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)および造影MRAの診断能

和田敬, 高山勝年, 明珍薫, 宮坂俊輝, 田岡俊昭, 中川裕之, 吉川公彦, 黒川紳一郎, 中川一郎, 中瀬裕之

JNET: Journal of Neuroendovascular Therapy Vol. 8 ( 6 ) page： 265 - 265 2014.12

Time Course of Axial and Radial Diffusion Kurtosis of White Mafter Infarctions: Period of Pseudonormalization International coauthorship

T. Taoka, M. Fujioka, M. Sakamoto, T. Miyasaka, T. Akashi, T. Ochi, S. Hori, M. Uchikoshi, J. Xu, K. Kichikawa

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NEURORADIOLOGY Vol. 35 ( 8 ) page： 1509 - 14 2014.8

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：AMER SOC NEURORADIOLOGY

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion kurtosis is a statistical measure for quantifying the deviation of the water diffusion profile from a Gaussian distribution. The current study evaluated the time course of diffusion kurtosis in patients with cerebral infarctions, including perforator, white matter, cortical, and watershed infarctions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 31 patients, representing 52 observations of lesions. The duration between the onset and imaging ranged from 3 hours to 122 days. Lesions were categorized into 4 groups listed above. Diffusion kurtosis images were acquired with b-values of 0, 1000, and 2000 s/mm(2) applied in 30 directions; variables including DWI signal, ADC, fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity, axial diffusivity, radial kurtosis, and axial kurtosis, were obtained. The time courses of the relative values (lesion versus contralateral) for these variables were evaluated, and the pseudonormalization period was calculated.
RESULTS: Diffusion kurtosis was highest immediately after the onset of infarction. Trend curves showed that kurtosis decreased with time after onset. Pseudonormalization for radial/axial kurtosis occurred at 13.2/59.9 days for perforator infarctions, 33.1/40.6 days for white matter infarctions, 34.8/35.9 days for cortical infarctions, and 34.1/28.2 days after watershed infarctions. For perforator infarctions, pseudonormalization occurred in the following order: radial kurtosis, ADC, axial kurtosis, and DWI.
CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion kurtosis variables in lesions increased early after infarction and decreased with time. Information provided by diffusion kurtosis imaging, including axial and radial kurtosis, seems helpful in conducting a detailed evaluation of the age of infarction, in combination with T2WI, DWI, and ADC.

DOI： 10.3174/ajnr.A3908

Comparison of brain 3.0-T with 1.5-T MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis: A 6-month follow-up study

Hiroshi Kataoka, Takao Kiriyama, Toshiaki Taoka, Naoki Oba, Megumi Takewa, Nobuyuki Eura, Ryogo Syobatake, Yasuyo Kobayashi, Masahiro Kumazawa, Tesseki Izumi, Yoshiko Furiya, Nobufusa Aoyama, Kimihiko Kichikawa, Satoshi Ueno

CLINICAL NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY Vol. 121 page： 55 - 8 2014.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Objectives: The 2010 revisions to the McDonald criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) were recently published. One objective of the revision was to simplify the MRI criteria. The MRI criteria do not specify magnetic field strength. We studied whether there was any difference in diagnosis between brain 3.0-T and 1.5-T MRI according to the 2010 revisions of the McDonald criteria.
Patients and methods: We prospectively studied brain 3.0-T and 1.5-T MRI in 22 patients with MS. 1.5-T MRI was performed 24 h after 3.0-T MRI, and the scanning protocol included contiguous axial sections of T2-weighted images (T2WI), T1WI, and enhanced T1WI. These two different MRI and neurological assessments were scheduled to be repeated 3 and 6 months after study entry.
Results: The regions where MS lesions were better visualized on 3.0-T MRI tended to be in deep white matter on T2WI. Dissemination of lesions in space and time was similar for 3.0-T and 1.5-T MRI.
Conclusion: Our study found no difference between brain 3.0-T and 1.5-T MRI. There was no apparent impact of brain 3.0-T MRI on the diagnosis of MS according to the 2010 version of the MRI criteria. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI： 10.1016/j.clineuro.2014.03.018

Long-term treatment outcomes after intravascular ultrasound evaluation and stent placement for atherosclerotic subclavian artery obstructive lesions

Takeshi Wada, Katsutoshi Takayama, Toshiaki Taoka, Hiroyuki Nakagawa, Kaoru Myouchin, Toshiteru Miyasaka, Toshiaki Akashi, Masahiko Sakamoto, Kimihiko Kichikawa

Neuroradiology Journal Vol. 27 ( 2 ) page： 213 - 21 2014.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Edizioni del Centauro

The objective of this study was to determine long-term outcomes after stent placement for subclavian artery (SA) obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The study included 25 lesions in 24 patients who underwent stent placement assisted by intraoperative IVUS for subclavian artery stenosis or obstruction at our hospital between January 2003 and August 2010. Outcome was evaluated based on the results within 30 postoperative days (technical success rate, improvement in upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, left-right blood pressure difference, and perioperative complications) and the results after 30 postoperative days (incidence of vertebrobasilar artery territory infarction and restenosis). Stent placement and vessel dilatation were successful in all patients, without perioperative complications. Upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, and left-right blood pressure difference disappeared in all cases. During follow-up observation (6-96 months
median 51 months), no restenosis occurred at the stent placement site in any patient. In one case, four years after initial treatment, stenosis was noted proximal to the stent placement site. Satisfactory long-term as well as short-term outcomes were achieved after stent placement for SA obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative IVUS evaluation.

DOI： 10.15274/NRJ-2014-10023

Long-term treatment outcomes after intravascular ultrasound evaluation and stent placement for atherosclerotic subclavian artery obstructive lesions

Wada T., Takayama K., Taoka T., Nakagawa H., Myouchin K., Miyasaka T., Akashi T., Sakamoto M., Kichikawa K.

Neuroradiology Journal Vol. 27 ( 2 ) page： 213 - 221 2014.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Neuroradiology Journal

The objective of this study was to determine long-term outcomes after stent placement for subclavian artery (SA) obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The study included 25 lesions in 24 patients who underwent stent placement assisted by intraoperative IVUS for subclavian artery stenosis or obstruction at our hospital between January 2003 and August 2010. Outcome was evaluated based on the results within 30 postoperative days (technical success rate, improvement in upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, left-right blood pressure difference, and perioperative complications) and the results after 30 postoperative days (incidence of vertebrobasilar artery territory infarction and restenosis). Stent placement and vessel dilatation were successful in all patients, without perioperative complications. Upper extremity ischemia, steal syndrome, and left-right blood pressure difference disappeared in all cases. During follow-up observation (6-96 months; median 51 months), no restenosis occurred at the stent placement site in any patient. In one case, four years after initial treatment, stenosis was noted proximal to the stent placement site. Satisfactory long-term as well as short-term outcomes were achieved after stent placement for SA obstructive lesions assisted by intraoperative IVUS evaluation.

DOI： 10.15274/NRJ-2014-10023

Cerebellar dentate nucleus in progressive supranuclear palsy International journal

Nobuhiro Sawa, Hiroshi Kataoka, Takao Kiriyama, Tesseki Izumi, Toshiaki Taoka, Kimihiko Kichikawa, Satoshi Ueno

CLINICAL NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY Vol. 118 page： 32 - 6 2014.3

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Objectives: Some patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) present with cerebellar dysfunction. Severe degeneration of the cerebellar dentate nucleus (CDN) was evident in these patients. We evaluated signal intensity on MRI in the CDN of PSP patients with or without cerebellar ataxia.
Patients and methods: We reviewed the clinical histories and brain MRI studies of 28 patients with clinically probable PSP. Three disease control groups were studied: a group of 28 sex- and age-matched patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), a group of 15 patients with multiple system atrophy with predominant parkinsonian features (MSA-P), and 15 control subjects. Turbo spin-echo sequences for T2-weighted images were used using a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imager.
Results: Eight patients with PSP (28%) and one patient with MSA-P (6%) had heterogeneous regions in the CDN. This finding was not evident in the patients with PD or controls. Three out of four PSP patients with cerebellar ataxia had heterogeneous regions in the CDN and other one patient with cerebellar ataxia as the initial and principal symptoms had no heterogeneous regions in the CDN.
Conclusion: Heterogeneous regions in the CDN on MRI do not always reflect cerebellar ataxia in PSP patients, and this finding might be an additional marker to support a probable diagnosis of PSP. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI： 10.1016/j.clineuro.2013.12.011

Decision-making deficit of a patient with axonal damage after traumatic brain injury

Fumihiko Yasuno, Kiwamu Matsuoka, Soichiro Kitamura, Kuniaki Kiuchi, Jun Kosaka, Koji Okada, Syohei Tanaka, Takayuki Shinkai, Toshiaki Taoka, Toshifumi Kishimoto

BRAIN AND COGNITION Vol. 84 ( 1 ) page： 63 - 8 2014.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were reported to have difficulty making advantageous decisions, but the underlying deficits of the network of brain areas involved in this process were not directly examined. We report a patient with TBI who demonstrated problematic behavior in situations of risk and complexity after cerebral injury from a traffic accident. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) was used to reveal his deficits in the decision-making process. To examine underlying deficits of the network of brain areas, we examined T1-weighted structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and Tc-ECD SPECT in this patient. The patient showed abnormality in IGT. DTI-MRI results showed a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the fasciculus between the brain stem and cortical regions via the thalamus. He showed significant decrease in gray matter volumes in the bilateral insular cortex, hypothalamus, and posterior cingulate cortex, possibly reflecting Wallerian degeneration secondary to the fasciculus abnormalities. SPECT showed significant blood flow decrease in the broad cortical areas including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VM). Our study showed that the patient had dysfunctional decision-making process. Microstructural abnormality in the fasciculus, likely from the traffic accident, caused reduced afferent feedback to the brain, resulting in less efficient decision-making. Our findings support the somatic-marker hypothesis (SMH), where somatic feedback to the brain influences the decision-making process. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOI： 10.1016/j.bandc.2013.11.005