Journals
2026 EN
SanchezTodo Roser · Mercadal Borja · LopezSola Edmundo
+3 more
ABSTRACT Early‐stage AD involves cortical hyperexcitability, progressing to oscillatory slowing and hypoactivity. These changes are linked to parvalbumin‐positive ( PV $$ PV $$ ) interneuron dysfunction and neuronal loss driven by amyloid‐beta ( Aβ $$ \upbeta $$ ) and hyperphosphorylated tau (hp‐ τ $$ \tau $$ ), though underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate this relationship, we employed a Laminar Neural Mass Model integrating excitatory and inhibitory populations. Synaptic coupling fromPV $$ PV $$ interneurons to pyramidal cells was progressively reduced to mimicAβ $$ \upbeta $$ ‐induced neurotoxicity. Additional parameter variations simulated alternate mechanisms, including hp‐tau pathology. Simulated dipole activity was analyzed in the time‐frequency domain and compared to the literature. SimulatingPV $$ PV $$ interneuron dysfunction reproduced AD's biphasic progression: early hyperexcitability with elevated gamma and alpha power, followed by oscillatory slowing and reduced spectral power. Alternative mechanisms, such as increased excitatory drive, did not replicate this trajectory. To account for late‐stage hypoactivity and reduced firing rates, we incorporated pyramidal cell disruption consistent with hp‐ τ $$ \tau $$ neurotoxicity. While not essential for local oscillatory changes, this addition aligns the model with empirical markers of advanced AD and supports whole‐brain modeling. These findings highlightPV $$ PV $$ interneuron dysfunction as a primary mechanism of early electrophysiological disruption in AD, with pyramidal cell loss contributing to late‐stage hypoactivity, offering a mechanistic model for excitation–inhibition imbalance across progression.
Journals
2026 EN
Gibson Erin · Ramirez Joel · Woods Lauren Abby
+21 more
ABSTRACT Enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) are imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) that are associated with age, disease phenotypes, and overall health. Quantification of PVS is challenging but necessary to expand an understanding of their role in cerebrovascular pathology. Accurate and automated segmentation of PVS on T 1 ‐weighted images would be valuable given the widespread use of T 1 ‐weighted imaging protocols in multisite clinical and research datasets. We introduce segcsvd PVS , a convolutional neural network (CNN)‐based tool for automated PVS segmentation on T 1 ‐weighted images. segcsvd PVS was developed using a novel hierarchical approach that builds on existing tools and incorporates robust training strategies to enhance the accuracy and consistency of PVS segmentation. Performance was evaluated using a comprehensive evaluation strategy that included comparison to existing benchmark methods, ablation‐based validation, accuracy validation against manual ground truth annotations, correlation with age‐related PVS burden as a biological benchmark, and extensive robustness testing. segcsvd PVS achieved strong object‐level performance for basal ganglia PVS (DSC = 0.78), exhibiting both high sensitivity (SNS = 0.80) and precision (PRC = 0.78). Although voxel‐level precision was lower (PRC = 0.57), manual correction improved this by only ~3%, indicating that the additional voxels reflected primary boundary‐ or extent‐related differences rather than correctable false positive error. For non‐basal ganglia PVS, segcsvd PVS outperformed benchmark methods, exhibiting higher voxel‐level performance across several metrics (DSC = 0.60, SNS = 0.67, PRC = 0.57, NSD = 0.77), despite overall lower performance relative to basal ganglia PVS. Additionally, the association between age and segmentation‐derived measures of PVS burden was consistently stronger and more reliable for segcsvd PVS compared to benchmark methods across three cohorts (test6, ADNI, CAHHM), providing further evidence of the accuracy and consistency of its segmentation output. segcsvd PVS demonstrates robust performance across diverse imaging conditions and improved sensitivity to biologically meaningful associations, supporting its utility as a T 1 ‐based PVS segmentation tool.
Journals
2026 EN
Billig Alexander J. · Sedley William · Gander Phillip E.
+6 more
ABSTRACT Whether physical navigation shares neural substrates with mental travel in other behaviourally relevant domains is debated. With respect to sound, pure‐tone working memory in humans elicits hippocampal as well as auditory cortical and inferior frontal activity, and rodent work suggests that hippocampal cells that usually track an animal's physical location can also map to tone frequency when task‐relevant. We generated a sound dimension based on the density of random‐frequency tones in a stack, resulting in a percept ranging from low‐ (‘beepy’) to high‐density (‘noisy’). We established that unlike tone frequency, which listeners automatically associate with vertical position, this density dimension elicited no consistent spatial mapping. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, human participants held in mind the density of a series of tone stacks and, after a short maintenance period, adjusted further stacks to match the target (‘navigation’). Density of the currently heard sound was represented most strongly in bilateral non‐primary auditory cortex, specifically bilateral planum polare, whereas density of the maintained target was represented in right anterior hippocampus and left inferior temporal gyrus. Encoding and maintenance activity in bilateral hippocampus, inferior frontal gyrus, planum polare and posterior cingulate was positively associated with subsequent navigation success. Bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and hippocampus were among regions with elevated activity during adjustment, compared to a parity‐judgement condition with closely matched acoustics and motor demands. Bilateral orbitofrontal cortex was more active when navigation was toward a target density than when participants adjusted density in a control condition with no particular target. We find that self‐initiated travel along a non‐spatial auditory dimension engages a brain system overlapping with that supporting physical navigation.
Journals
2026 EN
Hawes Ella E. · Banuchi Victoria E. · Maniakas Anastasios
+15 more
ABSTRACT Background Partial laryngectomy has been well described as a management option for T1–3 laryngeal squamous cell cancers. However, there are a few case reports of partial laryngeal surgery for locally advanced thyroid carcinoma. Methods This is a case series of five patients with thyroid carcinoma (one primary and four recurrent) with laryngeal involvement who underwent partial laryngectomy. Results All patients had complete surgical resection without perioperative complications or postoperative speech or swallowing deficits, and none required a feeding tube or tracheostomy tube. No patients had postoperative radiation therapy or started systemic therapy within 2 years of surgery, while two patients had postoperative radioactive iodine. With a mean 26‐month follow‐up, only one patient had recurrence involving the larynx (cricoid cartilage recurrence at 26 months). Conclusion Partial laryngectomy should be considered for patients with thyroid cancer with limited laryngeal involvement.
Journals
2026 EN
Bulfoni Michela · Tel Alessandro · Krpan Beatrice
+10 more
ABSTRACT Background Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a DNA virus capable of infecting mucous membranes. In most cases, the infection is cleared by the immune system, but a prolonged exposure to HPV can progress to cancer. 40%–60% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are linked to HPV, which is considered a risk factor especially among young people in industrialized countries. HNSCC are not identified early due to their slow growth and their locations not being easy to see. Despite the prognostic value of HPV, the use of HPV‐DNA as a diagnostic marker is not fully developed. HPV‐DNA can be detected in saliva specimens of patients with HPV‐driven cancers. Considering this, we employed saliva samples to optimize a non‐invasive RT‐PCR assay for HPV infection and prove the hypothesis that the presence of HPV DNA represents a risk factor for Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OCSCC). The potential of this work is to highlight how an HPV screening program based on salivary testing can be useful for early cancer detection and patient monitoring. Methods In this retrospective study, 127 patients and 93 control samples were tested for the presence of HPV in self‐collected saliva specimens. Viral DNA was extracted from saliva using an automated instrument. A multiplex RT‐PCR was employed for the detection of the (28 most frequent HPV Types). Patients' demographics were collected in a clinical database. Statistics were performed by STATA16, and significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Most patients had a diagnosis of OCSCC (49.1%), 38%–9% of which involved the tongue. 9.6% resulted positive for HPV DNA in saliva, specifically for high‐risk subtypes (42.9% type 58; 28.6% types 45, 59, 39 and 9.6% type 16, 18). HPV+patients were compared to those who were found negative. HPV infection was related to the TNM stage, especially with pT2N1 ( p ≤ 0.002) and with primary vs. relapsed tumors ( p = 0.004). Independent of site, the assay reached a sensitivity of 91.7%, a specificity of 100%, and an agreement of 98.5%, compared to the oropharyngeal swab ( Cohen's Kappa = 0.947; n = 65). Test PPV was 100% (95% CI 71.5–100), while NPV was 98.1% (95% CI 90.1–100). Conclusions Our findings indicate that salivary HPV testing is a non‐invasive and convenient test that could become part of routine clinical management for HPV infection of the oral cavity. This test represents an ideal mode of screening of asymptomatic individuals and a long‐term monitoring tool for HPV‐driven cancer patients.
Journals
2026 EN
Quintero Arias Maria G. · Lora Mantilla Alvaro J. · Ramírez Catalina Cáceres
+2 more
ABSTRACT Background Extraosseous Ewing sarcomas account for approximately 20%–30% of all Ewing sarcomas. Among these, 5%–10% occur in the head and neck region, representing approximately 1%–3% of all Ewing sarcomas. Methods We report the case of a 33‐year‐old female patient with a progressively enlarging mass in the frontal scalp over the course of 18 months. The lesion had previously been surgically excised twice, with benign pathology reports on both occasions. Given the imaging findings suggestive of malignancy, a diagnostic surgical resection was performed. Results Histology and immunophenotyping were compatible with extraosseous Ewing sarcoma; therefore, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy were administered. Conclusions This represents the seventh reported case of primary involvement of the scalp; and the first reported in Latin America.
Journals
2026 EN
Fournier Isabelle · Bandi Ashwini Venkata · Hamidi Sarah
+17 more
ABSTRACT Background Retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastases in thyroid cancer are rare, with optimal management underreported. Methods Retrospective study of consecutive thyroid cancer patients with RPLN metastases treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2000 and 2024. Results One hundred and sixty‐seven patients (75% differentiated, 21% medullary, 4% poorly differentiated thyroid cancer) were divided into three groups: active surveillance (AS) (13%), surgery (56%), and nonsurgical treatment (31%). In the AS group (median follow‐up 2.3 years), RPLN metastases grew a median 3% (range: 0–56) or 0.02 cm (range: 0–0.7) per year. Surgical therapy included transcervical (73%), transoral robotic (14%), transoral (12%), and transmandibular (1%) approaches. Median RPLN metastasis size was 1.7 cm (interquartile range: 1.3–2.2) at surgery. Three months post‐operatively, 11% had dysphagia and 1% had velopharyngeal insufficiency. Nonsurgical treatments included radioactive iodine (10%), radiation therapy (11%), and systemic targeted therapy (79%). Conclusion RPLN metastases grow slowly, and those ≥ 1 cm typically undergo surgical resection without significant long‐term morbidity.
Journals
2026 EN
Maniakas Anastasios · Wilde David C. · Fournier Isabelle
+17 more
ABSTRACT Background Segmental tracheal resection is rarely needed for advanced thyroid cancer but is among the most complex, high‐risk thyroid surgeries. Methods Retrospective study of patients undergoing segmental tracheal resection for thyroid cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center (2005–2024). Results We identified 120 patients with a median follow‐up of 4.6 years (range 0.02–16.38). Papillary thyroid cancer was most common (68%). The median number of tracheal rings resected was 4 (range 1–9). Seventeen (14%) patients had a new tracheostomy placed at the time of surgery, with 11 (9%) remaining trach‐dependent at last follow‐up. Twenty‐six (22%) patients had a return to the operating room within 30 days, while 3 (3%) patients suffered perioperative mortality. The more common postoperative complications included tracheostomy tube placement (10%), hematoma (7%), and anastomotic air leak (6%). Median hospitalization was 6 days (range 2–67). Locoregional control (LRC) and overall survival (OS) were 79% and 77% at 5 years, respectively. Conclusions Segmental tracheal resection for advanced thyroid cancer is technically complex and high‐risk, but most patients stay recurrence‐free 5 years post‐surgery.
Journals
2026 EN
Calabrese Luca · Abousiam Monir · Tagliabue Marta
+95 more
ABSTRACT Background Nodal metastases significantly affect prognosis in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). In early‐stage OCSCC (cT1–T2 cN0), management of the clinically negative neck (cN0) remains controversial. Depth of invasion (DOI) is a key determinant for END, but other histopathological parameters, such as grading, perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and worst pattern of invasion (WPOI), are emerging prognostic factors. Methods This multicenter retrospective study analyzed 1109 patients with cT1‐T2 cN0 OCSCC treated at 30 Italian hospitals since 2017. Data on histopathological parameters, tumor characteristics, and patient outcomes were collected via the REDCap platform. Simple and multivariable logistic regression models were developed to assess predictors of occult nodal metastases. Results A total of 585 patients were clinically classified as cT1 tumors (53%), 503 as cT2 (45%), and cTis (1.9%). Of the 1109 patients, 193 (28%) had occult nodal metastases, with DOI, LVI, PNI, WPOI, and grading emerging as significant predictors. A predictive model integrating these variables demonstrated superior accuracy compared to a DOI‐only model (AUROC comparison, p < 0.01). Conclusion This study highlights the importance of incorporating multiple histopathological parameters into risk models for occult nodal metastases, overcoming the fixed DOI as a cutoff. The proposed predictive model offers a more precise method for guiding END in early‐stage OCSCC, allowing individualized risk estimation.
Journals
2026 EN
Marzi Manfroni Alice · Scaccini Otto Pietro · Ceccariglia Francesco
+7 more
ABSTRACT Background Margin control is a crucial prognostic factor in head and neck oncological surgery. This retrospective case‐control study aims to assess the superiority of computer‐assisted surgery compared to traditional surgery in achieving optimal resection margins in maxillofacial oncologic surgery. Methods Eighty patients with stage T3 or T4 oral squamous cell carcinoma were included, equally divided into computer‐assisted surgery (CAS) and freehand groups. Negative, close, and positive margin rates were compared. Logistic regression with Firth's correction and multivariable Cox models for disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were applied, with tobacco and alcohol included as covariates. Sensitivity analyses used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)‐weighted models. Results CAS was associated with a significantly lower risk of positive margins (OR 0.24; 95% CI: 0.06–0.78; p = 0.01), confirmed in the IPTW analysis. DFS was significantly improved with CAS in both multivariable and IPTW Cox models (HR 0.41 and 0.46, respectively), while OS showed no significant benefit. Nodal status emerged as the strongest prognostic factor. Conclusions Despite its univocality, the CAS technology seems to offer significant advantages in achieving precise oncological margin control for oral squamous cell carcinomas.