Bharat B. Biswal, Ph.D.

While the gene mutation that causes Huntington’s disease has been associated with changes in certain types of functional brain connectivity, a new study that examined connectivity across the whole brain has now identified alterations in functional connectivity in additional brain networks and has also shown significant associations between the extent of the degree of gene mutation and measures of motor and cognitive function. These novel findings in carriers of the Huntington’s disease gene mutation are presented in an article published in Brain Connectivity, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Brain Connectivity website until April 21, 2018.

The article entitled “Whole-Brain Connectivity in a Large Study of Huntington’s Disease Gene Mutation Carriers and Healthy Controls” is coauthored by Jane Paulsen, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Flor Espinoza, The Mind Research Network and University, Albuquerque, NM, and colleagues. The researchers looked for correlations between the number of trinucleotide (CAG) repeats (the disease-causing gene mutation) and measures of whole-brain connectivity obtained on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They compared the data acquired from individual carriers of the Huntington disease gene with various CAG repeat lengths and healthy control subjects… Continue reading.

New Rochelle, NY, September 12, 2017–A new study has demonstrated the potential to use a frequency distribution-based index of brain functional connectivity as a biomarker for detecting Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These new findings, which show the index of functional connectivity to have good accuracy across databases and test sites, are published in Brain Connectivity, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Brain Connectivity website until October 13, 2017.

The article entitled “Can a Resting-State Functional Connectivity Index Identify Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Across Multiple Sites?” was coauthored by Keiichi Onoda and colleagues from Shimane University (Japan), representing the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The researchers compared multi-variant pattern analysis (MVPA) and a frequency distribution-based index approach to evaluate functional connectivity and determine which method yielded consistent results across two different databases and sites that were part of the ADNI… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the pending induction of Bharat B. Biswal, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Radiology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, to its College of Fellows. Dr. Biswal was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows For outstanding contributions to the field of human brain imaging research, and education of future biomedical engineers.