scholarly journals A Freely Available, Self-Calibrating Software for Automatic Measurement of Freezing Behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felippe E. Amorim ◽  
Thiago C. Moulin ◽  
Olavo B. Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Interobserver Variability ◽  
Automatic Measurement ◽  
Fear Memory ◽  
Freezing Behavior ◽  
Trained Observer ◽  
Reliable Tool ◽  
Software Packages ◽  
Additional Work ◽  
Minimum Criteria

ABSTRACTFreezing behavior is commonly used as a measure of associative fear memory. It can be measured by a trained observer, but this task is time-consuming and subject to variation. Commercially available software packages can also be used to quantify freezing; however, they can be expensive and usually require various parameters to be adjusted by the researcher, leading to additional work and variability in results. With this in mind, we developed Phobos, a freely available, self-calibrating software that measures freezing in a set of videos using a brief manual quantification performed by the user to automatically adjust parameters. To optimize the software, we used four different video sets with different features in order to determine the most relevant parameters, the amount of videos needed for calibration and the minimum criteria to consider it reliable. The results of four different users were compared in order to test intra- and interobserver variability in manual and automated freezing scores. Our results suggest that Phobos can be an inexpensive, simple and reliable tool for measurement of fear-related behavior, with intra- and interuser variability similar to that obtained with manual scoring.

scholarly journals Role of Amygdala-Infralimbic Cortex Circuitry in Glucocorticoid-Induced Facilitation of Auditory Fear Memory Extinction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Masoomeh Dadkhah ◽  
◽  
Abbas Ali Vafaei ◽  
Ali Rashidy-Pour ◽  
Parnia Trahomi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Fear Memory ◽  
Fear Extinction ◽  
Freezing Behavior ◽  
Extinction Training ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Memory Extinction ◽  
The Right ◽  
Fear Expression

Purpose: The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic area (IL) of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are two inter-connected brain structures that mediate both fear memory expression and extinction. Besides the well-known role of the BLA in the acquisition and expression of fear memory, projections from IL to BLA inhibit fear expression and have a critical role in fear extinction. However, the details of IL-BLA interaction remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of functional reciprocal interactions between BLA and IL in mediating fear memory extinction. Methods: Using lidocaine (LID), male rats underwent unilateral or bilateral inactivation of the BLA and then unilateral intra-IL infusion of CORT, prior to extinction training of auditory fear conditioning paradigm. Freezing behavior was reported as an index for the measurement of conditioned fear. Infusions were performed before the extinction training, allowing to examine the effects on fear expression and also further extinction memory. Experiments 1-3 investigated the effects of left or right infusion of CORT into IL, and LID unilaterally into BLA on fear memory extinction. Results: Results showed that intra-IL infusion of CORT in the right hemisphere reduced freezing behavior when administrated before the extinction training. Auditory fear memory extinction was impaired by asymmetric inactivation of BLA and CORT infusion in the right IL; however, the same effect was not observed with symmetric inactivation of BLA. Conclusion: It is concluded that that the IL-BLA neural circuit may provide additional evidence to contribution of this circuit in auditory fear extinction. This study demonstrate dissociable roles for right or left BLA in subserving the auditory fear extinction. Our finding also raise the possibility that left BLA-IL circuitry may contribute in mediating auditory fear memory extinction via underlying mechanisms, however further research is required.

scholarly journals The Medial Amygdala-Medullary PrRP-Synthesizing Neuron Pathway Mediates Neuroendocrine Responses to Contextual Conditioned Fear in Male Rodents

Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (8) ◽  
pp. 2996-3004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahide Yoshida ◽  
Yuki Takayanagi ◽  
Tatsushi Onaka
Keyword(s):  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Conditioned Fear ◽  
Fear Memory ◽  
Freezing Behavior ◽  
Medial Amygdala ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Neuroendocrine Responses ◽  
Prolactin Releasing Peptide ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Fear Expression

Fear responses play evolutionarily beneficial roles, although excessive fear memory can induce inappropriate fear expression observed in posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and phobia. To understand the neural machineries that underlie these disorders, it is important to clarify the neural pathways of fear responses. Contextual conditioned fear induces freezing behavior and neuroendocrine responses. Considerable evidence indicates that the central amygdala plays an essential role in expression of freezing behavior after contextual conditioned fear. On the other hand, mechanisms of neuroendocrine responses remain to be clarified. The medial amygdala (MeA), which is activated after contextual conditioned fear, was lesioned bilaterally by infusion of N-methyl-d-aspartate after training of fear conditioning. Plasma oxytocin, ACTH, and prolactin concentrations were significantly increased after contextual conditioned fear in sham-lesioned rats. In MeA-lesioned rats, these neuroendocrine responses but not freezing behavior were significantly impaired compared with those in sham-lesioned rats. In contrast, the magnitudes of neuroendocrine responses after exposure to novel environmental stimuli were not significantly different in MeA-lesioned rats and sham-lesioned rats. Contextual conditioned fear activated prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP)-synthesizing neurons in the medulla oblongata. In MeA-lesioned rats, the percentage of PrRP-synthesizing neurons activated after contextual conditioned fear was significantly decreased. Furthermore, neuroendocrine responses after contextual conditioned fear disappeared in PrRP-deficient mice. Our findings suggest that the MeA-medullary PrRP-synthesizing neuron pathway plays an important role in neuroendocrine responses to contextual conditioned fear.

scholarly journals Quality Assurance Assessment of Diffusion-Weighted and T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Registration and Contour Propagation for Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A Naser ◽  
Kareem A. Wahid ◽  
Sara Ahmed ◽  
Vivian Salama ◽  
Cem Dede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head And Neck Cancer ◽  
Image Registration ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Neck Cancer ◽  
Interobserver Variability ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Parotid Glands ◽  
3D Slicer ◽  
Software Packages ◽  
Improved Performance

Background/Purpose: Adequate image registration of anatomic and functional MRI scans is necessary for MR-guided head and neck cancer (HNC) adaptive radiotherapy planning. Despite the quantitative capabilities of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) MRI for treatment plan adaptation, geometric distortion remains a considerable limitation. Therefore, we systematically investigated various deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms to co-register DWI and T2-weighted (T2W) images. Materials/Methods: We compared post-acquisition registration algorithms from three software packages (ADMIRE, Velocity, and 3D Slicer) applied to T2W and DWI MRI images in twenty HNC patients. In addition, we investigated implicit rigid registration (no algorithm applied) as a control comparator. Ground truth segmentations of radiotherapy structures (tumor and organs at risk) were generated by a physician expert on both image sequences. Three additional experts provided segmentations for five cases for interobserver variability studies. For each registration approach, structures were propagated from T2W to DWI images. These propagated structures were then compared with ground truth DWI structures using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), false-negative DSC, false-positive DSC, surface DSC, 95% Hausdorff distance, and mean surface distance. Results: 19 left submandibular glands, 18 right submandibular glands, 20 left parotid glands, 20 right parotid glands, 20 spinal cords, 9 brainstems, and 12 tumors were delineated. ADMIRE, the atlas-based auto segmentation DIR algorithm, demonstrated improved performance over implicit rigid registrations for most comparison metrics and structures (Bonferroni-corrected p < 0.05), while Velocity and 3D Slicer algorithms did not. Moreover, the ADMIRE methods significantly improved performance in individual and pooled analysis compared to all other methods. Interobserver variability analysis revealed no significant difference between observers (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Certain deformable registration software packages, such as those provided by ADMIRE, may be favorable for registering T2W and DWI images. These results are important to ensure the appropriate selection of registration strategies for MR-guided radiotherapy.

Automatic measurement of SAED patterns from asbestos minerals

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 846-847
Author(s):  
J. C. Russ ◽  
T. Taguchi ◽  
P. M. Peters ◽  
E. Chatfield ◽  
J. C. Russ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diffraction Pattern ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Diffraction Data ◽  
Automatic Measurement ◽  
Automatic Method ◽  
Important Method ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Integrated Intensity ◽  
Asbestiform Minerals ◽  
True Center

Conventional SAD patterns as obtained in the TEM present difficulties for identification of materials such as asbestiform minerals, although diffraction data is considered to be an important method for making this purpose. The preferred orientation of the fibers and the spotty patterns that are obtained do not readily lend themselves to measurement of the integrated intensity values for each d-spacing, and even the d-spacings may be hard to determine precisely because the true center location for the broken rings requires estimation. We have implemented an automatic method for diffraction pattern measurement to overcome these problems. It automatically locates the center of patterns with high precision, measures the radius of each ring of spots in the pattern, and integrates the density of spots in that ring. The resulting spectrum of intensity vs. radius is then used just as a conventional X-ray diffractometer scan would be, to locate peaks and produce a list of d,I values suitable for search/match comparison to known or expected phases.

Automated software supported versus manual aorto-iliac diameter measurements in CT angiography of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms: Assessment of inter- and intraobserver variation

VASA ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diehm ◽  
Baumgartner ◽  
Silvestro ◽  
Herrmann ◽  
Triller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ct Angiography ◽  
Iliac Artery ◽  
Automatic Measurement ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Aortic Aneurysms ◽  
Intraobserver Variability ◽  
Automatic Method ◽  
Left Common Iliac Artery ◽  
Abdominal Aortic ◽  
Intraobserver Variation

Background: Open surgical or endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) relies on precise preprocedual imaging. Purpose of this study was to assess inter- and intraobserver variation of software-supported automated and manual multi row detector CT angiography (MDCTA) in aortoiliac diameter measurements before AAA repair. Patients and methods: Thirty original MDCTA data sets (4 times 2mm collimation) of patients scheduled for endovascular AAA repair were studied on a dedicated software capable of creating two-dimensional reformatted planes orthogonal to the aortoiliac center-line. Measurements were performed twice with a four-week interval between readings. Data were analysed by two blinded readers at random order. Two different measurement methods were performed: reader-assisted freehand wall-to-wall measurement and semi-automatic measurement. Results: Aortoiliac diameters were significantly underestimated by the semi-automatic method as compared to reader-assisted measurements (p < 0.0031). Intraobserver variability of AAA diameter calculation was not significant (p > 0.15) for reader-assisted measurements except for the diameter of the left common iliac artery in reader 2 (p = 0.0045) and it was not significant (p > 0.14) using the semi-automatic method. Interobserver variability was not significant for AAA diameter measurements using the reader-assisted method and for proximal neck analysis with the semi-automatic method (p > 0.27). Relevant interobserver variation was observed for semi-automatic measurement of maximum AAA (p = 0.0007) and iliac artery diameters (p = 0.024). Conclusions: Dedicated MDCTA software provides a useful tool to minimize aortoiliac diameter measurement variation and to improve imaging precision before AAA repair. For reliable AAA diameter analysis the reader-assisted freehand measurement method is recommended to be applied to a set of reformatted CT data as provided by the software used in this study.

MS2/Cardio: Towards a Multi-Service Medical Software for Cardiology

1992 ◽  
Vol 31 (01) ◽  
pp. 18-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Combi ◽  
G. Pozzi ◽  
R. Rossi ◽  
F. Pinciroli
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Management Unit ◽  
Record Management ◽  
Medical Software ◽  
Software Packages ◽  
Ambulatory Patients ◽  
Patient Database ◽  
Individual Program

Abstract:Many clinics are interested to use software packages in daily practice, but lack of integration of such packages seriously limits their scope. In practice this often entails switching between programs and interrupting the run of an individual program. A multi-task approach would not solve this problem as it would not eliminate the need to input the same data many times, as often occurs when using separate packages. The construction of a Multi-Service Medical Software package (MSx2) is described, which was also developed as an example of practical integration of some clinically relevant functions. The package runs on a personal computer in an MS-DOS environment and integrates a time-oriented medical record management unit (TOMRU) for data of ambulatory patients, and a drug information management unit (DIMU) concerning posology, content, effects, and possible interactions. Of the possible database configurations allowed by MSx2, the cardiology patient database (MSx2/C) and hypertensive patient database (MSx2/H) were developed and described here. Clinical information to be included in the configurations was obtained after discussion and consensus of clinical practitioners. MSx2/C was distributed to several hundred clinical centers during computerized courses to train future users. MSx2 can easily transfer patient data to statistical processing packages.

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