To examine the functional connectivity of the primary and supplementary motor areas (SMA) in glioma patients using resting-state functional MRI (rfMRI). To correlate rfMRI data with tumor characteristics and clinical information to characterize functional reorganization of resting-state networks (RSN) and the limitations of this method. This study was IRB approved and in compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Informed consent was waived in this retrospective study. We analyzed rfMRI in 24 glioma patients and 12 age- and sex-matched controls. We compared global activation, interhemispheric connectivity, and functional connectivity in the hand motor RSNs using hemispheric voxel counts, pairwise Pearson correlation, and pairwise total spectral coherence. We explored the relationship between tumor grade, volume, location, and the patient's clinical status to functional connectivity. Global network activation and interhemispheric connectivity were reduced in gliomas (p < 0.05). Functional connectivity between the bilateral motor cortices and the SMA was reduced in gliomas (p < 0.01). High-grade gliomas had lower functional connectivity than low-grade gliomas (p < 0.05). Tumor volume and distance to ipsilateral motor cortex demonstrated no association with functional connectivity loss. Functional connectivity loss is associated with motor deficits in low-grade gliomas, but not in high-grade gliomas. Global reduction in resting-state connectivity in areas distal to tumor suggests that radiological tumor boundaries underestimate areas affected by glioma. Association between motor deficits and rfMRI suggests that rfMRI may accurately reflect functional changes in low-grade gliomas. Lack of association between rfMRI and clinical motor deficits implies decreased sensitivity of rfMRI in high-grade gliomas, possibly due to neurovascular uncoupling.

An abundance of evidence points to a pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) role in human language. This study explores the pre-SMA resting state connectivity network and the nature of its connections to known language areas. We tested the hypothesis that by seeding the pre-SMA, one would be able to establish language laterality to known cortical and sub-cortical language areas. We analyzed data from 30 right-handed healthy controls and performed the resting state functional MRI (rfMRI). A seed based analysis using a manually drawn pre-SMA region of interest (ROI) template was applied. Time course signals in the pre-SMA ROI were averaged and cross-correlated to every voxel in the brain. Results show that the pre-SMA has significant left-lateralized functional connectivity to the pars opercularis within Broca's area. Among cortical regions, pre-SMA functional connectivity is strongest to the pars opercularis Additionally, pre-SMA connectivity was shown to exist to other cortical language-association regions, including Wernicke's Area, supramarginal gyri, angular gyri(, and middle frontal gyri. Among sub-cortical areas, considerable left-lateralized functional connectivity occurs to the caudate and thalamus while cerebellar sub-regions show right-lateralization. The current study reveals that the pre-SMA most strongly connects to the pars opercularis within Broca's area and that cortical connections to language areas are left-lateralizedamong a sample of right-handed patients. We provide rfMRI evidence that the functional connectivity of the pre-SMA is involved in semantic language processing and that this identification may be useful for establishing language laterality in pre-operative neurosurgical planning.

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The Cornell electron storage ring (CESR) phase-III upgrade plan includes very strong permanent magnet quadrupoles in front of the cryostat for the superconducting quadrupoles and physically as close as possible to the interaction point. Together with the superconducting quadrupoles, they provide tighter vertical focusing at the interaction point. The quadrupoles are built with neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) material and operate inside the 15 kG solenoid field. Requirements on the field quality and stability of these quadrupoles are discussed and test results are presented.