Atrophy of the corpus callosum associated with a decrease in cortical benzodiazepine receptor in large cerebral...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroimaging
• Cerebrovascular Diseases

Background:

• Selective neuronal ischemic changes in large cerebral artery occlusion remain debated.
• Previous studies suggest indirect evidence of neuronal loss via corpus callosum atrophy and reduced cortical oxygen metabolism.
• Recent findings indicate reduced central benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) binding in normal-appearing cortical areas of ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between corpus callosum atrophy and decreased cortical BZR binding in large cerebral arterial occlusive diseases.

Main Methods:

• Studied seven patients with middle cerebral or internal carotid artery occlusive disease and minor infarctions.
• Utilized single-photon emission tomography with (123)I-iomazenil (IMZ) to assess BZR binding.
• Compared midsagittal corpus callosum area/skull area ratio with cerebral IMZ uptake/cerebellar IMZ uptake ratio.

Main Results:

• Patients exhibited a significantly decreased callosal area/skull area ratio compared to controls.
• A strong, significant correlation was found between the degree of corpus callosum atrophy and decreased cortical IMZ uptake ratio (rho=0.99, p<0.02).

Conclusions:

• Corpus callosum atrophy may be associated with decreased cortical BZR binding in large cerebral arterial occlusive diseases.
• This association suggests that corpus callosum atrophy and reduced BZR binding may reflect cortical neuronal damage in these conditions.