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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Diffusion tensor imaging and voxel based morphometry study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: relationships with motor
Lionel Thivard1, Pierre-François Pradat, Stéphane Lehéricy
1INSERM U739, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France. lionel.thivard@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|July 20, 2007
Summary
This study reveals that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes widespread subcortical brain lesions beyond the corticospinal tract, impacting grey matter and correlating with disease severity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
- Understanding the full extent of brain involvement in ALS is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical and subcortical brain lesions in ALS patients.
- To correlate imaging findings with clinical assessments.
Main Methods:
- Combined voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
- Included 15 ALS patients and 25 healthy controls.
- Assessed patients using the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R).
Main Results:
- Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in corticospinal tracts, insula, premotor cortex, parietal cortex, and thalamus, correlating with ALSFRS-R.
- Increased mean diffusivity (MD) in motor cortex, insula, hippocampus, and temporal gyrus, not correlating with ALSFRS-R.
- VBM showed grey matter volume decreases in regions with MD abnormalities, but no white matter changes.
Conclusions:
- Subcortical lesions in ALS extend beyond the corticospinal tract.
- These widespread lesions are clinically relevant and impact grey matter.
- DTI and VBM are valuable tools for characterizing ALS neurodegeneration.
