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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Focal white matter changes in spasmodic dysphonia: a combined diffusion tensor imaging and neuropathological study
Kristina Simonyan1, Fernanda Tovar-Moll, John Ostuni
1Laryngeal and Speech Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 5D38, Bethesda, MD 20892-1416, USA. simonyak@ninds.nih.gov
Spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder, is linked to specific brain abnormalities in the corticobulbar/corticospinal tract. Diffusion tensor imaging and histopathology reveal these neurological changes, potentially explaining the disorder's cause.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Pathology
Background:
- Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological voice disorder with unknown pathophysiology.
- It involves involuntary spasms of laryngeal muscles during speech.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify disorder-specific brain abnormalities in spasmodic dysphonia patients.
- To correlate brain changes with clinical symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to detect brain changes in 20 patients and 20 controls.
- Postmortem histopathology examined targeted brain regions.
Main Results:
- DTI revealed decreased fractional anisotropy and increased water diffusivity in the corticobulbar/corticospinal tract and related structures in patients.
- Histopathology confirmed axonal loss, myelin reduction, and mineral deposits in specific brain areas.
- Diffusivity changes correlated positively with clinical symptoms (r = 0.509, P = 0.037).
Conclusions:
- Specific brain abnormalities in the corticobulbar/corticospinal tract are identified in spasmodic dysphonia.
- These findings suggest a potential underlying pathophysiology for the disorder.
- The study highlights the role of central voice control alterations.
