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Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Tract-based spatial statistics of diffusion tensor imaging in adults with dyslexia
T Richards1, J Stevenson, J Crouch
1Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. toddr@u.washington.edu
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|May 10, 2008
Summary
Adults with dyslexia show altered white matter microstructure, as evidenced by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings. These brain differences in white matter tracts correlate with phonologic processing deficits observed in dyslexia research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Disorders
Background:
- Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting reading.
- White matter microstructure alterations are implicated in dyslexia.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers insights into white matter integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter structural changes in adults with dyslexia using DTI.
- To test the hypothesis of disrupted white matter tracts in dyslexic individuals.
- To correlate DTI findings with known functional connectivity deficits in phonologic processing.
Main Methods:
- Acquired DTI scans from 14 adults with dyslexia and 7 healthy controls.
- Utilized Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) for voxelwise analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA).
- Compared white matter FA values between dyslexic and control groups.
Main Results:
- Identified significant differences in white matter tracts between adults with and without dyslexia.
- Observed altered FA in bilateral tracts across frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes.
- Found higher FA in control subjects, indicating better white matter integrity.
Conclusions:
- DTI reveals significant white matter structural differences in adults with dyslexia.
- Reduced FA in dyslexic adults suggests compromised white matter integrity.
- Findings align with previous functional connectivity studies implicating the inferior frontal gyrus.
