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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Correlation of quantitative diffusion tensor tractography with clinical grades of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
R Trivedi1, H Anuradha, A Agarwal
1Department of Radiodiagnosis, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Background And Purpose:
SSPE is a persistent infection of the central nervous system caused by the measles virus. The correlation between the clinical staging and conventional MR imaging is usually poor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tract-specific DTI measures in the major white mater tracts correlate with clinical grades as defined by the Jabbour classification for SSPE.
Materials And Methods:
Quantitative DTT was performed on 20 patients with SSPE (mean age, 9 years) and 14 age- and sex-matched controls. All patients were graded on the basis of the Jabbour classification into grade II (n=9), grade III (n=6), and grade IV (n=5) SSPE. The major white matter tracts quantified included the CC, SLF, ILF, CST, CNG, SCP, MCP, ICP, ATR, STR, and PTR.
Results:
Although a successive decrease in mean FA values was observed in all the fiber tracts except for the SCP and ICP, moving from controls to grade IV, a significant inverse correlation between clinical grade and mean FA values was observed only in the splenium (r=-0.908, P<.001), CST (r=-0.663, P=.013), SLF (r=-0.533, P=.050), ILF (r=-0.776, P=.001), STR (r=-0.538, P=.047), and PTR (r=-0.686, P=.035) fibers. No significant correlation of mean MD values from these white matter tracts was observed with clinical grades of the disease.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the grade of encephalopathy correlates inversely with the tract-specific mean FA values. This information may be valuable in studying the disease progression with time and in assessing the therapeutic response in the future.
Insights
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) severity correlates with white matter tract integrity. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fractional anisotropy (FA) values in specific tracts decrease with SSPE progression, offering insights into disease monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a persistent measles virus infection of the central nervous system.
- Conventional MRI often shows poor correlation with SSPE clinical staging.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers potential for more sensitive assessment of white matter changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between tract-specific DTI measures and clinical grades of SSPE.
- To determine if DTI can provide a more objective measure of SSPE severity compared to conventional MRI.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative DTI was performed on 20 SSPE patients and 14 controls.
- Patients were classified into Jabbour grades II, III, and IV.
- DTI metrics, specifically fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), were analyzed in major white matter tracts.
Main Results:
- A successive decrease in mean FA values was observed in most fiber tracts from controls to grade IV SSPE.
- Significant inverse correlations between clinical grade and mean FA were found in the splenium, corticospinal tract (CST), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), striatum (STR), and posterior thalamic radiation (PTR).
- No significant correlation was found between mean MD values and SSPE clinical grades.
Conclusions:
- Tract-specific mean FA values show an inverse correlation with the grade of encephalopathy in SSPE.
- These DTI findings may aid in monitoring SSPE disease progression and evaluating treatment efficacy.
