Quantitative brain MR imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Quantitative MRI

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
• Accurate diagnostic markers for ALS are crucial for timely intervention.
• Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques offer potential for objective disease assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic potential of quantitative MRI techniques, including voxel-based morphometry (VBM), T2-relaxometry, mean diffusivity (MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA), in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study included 33 ALS patients and 30 healthy controls.
• Quantitative MRI sequences (T1WI, T2WI, T2 relaxometry, DWI) were acquired at 1.5T.
• Disease severity was assessed using the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALS-FRS).

Main Results:

• Decreased T2 relaxation rate (R2) was observed in the frontal white matter (FWM) and left caudate nucleus of ALS patients.
• Atrophy in the corona radiata correlated with limb-specific ALS-FRS scores.
• Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) revealed decreased FA in the corona radiata and callosal body.

Conclusions:

• Reduced R2 in the left caudate and bilateral FWM may serve as diagnostic indicators for ALS.
• These regions should not be used as internal controls in ALS research.
• The posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) is not a reliable diagnostic marker for ALS.