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Published on: August 21, 2017
Normal volumes and microstructural integrity of deep gray matter structures in AQP4+ NMOSD
Carsten Finke1, Josephine Heine1, Florence Pache1
1Department of Neurology (C.F., J.H., F. Pache, N.B., K.R., F. Paul) and NeuroCure Clinical Research Center NCRC (F. Pache, A.L., N.B., J.K., J.B.-S., A.U.B., F. Paul), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Berlin School of Mind and Brain (C.F.), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; and Experimental and Clinical Research Center (J.B.-S., F. Paul), Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
Objective:
To assess volumes and microstructural integrity of deep gray matter structures in a homogeneous cohort of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study including 36 aquaporin-4 antibody-positive (AQP4 Ab-positive) Caucasian patients with NMOSD and healthy controls matched for age, sex, and education. Volumetry of deep gray matter structures (DGM; thalamus, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens) was performed using 2 independent automated methods. Microstructural integrity was assessed based on diffusion tensor imaging.
Results:
Both volumetric analysis methods consistently revealed similar volumes of DGM structures in patients and controls without significant group differences. Moreover, no differences in DGM microstructural integrity were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
Deep gray matter structures are not affected in AQP4 Ab-positive Caucasian patients with NMOSD. NMOSD imaging studies should be interpreted with respect to Ab status, educational background, and ethnicity of included patients.
