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Updated: Mar 1, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Usefulness of diffusion tensor imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: potential biomarker and association with the
Marcelo Chaves1, Mariela Bettini1, Maria Cecilia Fernandez1
1Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Neurology Department, Buenos Aires City, Argentina.
Methods:
This was a case-control study conducted from December 1, 2012 to December 1, 2014. Clinical and demographic data were recorded. A neuropsychological test battery adapted to ALS patients was used. An MRI with DTI was performed in all patients and fractional anisotropy (FA) was analyzed in the white matter using the tract based spatial statistics program.
Results:
Twenty-four patients with ALS (15 females, mean age 66.9 + -2.3) and 13 healthy controls (four females, average age 66.9 + - 2) were included. The DTI showed white matter damage in ALS patients vs. healthy controls (p < 0.001).
Discussion:
In our preliminary study the alterations of white matter in DTI were significantly associated with cognitive impairment in patients with ALS.
