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Functional neuroimaging and chorea: a systematic review
Debra J Ehrlich1, Ruth H Walker1,2
1Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 East 98th Street, 1st Floor, Box 1637, New York, NY 10029 USA.
Insights
Chorea, a movement disorder, involves involuntary movements. Functional imaging reveals network changes in the basal ganglia, aiding diagnosis and treatment for various chorea causes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Movement Disorders
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by involuntary, irregular, flowing movements.
- Huntington's disease is a common cause, but other neurodegenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune conditions can also lead to chorea.
- Pathophysiology varies significantly across different chorea-inducing conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review functional imaging data in chorea syndromes.
- To identify trends in brain activity and neuronal dysfunction.
- To enhance understanding of basal ganglia network changes in chorea.
Main Methods:
- Review of functional imaging studies in patients with chorea syndromes.
- Analysis of brain activity and neuronal dysfunction patterns.
- Identification of trends in network changes within the basal ganglia.
Main Results:
- Functional imaging reveals specific trends in brain activity and neuronal dysfunction in chorea.
- Observed changes in the basal ganglia network are associated with various chorea syndromes.
- Distinguishing primary, secondary, or compensatory changes remains a challenge.
Conclusions:
- Functional imaging trends offer insights into the underlying network alterations in chorea.
- These insights can potentially improve diagnostic testing for chorea.
- Understanding network changes may guide treatment strategies for diverse chorea conditions.
Abstract:
Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement disorder consisting of involuntary irregular, flowing movements of the trunk, neck or face. Although Huntington's disease is the most common cause of chorea in adults, chorea can also result from many other neurodegenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune conditions. While the pathophysiology of these different conditions is quite variable, recent advances in functional imaging have enabled the development of new methods for analysis of brain activity and neuronal dysfunction. In this paper we review the growing body of functional imaging data that has been performed in chorea syndromes and identify particular trends, which can be used to better understand the underlying network changes within the basal ganglia. While it can be challenging to identify whether changes are primary, secondary, or compensatory, identification of these trends can ultimately be useful in diagnostic testing and treatment in many of the conditions that cause chorea.
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