Cortical thickness changes in adult moyamoya disease assessed by structural magnetic resonance imaging

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Medical Science

Background:

• Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries and their branches.
• Understanding the structural brain changes associated with MMD is crucial for assessing disease progression and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize alterations in cortical thickness in adult patients diagnosed with moyamoya disease (MMD).
• To explore the relationship between cortical thickness variations and clinical markers of cerebrovascular disease severity in MMD patients.

Main Methods:

• Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 60 adult patients with MMD and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
• Cortical thickness was quantified using Freesurfer software.
• Cortical thickness measurements were compared between MMD patients and controls and correlated with MRA and CVA scores.

Main Results:

• Patients with MMD exhibited significantly lower average cortical thickness in both cerebral hemispheres compared to healthy controls.
• Specific regional cortical differences were observed, including thinning of bilateral precentral gyri, thickening of bilateral postcentral and posterior cingulate gyri, and mixed thinning and thickening in the insula.
• Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) scores demonstrated a negative correlation with average cortical thickness, indicating greater thinning with increased CVA severity.

Conclusions:

• Cortical thickness serves as a potential biological indicator for assessing the severity of moyamoya disease (MMD).
• These findings highlight the utility of advanced neuroimaging techniques in quantifying structural brain changes in MMD and their clinical relevance.