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Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Huntington's Disease.
Heather Wilson1, George Dervenoulas1, Marios Politis1
1Neurodegeneration Imaging Group (NIG), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
International Review of Neurobiology
|November 10, 2018
Summary
Huntington's disease (HD) research uses structural MRI to detect brain changes in carriers before symptoms appear. This helps in monitoring disease progression and developing new treatments for this neurodegenerative disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene.
- Clinical manifestations include progressive motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
- Currently, no disease-modifying treatments exist, highlighting the need for biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and analysis methods used in HD research.
- To discuss evidence of structural MRI abnormalities in HD gene carriers.
- To explore the utility of structural MRI measures as diagnostic tools, for longitudinal assessment, and as biomarkers for clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Review of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.
- Analysis of studies investigating structural and microstructural changes in premanifest and manifest HD gene carriers.
- Examination of associations between brain atrophy, white matter changes, iron deposition, and clinical performance.
Main Results:
- Structural MRI reveals abnormalities in HD gene carriers, including atrophy and white matter changes.
- Iron deposition is also observed and associated with clinical performance.
- Structural MRI measures show potential for diagnosing HD, tracking progression, and serving as biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Structural MRI is a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing HD pathology and progression.
- MRI-derived measures can serve as diagnostic aids, track disease trajectory, and act as endpoints in clinical trials.
- Further research using structural MRI can accelerate the development of effective treatments for Huntington's disease.