The aging-liked alterations in Cushing's disease: A neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) study
Hong Jiang1, Xu Can-Xin1, Si-Jian Pan2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Purpose:
Glucocorticoid (GC) is probably related to biological aging, but the exact mechanism remains unknown. Cushing's disease (CD) could represent a unique human model for examining the effects of prolonged exposure to hypercortisolism and its relationship with aging. Thus, we studied the alterations of neurites in CD patients with Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI).
Methods:
CD patients (n = 15) and healthy control subjects (n = 15) were included in this study. Orientation dispersion index (Odi), neurite density index (Ndi), partial fraction of free water (fiso), partial fraction of extracellular water (fec) were examined in a cross-sectional analysis.
Results:
Significant altered NODDI parameters were found in CD patients. Some of these alterations were correlated with current age. Additionally, increased dendritic density was found in cerebellar of CD patients.
Conclusion:
Hypercortisolism relative reductions of the dendritic density were correlated with current age in several regions of CD patients. Our study enhances the understanding of the link between the aging and GC.
