Morphological Changes in Cortical and Subcortical Structures in Multiple System Atrophy Patients With Mild Cognitive...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a common manifestation in MSA patients.
• Understanding structural brain changes in MSA-MCI is crucial for diagnosis and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate morphometric alterations in cortical and subcortical brain structures in MSA patients with MCI.
• To explore the association between these structural changes and cognitive deficits in MSA-MCI.

Main Methods:

• Utilized FreeSurfer software for cortical thickness analysis.
• Employed voxel-based morphometry for gray matter volume analysis.
• Correlated structural changes with cognitive scores in 45 MSA patients (25 MSA-only, 20 MSA-MCI) and 29 controls.

Main Results:

• Both MSA subgroups showed fronto-temporal brain morphology alterations compared to controls.
• MSA-MCI patients exhibited reduced gray matter volume in the left temporal gyrus and cortical thinning in the left middle and inferior temporal gyrus compared to MSA-only patients.
• Cortical thinning in the left middle temporal gyrus was linked to cognitive assessment results and disease duration.

Conclusions:

• Brain structural changes are evident in MSA-MCI patients.
• Alterations in the left temporal regions may serve as a biomarker for cognitive decline in MSA-MCI.