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Xie K, Chen Y, Chu M, Cui Y, Chen Z, Zhang J, Liu L, Jing D, Cui C, Liang Z, Ren L, Rosa-Neto P, Ghorayeb I, Zhang Z, Wu L. Specific structuro-metabolic pattern of thalamic subnuclei in fatal familial insomnia: A PET/MRI imaging study. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:103026. [PMID: 35504222 PMCID: PMC9065920 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysfunction of the thalamus has been proposed as a core mechanism of fatal familial insomnia. However, detailed metabolic and structural alterations in thalamic subnuclei are not well documented. We aimed to address the multimodal structuro-metabolic pattern at the level of the thalamic nuclei in fatal familial insomnia patients, and investigated the clinical presentation of primary thalamic alterations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five fatal familial insomnia patients and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent neuropsychological assessments, polysomnography, electroencephalogram, and cerebrospinal fluid tests. MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose PET were acquired on a hybrid PET/MRI system. Structural and metabolic changes were compared using voxel-based morphometry analyses and standardized uptake value ratio analyses, focusing on thalamic subnuclei region of interest analyses. Correlation analysis was conducted between gray matter volume and metabolic decrease ratios, and clinical features. RESULTS The whole-brain analysis showed that gray matter volume decline was confined to the bilateral thalamus and right middle temporal pole in fatal familial insomnia patients, whereas hypometabolism was observed in the bilateral thalamus, basal ganglia, and widespread cortices, mainly in the forebrain. In the regions of interest analysis, gray matter volume and metabolism decreases were prominent in bilateral medial dorsal nuclei, anterior nuclei, and the pulvinar, which is consistent with neuropathological and clinical findings. A positive correlation was found between gray matter volume and metabolic decrease ratios. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed specific structuro-metabolic pattern of fatal familial insomnia that demonstrated the essential roles of medial dorsal nuclei, anterior nuclei, and pulvinar, which may be a potential biomarker in diagnosis. Also, primary thalamic subnuclei alterations may be correlated with insomnia, neuropsychiatric, and autonomic symptoms sparing primary cortical involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Xie
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yaojing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Min Chu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yue Cui
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Zhongyun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Department of Neurology, Shenyang Fifth People Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning 110023, China
| | - Donglai Jing
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Department of Neurology, Rongcheng People's Hospital, Baoding, Hebei 071700, China
| | - Chunlei Cui
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Zhigang Liang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Liankun Ren
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Imad Ghorayeb
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33076 Bordeaux, France; Département de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Pôle Neurosciences Cliniques, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Zhanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Liyong Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing 100053, China.
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2
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Rose DK, Liu AJ. A case of fatal familial insomnia: diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Neurocase 2022; 28:131-134. [PMID: 35037601 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2021.2025249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) is an uncommon but fatal genetic condition that is characterized by severe progressive insomnia, dysautonomia, neuropsychiatric changes, and gait instability. Diagnostic workup includes genetic testing, EEG, MRI imaging of the brain, polysomnography, and CSF analysis. MRI brain imaging may be notable for areas of restricted diffusion in the thalamus. Therapeutic approaches are centered on symptom management, predominantly for insomnia. It is important for clinicians to consider FFI in patients presenting with progressive insomnia, cognitive deficits, and gait instability, and to direct patients and families toward genetic counseling and palliative care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah K Rose
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andy J Liu
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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3
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Sacco S, Paoletti M, Staffaroni AM, Kang H, Rojas J, Marx G, Goh SY, Luisa Mandelli M, Allen IE, Kramer JH, Bastianello S, Henry RG, Rosen H, Caverzasi E, Geschwind MD. Multimodal MRI staging for tracking progression and clinical-imaging correlation in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 30:102523. [PMID: 33636540 PMCID: PMC7906895 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion imaging is very useful for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, but it has limitations in tracking disease progression as mean diffusivity changes non-linearly across the disease course. We previously showed that mean diffusivity changes across the disease course follow a quasi J-shaped curve, characterized by decreased values in earlier phases and increasing values later in the disease course. Understanding how MRI metrics change over-time, as well as their correlations with clinical deficits are crucial steps in developing radiological biomarkers for trials. Specifically, as mean diffusivity does not change linearly and atrophy mainly occurs in later stages, neither alone is likely to be a sufficient biomarker throughout the disease course. We therefore developed a model combining mean diffusivity and Volume loss (MRI Disease-Staging) to take into account mean diffusivity's non-linearity. We then assessed the associations between clinical outcomes and mean diffusivity alone, Volume alone and finally MRI Disease-Staging. In 37 sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease subjects and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, high angular resolution diffusion and high-resolution T1 imaging was performed cross-sectionally to compute z-scores for mean diffusivity (MD) and Volume. Average MD and Volume were extracted from 41 GM volume of interest (VOI) per hemisphere, within the images registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space. Each subject's volume of interest was classified as either "involved" or "not involved" using a statistical threshold of ± 2 standard deviation (SD) for mean diffusivity changes and/or -2 SD for Volume. Volumes of interest were MRI Disease-Staged as: 0 = no abnormalities; 1 = decreased mean diffusivity only; 2 = decreased mean diffusivity and Volume; 3 = normal ("pseudo-normalized") mean diffusivity, reduced Volume; 4 = increased mean diffusivity, reduced Volume. We correlated Volume, MD and MRI Disease-Staging with several clinical outcomes (scales, score and symptoms) using 4 major regions of interest (Total, Cortical, Subcortical and Cerebellar gray matter) or smaller regions pre-specified based on known neuroanatomical correlates. Volume and MD z-scores correlated inversely with each other in all four major ROIs (cortical, subcortical, cerebellar and total) highlighting that ROIs with lower Volumes had higher MD and vice-versa. Regarding correlations with symptoms and scores, higher MD correlated with worse Mini-Mental State Examination and Barthel scores in cortical and cerebellar gray matter, but subjects with cortical sensory deficits showed lower MD in the primary sensory cortex. Volume loss correlated with lower Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel scores and pyramidal signs. Interestingly, for both Volume and MD, changes within the cerebellar ROI showed strong correlations with both MMSE and Barthel. Supporting using a combination of MD and Volume to track sCJD progression, MRI Disease-Staging showed correlations with more clinical outcomes than Volume or MD alone, specifically with Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel score, pyramidal signs, higher cortical sensory deficits, as well as executive and visual-spatial deficits. Additionally, when subjects in the cohort were subdivided into tertiles based on their Barthel scores and their percentile of disease duration/course ("Time-Ratio"), subjects in the lowest (most impaired) Barthel tertile showed a much greater proportion of more advanced MRI Disease-Stages than the those in the highest tertile. Similarly, subjects in the last Time-Ratio tertile (last tertile of disease) showed a much greater proportion of more advanced MRI Disease-Stages than the earliest tertile. Therefore, in later disease stages, as measured by time or Barthel, there is overall more Volume loss and increasing MD. A combined multiparametric quantitative MRI Disease-Staging is a useful tool to track sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob- disease progression radiologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Sacco
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute of Radiology, Department of Clinical Surgical Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Paoletti
- Advanced Imaging and Radiomics Center, Neuroradiology Department, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Adam M. Staffaroni
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Huicong Kang
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Julio Rojas
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gabe Marx
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sheng-yang Goh
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mandelli
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Isabel E. Allen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joel H. Kramer
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stefano Bastianello
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Neuroradiology Department, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roland G. Henry
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Howie.J. Rosen
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eduardo Caverzasi
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael D. Geschwind
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
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Baldelli L, Provini F. Fatal familial insomnia and Agrypnia Excitata: Autonomic dysfunctions and pathophysiological implications. Auton Neurosci 2019; 218:68-86. [PMID: 30890351 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) is a hereditary prion disease caused by a mutation at codon 178 of the prion-protein gene leading to a D178N substitution in the protein determining severe and selective atrophy of mediodorsal and anteroventral thalamic nuclei. FFI is characterized by physiological sleep loss, which polygraphically appears to be a slow wave sleep loss, autonomic and motor hyperactivation with peculiar episodes of oneiric stupor. Alteration of autonomic functions is a great burden for FFI patients consisting in sympathetic overactivation, dysregulation of its physiological responses and disruption of circadian rhythms. The cardiovascular system is the most frequently and severely affected confirming the increased sympathetic drive with preserved parasympathetic responses. Sleep loss, autonomic and motor hyperactivation define Agrypnia Excitata (AE), which is not exclusive to FFI, but it has been canonically described also in Morvan Syndrome and Delirium Tremens. These three conditions present different pathophysiological mechanisms but share the same thalamo-limbic impairment of which AE is one of the possible clinical presentations. FFI, and consequently also AE, is a model for the investigation of the essential role of the thalamus in the organization of body homeostasis, integrating both sleep and autonomic function control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Baldelli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica Provini
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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5
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Wu LY, Zhan SQ, Huang ZY, Zhang B, Wang T, Liu CF, Lu H, Dong XP, Wu ZY, Zhang JW, Zhang JH, Zhao ZX, Han F, Huang Y, Lu J, Gauthier S, Jia JP, Wang YP. Expert Consensus on Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Fatal Familial Insomnia. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 131:1613-1617. [PMID: 29941716 PMCID: PMC6032681 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.235115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yong Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Shu-Qin Zhan
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Zhao-Yang Huang
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China
| | - Chun-Feng Liu
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, China
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China
| | - Jie-Wen Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan 450003, China
| | - Ji-Hui Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR 000000, China
| | - Zhong-Xin Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Fang Han
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Neurology, Program in Neuroscience and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston 02215, MA, USA
| | - Serge Gauthier
- McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Montreal H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Jian-Ping Jia
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
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6
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Abstract
Genetic prion diseases (gPrDs) caused by mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) have been classified as genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease, or fatal familial insomnia. Mutations in PRNP can be missense, nonsense, and/or octapeptide repeat insertions or, possibly, deletions. These mutations can produce diverse clinical features. They may also show varying ancillary testing results and neuropathological findings. Although the majority of gPrDs have a rapid progression with a short survival time of a few months, many also present as ataxic or parkinsonian disorders, which have a slower decline over a few to several years. A few very rare mutations manifest as neuropsychiatric disorders, with systemic symptoms that include gastrointestinal disorders and neuropathy; these forms can progress over years to decades. In this review, we classify gPrDs as rapid, slow, or mixed types based on their typical rate of progression and duration, and we review the broad spectrum of phenotypes manifested by these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mee-Ohk Kim
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Leonel T Takada
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Katherine Wong
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Sven A Forner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Michael D Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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7
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Grau-Rivera O, Calvo A, Bargalló N, Monté GC, Nos C, Lladó A, Molinuevo JL, Gelpi E, Sánchez-Valle R. Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Abnormalities in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Fatal Insomnia. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 55:431-443. [PMID: 27662320 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantitative neuroimaging might unveil abnormalities in prion diseases that are not perceivable at visual inspection. On the other hand, scarce studies have quantified volumetric changes in prion diseases. OBJECTIVES We aim to characterize volumetric and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) changes in patients with prion diseases who presented with either Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or fatal insomnia (FI) phenotype. METHODS Twenty patients with prion diseases- 15 with CJD and 5 with fatal insomnia (FI)- and 40 healthy controls were examined with a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Images were segmented and normalized with SPM12. DTI maps were obtained with FMRIB Software Library. Whole-brain voxel-wise and region-of-interest analyses of volumetric and DTI changes were performed with SPM12. White matter (WM) changes were also analyzed with tract-based spatial statistics. Semiquantitive assessment of neuropathological parameters was compared with DTI metrics in thalamus from 11 patients. RESULTS Patients with CJD and FI presented significant atrophy in thalamus and cerebellum. In CJD, mean diffusivity (MD) was decreased in striatum and increased in subcortical WM, while both increased and decreased values were observed across different thalamic nuclei. In FI, MD was increased in thalamus and cerebellum. Spongiform change and PrPSc deposition were more intense in thalamus in CJD than in FI, although no significant correlations arose with MD values in the nuclei studied. CONCLUSION Volumetric and DTI abnormalities suggest a central common role of the thalamus in prion diseases. We report, for the first time, quantitative MRI changes in FI, and provide further evidence of WM involvement in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Grau-Rivera
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Calvo
- Magnetic Resonance Image core facility of IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bargalló
- Magnetic Resonance Image core facility of IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Radiology Department, Image Diagnosis Center, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma C Monté
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Nos
- General Subdirectorate of Surveillance and Response to Emergencies in Public Health, Department of Public Health in Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Lladó
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ellen Gelpi
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Neurological Tissue Bank of the Biobanc-Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Abstract
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) and sporadic fatal insomnia (sFI), or thalamic form of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease MM2 (sCJDMM2T), are prion diseases originally named and characterized in 1992 and 1999, respectively. FFI is genetically determined and linked to a D178N mutation coupled with the M129 genotype in the prion protein gene (PRNP) at chromosome 20. sFI is a phenocopy of FFI and likely its sporadic form. Both diseases are primarily characterized by progressive sleep impairment, disturbances of autonomic nervous system, and motor signs associated with severe loss of nerve cells in medial thalamic nuclei. Both diseases harbor an abnormal disease-associated prion protein isoform, resistant to proteases with relative mass of 19 kDa identified as resPrPTSE type 2. To date at least 70 kindreds affected by FFI with 198 members and 18 unrelated carriers along with 25 typical cases of sFI have been published. The D178N-129M mutation is thought to cause FFI by destabilizing the mutated prion protein and facilitating its conversion to PrPTSE. The thalamus is the brain region first affected. A similar mechanism triggered spontaneously may underlie sFI.
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9
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Koeller KK, Shih RY. Viral and Prion Infections of the Central Nervous System: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation: From the Radiologic Pathology Archives. Radiographics 2017; 37:199-233. [PMID: 28076019 DOI: 10.1148/rg.2017160149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) range in clinical severity, with the most severe proving fatal within a matter of days. Some of the more than 100 different viruses known to affect the brain and spinal cord are neurotropic with a predilection for producing CNS infection. The host response to viral infection of the CNS is responsible for the pathophysiology and imaging findings seen in affected patients. Viral CNS infections can take the form of meningitis, encephalitis, encephalomyelitis, or, when involving the spinal cord and nerve roots, encephalomyeloradiculitis. In 1982, an infectious particle termed a prion that lacked nucleic acid and therefore was not a virus was reported to produce the fatal neurodegenerative disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and related disorders. These prion diseases produce characteristic neuroimaging findings that are distinct from those seen in most viral infections. The clinical and imaging findings associated with viral CNS infection are often nonspecific, with microbiologic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid the most useful single test allowing for diagnosis of a specific viral infection. This review details the spectrum of viral CNS infections and uses case material from the archives of the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology, with a focus on the specific clinical characteristics and magnetic resonance imaging features seen in these infections. Where possible, the imaging features that allow distinction of these infections from other CNS inflammatory conditions are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly K Koeller
- From the Department of Neuroradiology, American Institute for Radiologic Pathology, Silver Spring, Md (K.K.K., R.Y.S.); Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (K.K.K.); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md (R.Y.S.); and Department of Radiology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md (R.Y.S.)
| | - Robert Y Shih
- From the Department of Neuroradiology, American Institute for Radiologic Pathology, Silver Spring, Md (K.K.K., R.Y.S.); Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (K.K.K.); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md (R.Y.S.); and Department of Radiology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md (R.Y.S.)
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10
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Llorens F, Zarranz JJ, Fischer A, Zerr I, Ferrer I. Fatal Familial Insomnia: Clinical Aspects and Molecular Alterations. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2017; 17:30. [PMID: 28324299 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-017-0743-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Fatal familiar insomnia (FFI) is an autosomal dominant inherited prion disease caused by D178N mutation in the prion protein gene (PRNP D178N) accompanied by the presence of a methionine at the codon 129 polymorphic site on the mutated allele. FFI is characterized by severe sleep disorder, dysautonomia, motor signs and abnormal behaviour together with primary atrophy of selected thalamic nuclei and inferior olives, and expansion to other brain regions with disease progression. This article reviews recent research on the clinical and molecular aspects of the disease. RECENT FINDINGS New clinical and biomarker tools have been implemented in order to assist in the diagnosis of the disease. In addition, the generation of mouse models, the availability of 'omics' data in brain tissue and the use of new seeding techniques shed light on the molecular events in FFI pathogenesis. Biochemical studies in human samples also reveal that neuropathological alterations in vulnerable brain regions underlie severe impairment in key cellular processes such as mitochondrial and protein synthesis machinery. Although the development of a therapy is still a major challenge, recent findings represent a step toward understanding of the clinical and molecular aspects of FFI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, University Medical Center, Georg-August University, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Göttingen, Germany. .,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Juan-José Zarranz
- Neurology Department, University Hospital Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Andre Fischer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, University Medical Center, Georg-August University, Robert Koch Strasse 40, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, c/Feixa Llarga sn, 08907, Barcelona, Spain. .,University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBERNED (Network Centre for Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain.
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11
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Vezzani A, Pascente R, Ravizza T. Biomarkers of Epileptogenesis: The Focus on Glia and Cognitive Dysfunctions. Neurochem Res 2017; 42:2089-2098. [PMID: 28434163 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-017-2271-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The need to find measures that reliably predict the onset of epilepsy after injurious events or how the patient will respond to anti-seizure drugs led to intensive pre-clinical and clinical research to discover non-invasive biomarkers that could increase the sensitivity of existing clinical indicators. The use of experimental models of epileptogenesis and of drug-resistance is instrumental to select the most promising approaches to explore such biomarkers in the pre-clinical setting for further clinical validation. The approaches most frequently used to find clinically useful biomarkers of epileptogenesis include molecular brain imaging, EEG signal analysis and the measure of soluble molecules in biofluids which may reflect brain intrinsic events involved in epilepsy development. Among those, we focused our attention on proton magnetic resonance imaging (1H-MRS)-based analysis of astrocytic activation, and related blood biomarkers, since this cell population appears to be pivotally involved in various epileptogenesis processes triggered by differing insults. Moreover, we also investigated behavioral biomarkers by focusing on cognitive dysfunctions since this deficit represents a typical co-morbidity in epilepsy which may manifest even before the onset of spontaneous seizures. In this review article, we will report our recently published evidence supporting the utility of measuring astrocyte activation, the soluble molecules they release, and the associated cognitive deficits during epileptogenesis for early stratification of animals developing epilepsy. We will discuss the potential clinical translation of our findings for enriching the patient population in preventive clinical trials designed to study anti-epileptogenic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Vezzani
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS-Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via G. La Masa, 19, 20156, Milan, Italy.
| | - Rosaria Pascente
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS-Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via G. La Masa, 19, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Ravizza
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS-Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via G. La Masa, 19, 20156, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article presents an update on the clinical aspects of human prion disease, including the wide spectrum of their presentations. RECENT FINDINGS Prion diseases, a group of disorders caused by abnormally shaped proteins called prions, occur in sporadic (Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease), genetic (genetic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia), and acquired (kuru, variant Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, and iatrogenic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease) forms. This article presents updated information on the clinical features and diagnostic methods for human prion diseases. New antemortem potential diagnostic tests based on amplifying prions in order to detect them are showing very high specificity. Understanding of the diversity of possible presentations of human prion diseases continues to evolve, with some genetic forms progressing slowly over decades, beginning with dysautonomia and neuropathy and progressing to a frontal-executive dementia with pathology of combined prionopathy and tauopathy. Unfortunately, to date, all human prion disease clinical trials have failed to show survival benefit. A very rare polymorphism in the prion protein gene recently has been identified that appears to protect against prion disease; this finding, in addition to providing greater understanding of the prionlike mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, might lead to potential treatments. SUMMARY Sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease is the most common form of human prion disease. Genetic prion diseases, resulting from mutations in the prion-related protein gene (PRNP), are classified based on the mutation, clinical phenotype, and neuropathologic features and can be difficult to diagnose because of their varied presentations. Perhaps most relevant to this Continuum issue on neuroinfectious diseases, acquired prion diseases are caused by accidental transmission to humans, but fortunately, they are the least common form and are becoming rarer as awareness of transmission risk has led to implementation of measures to prevent such occurrences.
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Caverzasi E, Henry RG, Vitali P, Lobach IV, Kornak J, Bastianello S, Dearmond SJ, Miller BL, Rosen HJ, Mandelli ML, Geschwind MD. Application of quantitative DTI metrics in sporadic CJD. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 4:426-35. [PMID: 24624328 PMCID: PMC3950558 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion Weighted Imaging is extremely important for the diagnosis of probable sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, the most common human prion disease. Although visual assessment of DWI MRI is critical diagnostically, a more objective, quantifiable approach might more precisely identify the precise pattern of brain involvement. Furthermore, a quantitative, systematic tracking of MRI changes occurring over time might provide insights regarding the underlying histopathological mechanisms of human prion disease and provide information useful for clinical trials. The purposes of this study were: 1) to describe quantitatively the average cross-sectional pattern of reduced mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, atrophy and T1 relaxation in the gray matter (GM) in sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease, 2) to study changes in mean diffusivity and atrophy over time and 3) to explore their relationship with clinical scales. Twenty-six sporadic Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease and nine control subjects had MRIs on the same scanner; seven sCJD subjects had a second scan after approximately two months. Cortical and subcortical gray matter regions were parcellated with Freesurfer. Average cortical thickness (or subcortical volume), T1-relaxiation and mean diffusivity from co-registered diffusion maps were calculated in each region for each subject. Quantitatively on cross-sectional analysis, certain brain regions were preferentially affected by reduced mean diffusivity (parietal, temporal lobes, posterior cingulate, thalamus and deep nuclei), but with relative sparing of the frontal and occipital lobes. Serial imaging, surprisingly showed that mean diffusivity did not have a linear or unidirectional reduction over time, but tended to decrease initially and then reverse and increase towards normalization. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between worsening of patient clinical function (based on modified Barthel score) and increasing mean diffusivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Caverzasi
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA ; Department of Neuroradiology, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia. University of Pavia, Italy
| | - R G Henry
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA ; Graduate Group in Bioengineering, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA ; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - P Vitali
- Brain MRI 3T Mondino Research Center C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - I V Lobach
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Kornak
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - S Bastianello
- Department of Neuroradiology, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia. University of Pavia, Italy
| | - S J Dearmond
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA ; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA
| | - B L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF), USA
| | - H J Rosen
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF), USA
| | - M L Mandelli
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF), USA
| | - M D Geschwind
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF), USA
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De Vita E, Ridgway GR, Scahill RI, Caine D, Rudge P, Yousry TA, Mead S, Collinge J, Jäger HR, Thornton JS, Hyare H. Multiparameter MR imaging in the 6-OPRI variant of inherited prion disease. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2013; 34:1723-30. [PMID: 23538406 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a3504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inherited prion diseases represent over 15% of human prion cases and are a frequent cause of early onset dementia. The purpose of this study was to define the distribution of changes in cerebral volumetric and microstructural parenchymal tissues in a specific inherited human prion disease mutation combining VBM with VBA of cerebral MTR and MD. MATERIALS AND METHODS VBM and VBA of cerebral MTR and MD were performed in 16 healthy control participants and 9 patients with the 6-OPRI mutation. An analysis of covariance consisting of diagnostic grouping with age and total intracranial volume as covariates was performed. RESULTS On VBM, there was a significant reduction in gray matter volume in patients compared with control participants in the basal ganglia, perisylvian cortex, lingual gyrus, and precuneus. Significant MTR reduction and MD increases were more anatomically extensive than volume differences on VBM in the same cortical areas, but MTR and MD changes were not seen in the basal ganglia. CONCLUSIONS Gray matter and WM changes were seen in brain areas associated with motor and cognitive functions known to be impaired in patients with the 6-OPRI mutation. There were some differences in the anatomic distribution of MTR-VBA and MD-VBA changes compared with VBM, likely to reflect regional variations in the type and degree of the respective pathophysiologic substrates. Combined analysis of complementary multiparameter MR imaging data furthers our understanding of prion disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- E De Vita
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology
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15
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Letourneau-Guillon L, Wada R, Kucharczyk W. Imaging of prion diseases. J Magn Reson Imaging 2012; 35:998-1012. [PMID: 22499277 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.23504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by self-replicating proteins that induce lethal neurodegenerative disorders. In the last decade, the understanding of the different clinical, pathological, and neuroimaging phenotypes of this group of disorders has evolved paralleling the advances in prion molecular biology. From an imaging standpoint, the implementation of diffusion-weighted imaging in routine practice has markedly facilitated the detection of prion diseases, especially Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Less frequent prion-related disorders, including genetic diseases, may also benefit from progresses in the field of quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging, MR spectroscopy or molecular imaging. Herein, we present a review of the neuroimaging features of the prion disorders known to affect humans emphasizing the important contribution of MRI in the diagnosis of this group of disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Letourneau-Guillon
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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17
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Fujita K, Harada M, Yuasa T, Sasaki M, Izumi Y, Kaji R. Temporal evolution of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease monitored by 3-Tesla MR spectroscopy. J Neurol 2011; 258:1368-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-011-5939-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2011] [Revised: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Parchi P, Strammiello R, Giese A, Kretzschmar H. Phenotypic variability of sporadic human prion disease and its molecular basis: past, present, and future. Acta Neuropathol 2011; 121:91-112. [PMID: 21107851 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0779-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Revised: 11/05/2010] [Accepted: 11/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Human prion diseases are rare neurodegenerative disorders related to prion protein misfolding that can occur as sporadic, familial or acquired forms. In comparison to other more common neurodegenerative disorders, prion diseases show a wider range of phenotypic variation and largely transmit to experimental animals, a feature that led to the isolation and characterization of different strains of the transmissible agent or prion with distinct biological properties. Biochemically distinct PrP(Sc) types have been demonstrated which differ in their size after proteinase cleavage, glycosylation pattern, and possibly other features related to their conformation. These PrP(Sc) types, possibly enciphering the prion strains, together with the naturally occurring polymorphism at codon 129 in the prion protein gene have a major influence on the disease phenotype. In the sporadic form, the most common but perhaps least understood form of human prion disease, there are at least six major combinations of codon 129 genotype and prion protein isotype, which are significantly related to distinctive clinical-pathological subgroups of the disease. In this review, we provide an update on the current knowledge and classification of the disease subtypes of the sporadic human prion diseases as defined by molecular features and pathological changes. Furthermore, we discuss the molecular basis of phenotypic variability taking into account the results of recent transmission studies that shed light on the extent of prion strain variation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piero Parchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Galanaud D, Haik S, Linguraru MG, Ranjeva JP, Faucheux B, Kaphan E, Ayache N, Chiras J, Cozzone P, Dormont D, Brandel JP. Combined diffusion imaging and MR spectroscopy in the diagnosis of human prion diseases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2010; 31:1311-8. [PMID: 20430851 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a2069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The physiopathologic bases underlying the signal intensity changes and reduced diffusibility observed in prion diseases (TSEs) are still poorly understood. We evaluated the interest of MRS combined with DWI both as a diagnostic tool and a way to understand the mechanism underlying signal intensity and ADC changes in this setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS We designed a prospective study of multimodal MR imaging in patients with suspected TSEs. Forty-five patients with a suspicion of TSE and 11 age-matched healthy volunteers were included. The MR imaging protocol included T1, FLAIR, and DWI sequences. MRS was performed on the cerebellum, pulvinar, right lenticular nucleus, and frontal cortex. MR images were assessed visually, and ADC values were calculated. RESULTS Among the 45 suspected cases, 31 fulfilled the criteria for probable or definite TSEs (19 sCJDs, 3 iCJDs, 2 vCJDs, and 7 genetic TSEs); and 14 were classified as AltDs. High signals in the cortex and/or basal ganglia were observed in 26/31 patients with TSEs on FLAIR and 29/31 patients on DWI. In the basal ganglia, high DWI signals corresponded to a decreased ADC. Metabolic alterations, increased mIns, and decreased NAA were observed in all patients with TSEs. ADC values and metabolic changes were not correlated; this finding suggests that neuronal stress (vacuolization), neuronal loss, and astrogliosis do not alone explain the decrease of ADC. CONCLUSIONS MRS combined with other MR imaging is of interest in the diagnosis of TSE and provides useful information for understanding physiopathologic processes underlying prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Galanaud
- Department of Neuroradiology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
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Hyare H, Wroe S, Siddique D, Webb T, Fox NC, Stevens J, Collinge J, Yousry T, Thornton JS. Brain-water diffusion coefficients reflect the severity of inherited prion disease. Neurology 2010; 74:658-65. [PMID: 20177119 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181d0cc47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inherited prion diseases are progressive neurodegenerative conditions, characterized by cerebral spongiosis, gliosis, and neuronal loss, caused by mutations within the prion protein (PRNP) gene. We wished to assess the potential of diffusion-weighted MRI as a biomarker of disease severity in inherited prion diseases. METHODS Twenty-five subjects (mean age 45.2 years) with a known PRNP mutation including 19 symptomatic patients, 6 gene-positive asymptomatic subjects, and 7 controls (mean age 54.1 years) underwent conventional and diffusion-weighted MRI. An index of normalized brain volume (NBV) and region of interest (ROI) mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for the head of caudate, putamen, and pulvinar nuclei were recorded. ADC histograms were computed for whole brain (WB) and gray matter (GM) tissue fractions. Clinical assessment utilized standardized clinical scores. Mann-Whitney U test and regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Symptomatic patients exhibited an increased WB mean ADC (p = 0.006) and GM mean ADC (p = 0.024) compared to controls. Decreased NBV and increased mean ADC measures significantly correlated with clinical measures of disease severity. Using a stepwise multivariate regression procedure, GM mean ADC was an independent predictor of Clinician's Dementia Rating score (p = 0.001), Barthel Index of activities of daily living (p = 0.001), and Rankin disability score (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Brain volume loss in inherited prion diseases is accompanied by increased cerebral apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), correlating with increased disease severity. The association between gray matter ADC and clinical neurologic status suggests this measure may prove a useful biomarker of disease activity in inherited prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Hyare
- National Prion Clinic, Box 98, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK, WC1N 3BG.
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Lodi R, Parchi P, Tonon C, Manners D, Capellari S, Strammiello R, Rinaldi R, Testa C, Malucelli E, Mostacci B, Rizzo G, Pierangeli G, Cortelli P, Montagna P, Barbiroli B. Magnetic resonance diagnostic markers in clinically sporadic prion disease: a combined brain magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy study. Brain 2009; 132:2669-79. [PMID: 19755520 PMCID: PMC2759338 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awp210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The intra vitam diagnosis of prion disease is challenging and a definite diagnosis still requires neuropathological examination in non-familial cases. Magnetic resonance imaging has gained increasing importance in the diagnosis of prion disease. The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of different magnetic resonance imaging sequences and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the differential diagnosis of patients with rapidly progressive neurological signs compatible with the clinical diagnosis of sporadic prion disease. Twenty-nine consecutive patients with an initial diagnosis of possible or probable sporadic prion disease, on the basis of clinical and electroencephalography features, were recruited. The magnetic resonance protocol included axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery-T2- and diffusion-weighted images, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the thalamus, striatum, cerebellum and occipital cortex. Based on the clinical follow-up, genetic studies and neuropathology, the final diagnosis was of prion disease in 14 patients out of 29. The percentage of correctly diagnosed cases was 86% for diffusion-weighted imaging (hyperintensity in the striatum/cerebral cortex), 86% for thalamic N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratio (cutoff </=1.21), 90% for thalamic N-acetyl-aspartate to myo-inositol (mI) ratio (cutoff </=1.05) and 86% for cerebral spinal fluid 14-3-3 protein. All the prion disease patients had N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratios </=1.21 (100% sensitivity and 100% negative predictive value) and all the non-prion patients had N-acetyl-aspartate to myo-inositol ratios >1.05 (100% specificity and 100% positive predictive value). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the combination of thalamic N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratio and diffusion-weighted imaging correctly classified 93% of the patients. The combination of thalamic proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (10 min acquisition duration) and brain diffusion-weighted imaging (2 min acquisition duration) may increase the diagnostic accuracy of the magnetic resonance scan. Both sequences should be routinely included in the clinical work-up of patients with suspected prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Lodi
- MR Spectroscopy Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Aging and Nephrology, University of Bologna, Azienda Universitario-Ospedaliera di Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna, Italy.
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