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Lupo M, Olivito G, Gragnani A, Saettoni M, Siciliano L, Pancheri C, Panfili M, Bozzali M, Delle Chiaie R, Leggio M. Comparison of Cerebellar Grey Matter Alterations in Bipolar and Cerebellar Patients: Evidence from Voxel-Based Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073511. [PMID: 33805296 PMCID: PMC8036397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of cerebellar alterations associated with bipolar disease with those induced by the presence of cerebellar neurodegenerative pathologies to clarify the potential cerebellar contribution to bipolar affective disturbance. Twenty-nine patients affected by bipolar disorder, 32 subjects affected by cerebellar neurodegenerative pathologies, and 37 age-matched healthy subjects underwent a 3T MRI protocol. A voxel-based morphometry analysis was used to show similarities and differences in cerebellar grey matter (GM) loss between the groups. We found a pattern of GM cerebellar alterations in both bipolar and cerebellar groups that involved the anterior and posterior cerebellar regions (p = 0.05). The direct comparison between bipolar and cerebellar patients demonstrated a significant difference in GM loss in cerebellar neurodegenerative patients in the bilateral anterior and posterior motor cerebellar regions, such as lobules I-IV, V, VI, VIIIa, VIIIb, IX, VIIb and vermis VI, while a pattern of overlapping GM loss was evident in right lobule V, right crus I and bilateral crus II. Our findings showed, for the first time, common and different alteration patterns of specific cerebellar lobules in bipolar and neurodegenerative cerebellar patients, which allowed us to hypothesize a cerebellar role in the cognitive and mood dysregulation symptoms that characterize bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Lupo
- Ataxia Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy; (G.O.); (M.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-065-150-1115
| | - Giusy Olivito
- Ataxia Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy; (G.O.); (M.L.)
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Gragnani
- Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva SPC, 58100 Grosseto, Italy; (A.G.); (M.S.)
- Associazione Psicologia Cognitiva (APC)/Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva (SPC), 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Saettoni
- Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva SPC, 58100 Grosseto, Italy; (A.G.); (M.S.)
- Unità Funzionale Salute Mentale Adulti ASL Toscana Nord-Ovest Valle del Serchio, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Libera Siciliano
- PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Corinna Pancheri
- Departement of Neuroscience and Mental Health–Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (M.P.); (R.D.C.)
| | - Matteo Panfili
- Departement of Neuroscience and Mental Health–Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (M.P.); (R.D.C.)
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Clinical Imaging Science Center, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton BN1 9RR, UK;
| | - Roberto Delle Chiaie
- Departement of Neuroscience and Mental Health–Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (M.P.); (R.D.C.)
| | - Maria Leggio
- Ataxia Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy; (G.O.); (M.L.)
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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2
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Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is a progressive autosomal dominantly inherited cerebellar ataxia characterized by the aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded protein within neuronal nuclei in the brain, which can lead to brain damage that precedes the onset of clinical manifestations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as morphometric MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have gained increasing attention as non-invasive and quantitative methods for the assessment of structural and functional alterations in clinical SCA3/MJD patients as well as preclinical carriers. Morphometric MRI has demonstrated typical patterns of atrophy or volume loss in the cerebellum and brainstem with extensive lesions in some supratentorial areas. DTI has detected widespread microstructural alterations in brain white matter, which indicate disrupted brain anatomical connectivity. Task-related fMRI has presented unusual brain activation patterns within the cerebellum and some extracerebellar tissue, reflecting the decreased functional connectivity of these brain regions in SCA3/MJD subjects. MRS has revealed abnormal neurochemical profiles, such as the levels or ratios of N-acetyl aspartate, choline, and creatine, in both clinical cases and preclinical cases before the alterations in brain anatomical structure. Moreover, a number of studies have reported correlations of MR imaging alterations with clinical and genetic features. The utility of these MR imaging techniques can help to identify preclinical SCA3/MJD carriers, monitor disease progression, evaluate response to therapeutic interventions, and illustrate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the occurrence, development, and prognosis of SCA3/MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linlin Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Tax CMW, Szczepankiewicz F, Nilsson M, Jones DK. The dot-compartment revealed? Diffusion MRI with ultra-strong gradients and spherical tensor encoding in the living human brain. Neuroimage 2020; 210:116534. [PMID: 31931157 PMCID: PMC7429990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The so-called “dot-compartment” is conjectured in diffusion MRI to represent small spherical spaces, such as cell bodies, in which the diffusion is restricted in all directions. Previous investigations inferred its existence from data acquired with directional diffusion encoding which does not permit a straightforward separation of signals from ‘sticks’ (axons) and signals from ‘dots’. Here we combine isotropic diffusion encoding with ultra-strong diffusion gradients (240 mT/m) to achieve high diffusion-weightings with high signal to noise ratio, while suppressing signal arising from anisotropic water compartments with significant mobility along at least one axis (e.g., axons). A dot-compartment, defined to have apparent diffusion coefficient equal to zero and no exchange, would result in a non-decaying signal at very high b-values (b≳7000s/mm2). With this unique experimental setup, a residual yet slowly decaying signal above the noise floor for b-values as high as 15000s/mm2 was seen clearly in the cerebellar grey matter (GM), and in several white matter (WM) regions to some extent. Upper limits of the dot-signal-fraction were estimated to be 1.8% in cerebellar GM and 0.5% in WM. By relaxing the assumption of zero diffusivity, the signal at high b-values in cerebellar GM could be represented more accurately by an isotropic water pool with a low apparent diffusivity of 0.12 μm2/ms and a substantial signal fraction of 9.7%. The T2 of this component was estimated to be around 61ms. This remaining signal at high b-values has potential to serve as a novel and simple marker for isotropically-restricted water compartments in cerebellar GM. The “dot-compartment” is conjectured in diffusion MRI to represent e.g. cell bodies. We combine isotropic encoding with ultra-strong gradients to study the dot-compartment. A slowly decaying signal for high b-values was seen in cerebellar GM. An apparent diffusivity of 0.12 and signal fraction of 9.7% were estimated. The signal could serve as a novel and simple marker for spherical compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M W Tax
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Filip Szczepankiewicz
- Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Radiology, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
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4
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Peng H, Liang X, Long Z, Chen Z, Shi Y, Xia K, Meng L, Tang B, Qiu R, Jiang H. Gene-Related Cerebellar Neurodegeneration in SCA3/MJD: A Case-Controlled Imaging-Genetic Study. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1025. [PMID: 31616370 PMCID: PMC6768953 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is one of the nine polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and is caused by a CAG repeat expansion within the coding sequence of the ATXN3 gene. Few multimodal imaging analyses of the macro- and micro-structural changes have been performed. Methods: In the present study, we recruited 31 genetically-confirmed symptomatic SCA3/MJD patients and 31 healthy subjects as controls for a multimodal neuroimaging study using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results: The SCA3/MJD patients displayed a significantly reduced of gray matter volume in the cerebellum, pons, midbrain and medulla, as well as inferior frontal gyrus and insula, and left superior frontal gyrus. The total International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) score was inversely correlated with the gray matter volume in the cerebellar culmen, pons and midbrain. The numbers of CAG repeats in the expanded alleles were inversely correlated with the gray matter in the cerebellar culmen. NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratio in the middle cerebellar peduncles, dentate nucleus, cerebellar vermis, and thalamus in the SCA3/MJD patients were significantly reduced when compared to that in the normal controls, suggesting neurochemical alterations in cerebellum in the SCA3/MJD patients. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) analysis revealed significant lower volume and mean FA values of the cerebellar peduncles, which inversely correlated with the total scores of ICARS in our patients. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated cerebellar degeneration in SCA3/MJD based on tissue volume, neurochemistry, and tissue microstructure. Moreover, the associations between the clinical measures, cerebellar degeneration and genetic variation support a distinct genotype-phenotype relationship in SCA3/MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Peng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaochun Liang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhe Long
- Department of Neurology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuting Shi
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Meng
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Parkinson's Disease Center, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Qiu
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Neurology, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumchi, China
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5
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Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) comprise more than 40 autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorders that present principally with progressive ataxia. Within the past few years, studies of pathogenic mechanisms in the SCAs have led to the development of promising therapeutic strategies, especially for SCAs caused by polyglutamine-coding CAG repeats. Nucleotide-based gene-silencing approaches that target the first steps in the pathogenic cascade are one promising approach not only for polyglutamine SCAs but also for the many other SCAs caused by toxic mutant proteins or RNA. For these and other emerging therapeutic strategies, well-coordinated preparation is needed for fruitful clinical trials. To accomplish this goal, investigators from the United States and Europe are now collaborating to share data from their respective SCA cohorts. Increased knowledge of the natural history of SCAs, including of the premanifest and early symptomatic stages of disease, will improve the prospects for success in clinical trials of disease-modifying drugs. In addition, investigators are seeking validated clinical outcome measures that demonstrate responsiveness to changes in SCA populations. Findings suggest that MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy biomarkers will provide objective biological readouts of disease activity and progression, but more work is needed to establish disease-specific biomarkers that track target engagement in therapeutic trials. Together, these efforts suggest that the development of successful therapies for one or more SCAs is not far away.
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Argyropoulos GPD, Watkins KE, Belton-Pagnamenta E, Liégeois F, Saleem KS, Mishkin M, Vargha-Khadem F. Neocerebellar Crus I Abnormalities Associated with a Speech and Language Disorder Due to a Mutation in FOXP2. Cerebellum 2019; 18:309-319. [PMID: 30460543 PMCID: PMC6517346 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-018-0989-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Bilateral volume reduction in the caudate nucleus has been established as a prominent brain abnormality associated with a FOXP2 mutation in affected members of the 'KE family', who present with developmental orofacial and verbal dyspraxia in conjunction with pervasive language deficits. Despite the gene's early and prominent expression in the cerebellum and the evidence for reciprocal cerebellum-basal ganglia connectivity, very little is known about cerebellar abnormalities in affected KE members. Using cerebellum-specific voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and volumetry, we provide converging evidence from subsets of affected KE members scanned at three time points for grey matter (GM) volume reduction bilaterally in neocerebellar lobule VIIa Crus I compared with unaffected members and unrelated controls. We also show that right Crus I volume correlates with left and total caudate nucleus volumes in affected KE members, and that right and total Crus I volumes predict the performance of affected members in non-word repetition and non-verbal orofacial praxis. Crus I also shows bilateral hypo-activation in functional MRI in the affected KE members relative to controls during non-word repetition. The association of Crus I with key aspects of the behavioural phenotype of this FOXP2 point mutation is consistent with recent evidence of cerebellar involvement in complex motor sequencing. For the first time, specific cerebello-basal ganglia loops are implicated in the execution of complex oromotor sequences needed for human speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P D Argyropoulos
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - K E Watkins
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - E Belton-Pagnamenta
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - F Liégeois
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - K S Saleem
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M Mishkin
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - F Vargha-Khadem
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatry Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children National Health Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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7
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Olivito G, Lupo M, Iacobacci C, Clausi S, Romano S, Masciullo M, Molinari M, Cercignani M, Bozzali M, Leggio M. Structural cerebellar correlates of cognitive functions in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. J Neurol 2018; 265:597-606. [PMID: 29356974 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8738-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease involving the cerebellum and characterized by a typical motor syndrome. In addition, the presence of cognitive impairment is now widely acknowledged as a feature of SCA2. Given the extensive connections between the cerebellum and associative cerebral areas, it is reasonable to hypothesize that cerebellar neurodegeneration associated with SCA2 may impact on the cerebellar modulation of the cerebral cortex, thus resulting in functional impairment. The aim of the present study was to investigate and quantitatively map the pattern of cerebellar gray matter (GM) atrophy due to SCA2 neurodegeneration and to correlate that with patients' cognitive performances. Cerebellar GM maps were extracted and compared between SCA2 patients (n = 9) and controls (n = 33) by using voxel-based morphometry. Furthermore, the relationship between cerebellar GM atrophy and neuropsychological scores of the patients was assessed. Specific cerebellar GM regions were found to be affected in patients. Additionally, GM loss in cognitive posterior lobules (VI, Crus I, Crus II, VIIB, IX) correlated with visuospatial, verbal memory and executive tasks, while additional correlations with motor anterior (V) and posterior (VIIIA, VIIIB) lobules were found for the tasks engaging motor and planning components. Our results provide evidence that the SCA2 neurodegenerative process affects the cerebellar cortex and that MRI indices of atrophy in different cerebellar subregions may account for the specificity of cognitive symptomatology observed in patients, as result of a cerebello-cerebral dysregulation.
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Wu X, Liao X, Zhan Y, Cheng C, Shen W, Huang M, Zhou Z, Wang Z, Qiu Z, Xing W, Liao W, Tang B, Shen L. Microstructural Alterations in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study. Front Neurol 2017; 8:714. [PMID: 29312133 PMCID: PMC5744430 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most commonly occurring type of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia. The present study aims to investigate progressive changes in white matter (WM) fiber in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with SCA3. Methods A total of 62 participants were included in this study. Among them, 16 were asymptomatic mutation carriers (pre-SCA3), 22 were SCA3 patients with clinical symptoms, and 24 were normal controls (NC). Group comparison of tract-based spatial statistics was performed to identify microstructural abnormalities at different SCA3 disease stages. Results Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) were found in the left inferior cerebellar peduncle and superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) in the pre-SCA3 group compared with NC. The symptomatic SCA3 group showed brain-wide WM tracts impairment in both supratentorial and infratentorial networks, and the mean FA value of the WM skeleton showed a significantly negative correlation with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) scores. Specifically, FA of the bilateral posterior limb of the internal capsule negatively correlated with SCA3 disease duration. We also found that FA values in the right medial lemniscus and SCP negatively correlated with ICARS scores, whereas FA in the right posterior thalamic radiation positively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. In addition, MD in the middle cerebellar peduncle, left anterior limb of internal capsule, external capsule, and superior corona radiate positively correlated with ICARS scores in SCA3 patients. Conclusion WM microstructural changes are present even in the asymptomatic stages of SCA3. In individuals in which the disease has progressed to the symptomatic stage, the integrity of WM fibers across the whole brain is affected. Furthermore, abnormalities in WM tracts are closely related to SCA3 disease severity, including movement disorder and cognitive dysfunction. These findings can deepen our understanding of the neural basis of SCA3 dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xinxin Liao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yafeng Zhan
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mufang Huang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhifan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu Xing
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weihua Liao
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Changsha, China.,Parkinson's Disease Center of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,Collaboration Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai, China.,Collaboration Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Changsha, China
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9
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Olivito G, Dayan M, Battistoni V, Clausi S, Cercignani M, Molinari M, Leggio M, Bozzali M. Bilateral effects of unilateral cerebellar lesions as detected by voxel based morphometry and diffusion imaging. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180439. [PMID: 28692678 PMCID: PMC5503258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decades, the importance of cerebellar processing for cortical functions has been acknowledged and consensus was reached on the strict functional and structural cortico-cerebellar interrelations. From an anatomical point of view strictly contralateral interconnections link the cerebellum to the cerebral cortex mainly through the middle and superior cerebellar peduncle. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) based tractography has already been applied to address cortico-cerebellar-cortical loops in healthy subjects and to detect diffusivity alteration patterns in patients with neurodegenerative pathologies of the cerebellum. In the present study we used dMRI-based tractography to determine the degree and pattern of pathological changes of cerebellar white matter microstructure in patients with focal cerebellar lesions. Diffusion imaging and high-resolution volumes were obtained in patients with left cerebellar lesions and in normal controls. Middle cerebellar peduncles and superior cerebellar peduncles were reconstructed by multi fiber diffusion tractography. From each tract, measures of microscopic damage were assessed, and despite the presence of unilateral lesions, bilateral diffusivity differences in white matter tracts were found comparing patients with normal controls. Consistently, bilateral alterations were also evidenced in specific brain regions linked to the cerebellum and involved in higher-level functions. This could be in line with the evidence that in the presence of unilateral cerebellar lesions, different cognitive functions can be affected and they are not strictly linked to the side of the cerebellar lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Olivito
- Ataxia Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Rome, Italy
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Dayan
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Clausi
- Ataxia Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Molinari
- Neurological and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Department A, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Leggio
- Ataxia Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
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10
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Dayan M, Hurtado Rúa SM, Monohan E, Fujimoto K, Pandya S, LoCastro EM, Vartanian T, Nguyen TD, Raj A, Gauthier SA. MRI Analysis of White Matter Myelin Water Content in Multiple Sclerosis: A Novel Approach Applied to Finding Correlates of Cortical Thinning. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:284. [PMID: 28603479 PMCID: PMC5445177 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel lesion-mask free method based on a gamma mixture model was applied to myelin water fraction (MWF) maps to estimate the association between cortical thickness and myelin content, and how it differs between relapsing-remitting (RRMS) and secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) groups (135 and 23 patients, respectively). It was compared to an approach based on lesion masks. The gamma mixture distribution of whole brain, white matter (WM) MWF was characterized with three variables: the mode (most frequent value) m1 of the gamma component shown to relate to lesion, the mode m2 of the component shown to be associated with normal appearing (NA) WM, and the mixing ratio (λ) between the two distributions. The lesion-mask approach relied on the mean MWF within lesion and within NAWM. A multivariate regression analysis was carried out to find the best predictors of cortical thickness for each group and for each approach. The gamma-mixture method was shown to outperform the lesion-mask approach in terms of adjusted R2, both for the RRMS and SPMS groups. The predictors of the final gamma-mixture models were found to be m1 (β = 1.56, p < 0.005), λ (β = −0.30, p < 0.0005) and age (β = −0.0031, p < 0.005) for the RRMS group (adjusted R2 = 0.16), and m2 (β = 4.72, p < 0.0005) for the SPMS group (adjusted R2 = 0.45). Further, a DICE coefficient analysis demonstrated that the lesion mask had more overlap to an ROI associated with m1, than to an ROI associated with m2 (p < 0.00001), and vice versa for the NAWM mask (p < 0.00001). These results suggest that during the relapsing phase, focal WM damage is associated with cortical thinning, yet in SPMS patients, global WM deterioration has a much stronger influence on secondary degeneration. Through these findings, we demonstrate the potential contribution of myelin loss on neuronal degeneration at different disease stages and the usefulness of our statistical reduction technique which is not affected by the typical bias associated with approaches based on lesion masks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Dayan
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States.,Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
| | - Sandra M Hurtado Rúa
- Department of Mathematics, Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH, United States
| | - Elizabeth Monohan
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Kyoko Fujimoto
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Sneha Pandya
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Eve M LoCastro
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Tim Vartanian
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States.,Brain and Mind Institute, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Thanh D Nguyen
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Ashish Raj
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
| | - Susan A Gauthier
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States.,Brain and Mind Institute, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew York, NY, United States
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