Shape deformations of the basal ganglia in patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia: a cross-sectional evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Despite the involvement of subcortical brain structures in the pathogenesis of classic trigeminal neuralgia (CTN), the details of morphological abnormalities of basal ganglia to this disorder are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate potential changes in terms of volume and shape of subcortical regions in patients with CTN.

METHODS

Forty-eight patients with CTN and 46 matched healthy subjects were recruited in the study. The whole-brain T1 anatomical data was acquired at a 3.0 Tesla scanner using a fast spoiled gradient recalled sequence (FSPGR). Vertex-wise analysis was applied to detect the alterations of volume and shape in each subcortical region in the patients with CTN compared to healthy controls. The relationships of morphological abnormalities in subcortical structures to the severity of orofacial pain and the affective disturbance in the patient group were examined using the multiple linear regression model.

RESULTS

No group difference was found about volumetric measurement in any of the subcortical regions. Vertex-wise analysis revealed areas of significant shape atrophy in bilateral putamen and bilateral pallidum in the patients with CTN compared to healthy controls. Besides, the patient group exhibited shape expansion in the head of the right caudate nucleus compared to healthy subjects. In addition, shape deformation in the head of the right caudate nucleus was positively associated with VAS score in CTN.

CONCLUSION

The patients with CTN display shape alterations in the specific subregions of basal ganglia, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of this refractory disorder and may be useful for translational medicine.

Vertex-wise examination of depressive symptom dimensions and brain volumes in older adults

Differences in brain volumes have commonly been reported in older adults with both subthreshold and major depression. Few studies have examined the association between specific symptom dimensions of depression and brain volumes. This study used vertex-wise analyses to examine the association between specific symptom dimensions of depression and brain volumes in older adults with subthreshold levels of depressive symptoms. Forty-three community-dwelling adults between the ages of 55 and 81 years underwent a structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Vertex-wise analyses were conducted using Freesurfer Imaging Suite to examine the relationship between CES-D subscale scores and gray matter volumes while controlling for sex, age, and education. We found distinct associations between depressed mood, somatic symptoms, and lack of positive affect subscales with regional volumes, including primarily positive relationships in temporal regions and a negative association with the lingual gyrus. The relationship between higher depressed mood subscale scores and larger volumes in the left inferior temporal lobe withstood Monte-Carlo correction for multiple comparisons. Results from this preliminary study highlight the importance of examining depression on a symptom dimension level and identify brain regions that may be important in larger studies of depression.