TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive impairment in progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson's syndrome is related to white matter damage
AU - Caso, Francesca
AU - Agosta, Federica
AU - Volonté, Maria Antonietta
AU - Ferraro, Pilar M.
AU - Tiraboschi, Pietro
AU - Copetti, Massimiliano
AU - Valsasina, Paola
AU - Falautano, Monica
AU - Comi, Giancarlo
AU - Falini, Andrea
AU - Filippi, Massimo
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Introduction Beside motor symptoms, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPs) commonly present cognitive and behavioral disorders. In this study we aimed to assess the structural brain correlates of cognitive impairment in PSPs. Methods We enrolled 23 patients with probable PSP Richardson's syndrome and 15 matched healthy controls. Patients underwent an extensive clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. Cortical thickness measures and diffusion tensor metrics of white matter tracts were obtained. Random forest analysis was used to identify the strongest MRI predictors of cognitive impairment in PSPs at an individual patient level. Results PSPs patients were in a moderate stage of the disease showing mild cognitive deficits with prominent executive dysfunction. Relative to controls, PSPs patients had a focal, bilateral cortical thinning mainly located in the prefrontal/precentral cortex and temporal pole. PSPs patients also showed a distributed white matter damage involving the main tracts including the superior cerebellar peduncle, corpus callosum, corticospinal tract, and extramotor tracts, such as the inferior fronto-occipital, superior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi, and cingulum, bilaterally. Regional cortical thinning measures did not relate with cognitive features, while white matter damage showed a significant impact on cognitive impairment (r values ranging from −0.80 to 0.74). Conclusions PSPs patients show both focal cortical thinning in dorsolateral anterior regions and a distributed white matter damage involving the main motor and extramotor tracts. White matter measures are highly associated with cognitive deficits. Diffusion tensor MRI metrics are likely to be the most sensitive markers of extramotor deficits in PSPs.
AB - Introduction Beside motor symptoms, patients with progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPs) commonly present cognitive and behavioral disorders. In this study we aimed to assess the structural brain correlates of cognitive impairment in PSPs. Methods We enrolled 23 patients with probable PSP Richardson's syndrome and 15 matched healthy controls. Patients underwent an extensive clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. Cortical thickness measures and diffusion tensor metrics of white matter tracts were obtained. Random forest analysis was used to identify the strongest MRI predictors of cognitive impairment in PSPs at an individual patient level. Results PSPs patients were in a moderate stage of the disease showing mild cognitive deficits with prominent executive dysfunction. Relative to controls, PSPs patients had a focal, bilateral cortical thinning mainly located in the prefrontal/precentral cortex and temporal pole. PSPs patients also showed a distributed white matter damage involving the main tracts including the superior cerebellar peduncle, corpus callosum, corticospinal tract, and extramotor tracts, such as the inferior fronto-occipital, superior longitudinal and uncinate fasciculi, and cingulum, bilaterally. Regional cortical thinning measures did not relate with cognitive features, while white matter damage showed a significant impact on cognitive impairment (r values ranging from −0.80 to 0.74). Conclusions PSPs patients show both focal cortical thinning in dorsolateral anterior regions and a distributed white matter damage involving the main motor and extramotor tracts. White matter measures are highly associated with cognitive deficits. Diffusion tensor MRI metrics are likely to be the most sensitive markers of extramotor deficits in PSPs.
KW - Cognition
KW - Cortical thickness
KW - Diffusion tensor MRI
KW - Progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome
KW - White matter damage
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U2 - 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.07.007
DO - 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.07.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84994364998
VL - 31
SP - 65
EP - 71
JO - Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
JF - Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
SN - 1353-8020
ER -