Abstract
Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that abnormalities in Huntington's disease (HD) extend to white matter (WM) tracts in early HD and even in presymptomatic stages. Thus, changes of the corpus callosum (CC) may reflect various aspects of HD pathogenesis. We recruited 17 HD patients, 17 pre-HD subjects, and 34 healthy age-matched controls. Three-dimensional anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor images of the brain were acquired on a 3T scanner. Combining region-of-interest analyses, voxel-based morphometry, and tract-based spatial statistics, we investigated callosal thickness, WM density, fractional anisotropy, and radial and axial diffusivities. Compared with controls, pre-HD subjects showed reductions of the isthmus, likely due to myelin damage. Compared with pre-HD subjects, HD patients showed reductions of isthmus and body, with axonal damage confined to the body. Compared with controls, HD patients had significantly decreased callosal measures in extended regions across almost the entire CC. At this disease stage, both myelin and axonal damage are detectable. Supplementary multiple regression analyses revealed that WM reduction density in the isthmus as well as Disease Burden scores allowed to predict the "HD development" index. While callosal changes seem to proceed in a posterior-to-anterior direction as the diseases progresses, this observation requires validation in future longitudinal investigations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2858-2866 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Cerebral Cortex |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2012 |
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Keywords
- axonal demyelination
- diffusion tensor imaging
- region of interest
- voxel-based morphometry
- Wallerian degeneration
- white matter changes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Cite this
Multimodal MRI analysis of the corpus callosum reveals white matter differences in presymptomatic and early Huntington's disease. / Di Paola, M.; Luders, E.; Cherubini, A.; Sanchez-Castaneda, C.; Thompson, P. M.; Toga, A. W.; Caltagirone, C.; Orobello, S.; Elifani, F.; Squitieri, F.; Sabatini, U.
In: Cerebral Cortex, Vol. 22, No. 12, 12.2012, p. 2858-2866.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Multimodal MRI analysis of the corpus callosum reveals white matter differences in presymptomatic and early Huntington's disease
AU - Di Paola, M.
AU - Luders, E.
AU - Cherubini, A.
AU - Sanchez-Castaneda, C.
AU - Thompson, P. M.
AU - Toga, A. W.
AU - Caltagirone, C.
AU - Orobello, S.
AU - Elifani, F.
AU - Squitieri, F.
AU - Sabatini, U.
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that abnormalities in Huntington's disease (HD) extend to white matter (WM) tracts in early HD and even in presymptomatic stages. Thus, changes of the corpus callosum (CC) may reflect various aspects of HD pathogenesis. We recruited 17 HD patients, 17 pre-HD subjects, and 34 healthy age-matched controls. Three-dimensional anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor images of the brain were acquired on a 3T scanner. Combining region-of-interest analyses, voxel-based morphometry, and tract-based spatial statistics, we investigated callosal thickness, WM density, fractional anisotropy, and radial and axial diffusivities. Compared with controls, pre-HD subjects showed reductions of the isthmus, likely due to myelin damage. Compared with pre-HD subjects, HD patients showed reductions of isthmus and body, with axonal damage confined to the body. Compared with controls, HD patients had significantly decreased callosal measures in extended regions across almost the entire CC. At this disease stage, both myelin and axonal damage are detectable. Supplementary multiple regression analyses revealed that WM reduction density in the isthmus as well as Disease Burden scores allowed to predict the "HD development" index. While callosal changes seem to proceed in a posterior-to-anterior direction as the diseases progresses, this observation requires validation in future longitudinal investigations.
AB - Recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that abnormalities in Huntington's disease (HD) extend to white matter (WM) tracts in early HD and even in presymptomatic stages. Thus, changes of the corpus callosum (CC) may reflect various aspects of HD pathogenesis. We recruited 17 HD patients, 17 pre-HD subjects, and 34 healthy age-matched controls. Three-dimensional anatomical MRI and diffusion tensor images of the brain were acquired on a 3T scanner. Combining region-of-interest analyses, voxel-based morphometry, and tract-based spatial statistics, we investigated callosal thickness, WM density, fractional anisotropy, and radial and axial diffusivities. Compared with controls, pre-HD subjects showed reductions of the isthmus, likely due to myelin damage. Compared with pre-HD subjects, HD patients showed reductions of isthmus and body, with axonal damage confined to the body. Compared with controls, HD patients had significantly decreased callosal measures in extended regions across almost the entire CC. At this disease stage, both myelin and axonal damage are detectable. Supplementary multiple regression analyses revealed that WM reduction density in the isthmus as well as Disease Burden scores allowed to predict the "HD development" index. While callosal changes seem to proceed in a posterior-to-anterior direction as the diseases progresses, this observation requires validation in future longitudinal investigations.
KW - axonal demyelination
KW - diffusion tensor imaging
KW - region of interest
KW - voxel-based morphometry
KW - Wallerian degeneration
KW - white matter changes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866048404&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84866048404&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/cercor/bhr360
DO - 10.1093/cercor/bhr360
M3 - Article
C2 - 22223853
AN - SCOPUS:84866048404
VL - 22
SP - 2858
EP - 2866
JO - Cerebral Cortex
JF - Cerebral Cortex
SN - 1047-3211
IS - 12
ER -